NCJ Number
245825
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 50 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2013 Pages: 300-322
Date Published
May 2013
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This study examines how the effects of a criminal label on recidivism vary by the degree of warmth and attachment found in the family environment.
Abstract
Recent tests of labeling theory reveal a criminogenic effect of official labels. Drawing from Braithwaite and Sherman, the current study examines how the effects of a criminal label on recidivism vary by the degree of warmth and attachment found in the family environment. Using ordinary least squares regression and product-term analysis, the authors tested their hypothesis using data from the Children at Risk program, which contains a sample of high-risk youths. Family attachment, examined across several waves of data, significantly diminishes the harmful effects of a criminal label. Results suggest that warm, supportive parents can reduce the likelihood that their children will reoffend. Their findings also imply that the labeling perspective may need further specification regarding the conditions under which a labeling effect is most likely to occur. Implications for juvenile justice policy are also discussed. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.