Family and Juvenile

Delinquency

Deion S. Williams

Abstract

Family plays a large role in juvenile delinquency. When there is a malfunction in the family unit, delinquency seems to be inevitable. This presentation discusses the family problems and solutions to juvenile delinquency.

Family Causes Delinquency

• Families disrupted by spousal conflict, breakup or broken homes

• Families involved in interpersonal conflict

• Negligent parents• Families with deviant parents

Breakup of Family & Relation to Delinquency

• Associated with conflict, hostility, and aggression

• Lack of supervision• Weakened attachment• Susceptibility to peer pressure

Blended Families

• Less stable• Conflict• Neglect• Feelings of rejection and jealousy

Family Conflict

• Emotional disturbance• Behavior problems• Feel aggression pays off• Repeat the cycle• Feelings of neglect• Children display high levels of hostile

detachment

Parental Deviance• Powerful influence on delinquent

behavior• Disrupts family role as an agent of social

control• Close relationships are not formed• Children learn what they live• Quality of family life is poor• These parents use harsh and inconsistent

discipline

Solutions• Community centers• Family counseling • Crack down on parents who commit

crime• Offer guidance at schools

Statistics

Major Types of Protective Family Factors

• Supportive parent-child relationships• Positive discipline methods• Monitoring and supervision• Family advocacy for their children• Seeking information and support for the

benefit of their children.

Conclusion

• The probability of a youth developing developmental problems increases rapidly as the number of risks increase in comparison to the number of protective factors.

• The objective of family-focused prevention programs should be to not only decrease risk factors, but to also increase the ongoing family protective family protective mechanisms.

References

• Siegel, Larry J., Juvenile Delinquency: The Core. Copyright 2002, Wadsworth, a Thomson Imprint