NCJ Number
203878
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 41 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 58-81
Date Published
February 2004
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study utilize national longitudinal data to examine the relationship between family structure and adolescent delinquency.
Abstract
Previous research has investigated the outcomes associated with growing up in a single-family home. The negative effects of divorce and the experience of multiple living arrangement transitions during childhood have been well-documented. These previous studies have usually involved children living with single mothers, however as living patterns shift in America, single fathers are becoming the fastest growing family form and account for approximately 15 percent of all single-parent families. It thus becomes imperative to investigate the outcomes of children growing up with absent mothers. The current research used data from the 1995 National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to investigate family processes that mediate the relationship between family structure and delinquency. By including single-father families in the analysis, the authors were able to identify the mechanisms through which living with a single parent effects delinquency outcomes; more specifically, whether the affect is a function of parental absence or parental gender. The overall sample size was 16,304 adolescents, 9,505 of whom lived with their 2 biological parents, 3,792 of whom lived with single mothers, and 252 of whom lived with single fathers. The remainder of the sample lived in mother-stepfather or father-stepmother homes. Results of binomial regression analysis indicate that mean levels of delinquency were greatest among adolescents living in single-father families and lowest among adolescents living with two biological parents. Parental absence was not a significant predictor of delinquency when differences in child and parent characteristics and family processes were controlled. Furthermore, the importance of the gender of the single parent was mitigated by family processes, such as weak versus strong controls. As such, the authors conclude that parental absence undermines direct and indirect controls, which in turn leads to higher levels of delinquency. In order to minimize delinquency during adolescents, parents and communities should strengthen the balance between nurture and control. Tables, notes, references