Family

1
Family

• The most important social institution

2
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• We see in social process theories the importance
  of social ties and the attitudes and values that
  flow through them.
• A family consists of social processes.
• Additionally, families determine what resources,
  neighborhoods, schools, churches, peer groups,
  and so on to which kids have access.

3
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Family Influence is Contact Dependent
• Delinquency goes up with
• Fewer Adults in Household
• Less Contact with Parents (Working Parents?)
• Stay-at-home Working Mom
• More Siblings in Household
• Greater Outside Influence

Dads recent trends
4
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Problems with Broken Homes
• Broken Homes typically have less
• Time
• Supervision
• Attachment Interaction
• Besides, the act of breaking up is disruptive.
  How did you react in your last romantic break-up?
  (Kids will cope with family break up by acting
  out, running away, being truant, drinking, etc.)

• Family Influence is Contact Dependent
• Delinquency goes up with
• Fewer Adults in Household
• Less Contact with Parents (Working Parents?)
• Stay-at-home Working Mom
• More Siblings in Household
• Greater Outside Influence

5
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Broken Homes and Delinquency
• Too many erroneously blame violation of Natural
  Law or loss of biological father for
  delinquencyboys have no role model idea
• There are a constellation of problems that
  accompany family dissolution
• Economic Harm
• Loss of a Supervisor
• Weakens Ties to Conventional Others

6
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Broken Homes and Delinquency
• There are a constellation of problems that
  accompany family dissolution
• Economic Harm
• Loss of a Supervisor
• Weakens Ties to Multiple Conventional Others
• School Problems
• Higher Drop-out Rates
• Less Time for Homework
• Mobility Reduces Attachment to School
• Police, Teachers, etc. are more Strict on Kids
  from Broken Homes

7
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Broken Homes and Delinquency
• Police, Teachers, etc. are more Strict on Kids
  from Broken Homes
• Factors that Cause Marital Breakup May also be
  Linked to Delinquency
• Family Problems
• Divorce Delinquency
• After all, parental death does not lead to
  delinquency.
• So Should parents stay together for the sake of
  children?

8
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• So Should parents stay together for the sake of
  children?
• No
• Family Conflict Hurts Too
• Bad Families Promote Delinquency
• Spousal Conflict
• Fighting Families
• Conflict Teaches/Allows Misbehavior
• Misbehavior can Create Family Conflict that
  Teaches/Allows Misbehavior
• Conflict Erodes Bonds

9
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Bad Families Promote Delinquency
• Spousal Conflict
• Fighting Families
• Conflict Teaches/Allows Misbehavior
• Misbehavior can Create Family Conflict that
  Teaches/Allows Misbehavior
• Conflict Erodes Bonds
• Deviant or Criminal Parents
• Reduces Conventional Supervision
• Increases Deviant Socialization
• Negligence (Physical and Emotional)

10
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Bad Families Promote Delinquency
• Spousal Conflict
• Fighting Families
• Conflict Teaches/Allows Misbehavior
• Misbehavior can Create Family Conflict that
  Teaches/Allows Misbehavior
• Conflict Erodes Bonds
• Deviant or Criminal Parents
• Reduces Conventional Supervision
• Increases Deviant Socialization
• Negligence (Physical and Emotional)

11
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Sibling Effects?
• Delinquent Siblings Increase Odds of Becoming
  Delinquent
• Understudied
• Children Socialize Each Other
• Abusive Siblings are like Abusive Parents
• But Not a Moral Authority
• Not a model of adult behaviors
• Parental Permissiveness Condones Abuse

12
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Why are Foster Families Associated with
  Delinquency?
• Kids may have been in trouble before.
• Kids Already had problem families
• Changes in Foster Families Interfere with
  Consistent Parental Support and Control
• Large Families (Resource Dilution)
• Lack of Empowerment for Foster Parents

13
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Since abuse leads to delinquency, lets explore
  abuse
• Causes of Child Abuse
• History of Abuse (Learn kids should be treated
  badly)
• Unrelated Adult in Household
• Anti-Social, Isolated Families
• Parents Misunderstanding Childs Psychology
• Social and Economic Stressors (Abuse Restores
  Power and Vents Aggression)

14
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Child Abuse
• More Serious, Extended the Abuse, The More
  Subsequent Delinquency
• Caretaker more Likely to Abuse (Women more Likely
  to Abuse)

15
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Child Abuse
• More Serious, Extended the Abuse, The More
  Subsequent Delinquency
• Caretaker more Likely to Abuse (Women more Likely
  to Abuse)
• Sexual Abuse by Adults (Pryors Research)
• Aggressor Defines Kids as Sexual
• Blurs Societys Line between Adults and Kids
• Blurring is often Rooted in Sexual Victimization
• Women are often Abusers

16
Family and Juvenile Delinquency
68 Re-arrest for any crime for non-sex
offenders 1.3 are arrested for a sex
crime. (2.5 of rapists are re-arrested for
rape, 1.2 of homicide offenders are re-arrested
for murder again in 3 years)
Any crime 43, 46 41.5 Any
Crime 39.4 49.9
http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htmrecidivis
m
Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison
in 1994, BJS
17
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• Child Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Problems with Secret Sex
• Adults Break Rules
• You can get away with Delinquency
• Power Issues
• Teen Prostitution
• Linked to Abuse (Runaways)
• Learn of Adult Desire through Abuse
• Conventional Options are Limited

18
Family and Juvenile Delinquency

• What is Good Parenting?
• Parental Attachment Important (Support)
• Open CommunicationEngagement with Ideas, Values,
  and Behaviors Inside Childs Head
• Control
• Should be Consistent
• Not Lenient nor Strict
• Should explain punishments
• Corporal Punishment Legitimates Violence Kids
  Learn that Physical Force Achieves Ones Desires