Chapter 7

The Social Context of Delinquency: Impact of Families

• Theories of delinquency emphasize the parent–child relationship and parental practices.

• Key Debate: Structure vs. Function in Families

  • Structural Perspective: Considers parental absence, family size, and birth order.

  • Functional Perspective: Focuses on parent–child interactions, marital happiness, and discipline quality.

• Youth conduct, including delinquency, is largely influenced by peers and socialization.

Family Factors

• Important factors affecting delinquency:

  • Broken homes

  • Birth order

  • Family size

  • Influence of delinquent siblings and criminal parents

  • Overall quality of home life

  • Feelings of family rejection

  • Nature and extent of discipline at home

Evidence-Based Practice: Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

• MST Overview: Cost-effective clinical treatment for chronic juvenile offenders.

  • Addresses interconnected social systems impacting behavior (family, peers, school, neighborhood).

  • Goals: Help parents aid their children with antisocial behavior.

  • Treatment Duration: About four months, including 60 hours of contact.

  • Results: 25–70% reduction in rearrest rates; lasting positive effects noted for four years post-treatment.

Transitions and Delinquency: Family Problems

• Influential issues affecting adolescents:

  • Divorced/single-parent families

  • Poverty and homelessness

  • Alcohol and drug abuse

  • Domestic violence

• Increased single-parent families due to high divorce rates in the U.S.

• Economic hardships damage familial relationships and effectiveness.

Anger and Emotions in Adolescents

• Family transitions lead to difficulties in managing negative emotions, potentially contributing to delinquency.

• Blended Families: Cause stress for biological parents, stepparents, and children.

• Childbearing: Many American adolescents face early pregnancy.

• Homelessness: Affects 500,000 to 1.3 million youths annually.

Factors Leading to Youth Homelessness

• Many homeless youths flee abusive environments or neglect.

• High rates of unemployment within families contribute to instability.

• Youth from substance-abusing families face neglect and economic hardship.

The Foster Family Context

• Diverse family contexts include foster families and homes with LGBT parents.

• Foster Care Definition: 24-hour substitute care outside the child's home.

  • Types: Relative/non-relative foster homes, shelters, residential facilities.

Foster Care Statistics (2019)

• As of September 30, 2019:

  • 423,997 children in foster care (32% with relatives, 46% with non-relatives).

  • Goals: Reunification with families for over 55% of children.

  • Exiting Foster Care: 47% reunified, 26% adopted, 11% to guardians.

The Adopted Child

• Special needs adoptions have increased, allowing unadoptable children to find permanent families.

• Crucial Aspect: Disclosure of adoption to children should be managed by adoptive parents.

Children with LGBT Parents: Misconceptions and Realities

• Growing LGBT parent families challenge traditional family structures.

• Kids of LGBT parents generally:

  • Are not more likely to identify as LGBT themselves.

  • Do not exhibit significant differences in gender identity or behaviors.

• Parents can support coping strategies for discrimination and bullying.

Cohabitating Parents Dynamics

• Decline in divorce rates, increase in cohabitating parents.

• Children often experience multiple parental partners, which can lead to instability.

Mass Media Influence on Delinquency Behavior

• Mass media includes various forms of communication like internet, TV, music.

• Television Violence Impact: More significant on predisposed children.

Violent Video Games

• American Psychological Association advocates for reduced violence in children's video games.

• Research links violent gaming to increased aggression and reduced empathy.

Internet-Initiated Crimes

• Cyberbullying and online abuse (4% of arrests for juvenile sexual assaults).

Explicit Music Lyrics

• Rise in concern about violent music impacting youth behavior.

  • Gangsta rap associated with devaluing life and promoting violence.

The Problem of Child Neglect and Abuse

• Neglect profoundly impacts adolescent behaviors and attitudes.

Definitions of Child Maltreatment

Types of Maltreatment

• Physical Abuse: Harmful physical actions against a child.

• Sexual Abuse: Involvement of children in sexual activities, coercively or otherwise.

• Emotional Abuse: Verbal threats, emotional assaults on the child.

Extent of Child Maltreatment

• In FY 2021, 4 million referrals regarding child maltreatment made to CPS; 600,000 identified as victims.

Statistics of Child Maltreatment (2021)

• 76% faced neglect, 16% physical abuse, 10.1% sexual abuse.

Perpetrators of Maltreatment

• Majority of abuse committed by parents: 90.6% during 2021 (most by mothers).

Nature of Neglect and Child Abuse

• Neglect: Lack of meeting children’s basic needs leading to potential for abuse and delinquency.

• Child Abuse: Includes mistreatment fostering serious long-term effects on mental health and behavior.

Connection to Delinquency

• Children facing neglect or abuse often prone to various delinquent behaviors, including substance abuse and violence.

Community Responses to Maltreatment

• Actions include identification, assessment, case planning, treatment, and legal avenues.