BROKEN FAMILY AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OR IDEOLOGY (FROM JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - A BOOK OF READINGS. 3D ED., 1976, BY R GIALLOMBARDO - SEE NCJ-38675)

• NCJ Number: 38677
• Author(s): K WILKINSON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: John Wiley and Sons
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE AUTHOR EXAMINES THE LITERATURE DEALING WITH THE EFFECTS OF BROKEN HOMES ON DELINQUENCY, AND CONCLUDES THAT WHILE THE BROKEN HOME IS A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT VARIABLE, ITS SIGNIFICANCE HAS NOT YET BEEN PROVEN.

Abstract

THERE IS A WIDE BELIEF THAT THE CHIEF SOURCE OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR LIES IN FAMILY DISORGANIZATION. ALTHOUGH IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO INDICATE EXACTLY WHAT INFLUENCE THE FAMILY HAS ON DELINQUENCY, A NUMBER OF STUDIES SUGGEST THAT THE BROKEN HOME AND SOCIALIZATION TO DELINQUENT NORMS WITHIN THE FAMILY ARE RELATED TO IT. IN THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE BROKEN HOME AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, THE AUTHOR QUESTIONS WHETHER THE BROKEN FAMILY AND DELINQUENCY CAN BE RELATED SCIENTIFICALLY. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT CULTURAL BIAS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN ACCEPTING THE BROKEN HOME CONCEPT AS A VALID DELINQUENCY FACTOR, AND STRESSES THAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS JUSTIFIED BEFORE THE CONCEPT CAN BE ACCEPTED OR REJECTED AS A SIGNIFICANT VARIABLE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)