NCJ Number
207022
Journal
Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 167-173
Date Published
April 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Based on a review of the literature on relevant empirical research, this paper identifies factors that contribute to delinquency and examines the effectiveness of systemic interventions that focus on the juvenile and his/her family, peers, and school.
Abstract
The discussion of factors that contribute to delinquency focuses on developmental factors, gender factors, and environmental and family factors. Developmental factors that contribute to delinquent behavior include failure to develop prosocial conflict-resolution skills in the early years, learning disabilities, and lack of respect for authority figures. Gender factors play a role in the development of delinquent behaviors due to differing social experiences for boys and girls. For females, cultural conditioning fosters negative messages about their bodies, minds, and worth, and sexual abuse is a common experience of female juvenile delinquents. Research has also identified various family characteristics related to delinquency, including persistent family conflict, weak parental decisionmaking and guidance, lack of positive bonding between parent and child, aggressive communication between family members, and suspicion about motivations. Given the multitude of factors that contribute to delinquent behavior, the literature has found that effective treatment modalities for delinquency include multisystemic therapy, functional family therapy, behavioral parent training, and family skills training. These approaches are most effective when they are coordinated with one another and with other community services already in place. 48 references