Parental Involvement in Juvenile delinquency

Parental Involvement in Juvenile delinquency

Overview of the Study

In common knowledge, there is an understanding of juvenile delinquency as meaning adolescents breaking the law or participating in mischievous behavior. Defining juveniles as being under the age of 18 years is the general rule of thumb because, in the current legal system, upon reaching this age individuals can be tried as adults, serve in the military, and, in some states, consume alcohol.

There can be various factors responsible for the youth to get indulge in juvenile delinquency, such as poverty, race, ethnicity, but in this the main focus is going to be on the factor of parental involvement and their actions. Family environment is often considered one of the most influential antecedents to risky behavior or on the contrary, one of the most important protective factors from engaging in high-risk activities.

Youths who come from single-parent households are especially vulnerable to negative outcomes in the future (Capuzzi, 2006). Within single-parent homes, children have fewer opportunities for positive social bonding with their parent, usually because parental work obligations take them away from home. Single parents typically have a lower income than dual-earner households and, simply because of the single-parent structure, there are fewer role models available to encourage positive behaviors. The 2008 American Community Survey reveals that nearly one-third of all households with children are single-parent households. Single-parent and poor households generally move often, a factor that further predisposes youths to interrupted education and disrupted friendship networks.

More important than family structure, however, is the quality of the relationship between the youth and his or her parent(s), the management style of the parent(s), and the parents' own involvement in high-risk, dangerous, or illegal behavior. Children of parents who are not supportive or communicative, who are not involved in their child's life, and who are physically or emotionally unavailable are much more likely to engage high-risk behaviors. Parental management style is also useful in predicting delinquent or problematic behavior. Youths who come from unsupportive homes at either end of the extreme that are either overly restrictive or authoritarian or who are seriously neglectful tend to fear worse in future undertakings, although some research has shown that children rose in authoritarian environments tend to have higher grades. Home environments that expose children to aggression, abuse, and violence or alcohol and drug abuse are likely to encourage similar behaviors in youths. Abused and neglected children are twice as likely to have a juvenile criminal record as children who are not maltreated. Similarly, girls with a teenage mother or whose unwed sisters are young mothers are also predisposed to early childbearing. Some research also suggests that heredity may play a role in acting out, substance dependency, and alcoholism.

Objective of the Study

The main objective of the study is to find out if parental involvement can have an impact on the youth's behavior. However, further this study also aims to have deep understanding on the responsibilities of parents towards their children and to what extent parents can have ...