Parental Attachments and Delinquency

• NCJ Number: 152124
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1994) Pages: 495-515
• Author(s): J H Rankin; R Kern
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology in New Orleans 1992.

Annotation

Using the 1972 National Survey of Youth, this study analyzed delinquents' attachment to mother and father along several dimensions (i.e., intimacy of communication, affectional identification, supervision, and family activities).

Abstract

The researchers tested two hypotheses: (1) As long as a child is strongly attached to one parent, strong ties to the other parent play an insignificant role in reducing delinquency further; and (2) Single-parent homes are not associated with delinquency as long as the child is strongly attached to the custodial parent. The 1972 National Survey of Youth involved 1,395 interviews that solicited information on delinquent activities, peer group activities, school attitudes, and various family characteristics and attitudes. The sample consisted of boys (51.6 percent) and girls (48.4 percent) between the ages of 11 and 18. The hypotheses were not supported. Generally, the study found that children who are strongly attached to both parents have a lower probability of self-reported delinquency than children who are strongly attached to only one parent. It also determined that children who live in single-parent homes and are strongly attached to the custodial parent generally have a greater probability of committing delinquent acts than children who live in intact homes and are strongly attached to both parents. 3 tables and 31 references