NCJ Number
129905
Journal
Journal of Divorce Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: (1990) Pages: 89-99
Date Published
1990
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Recent research has cast doubt upon the previous hypothesis that delinquency rates are higher among youth of divorced parents; this study examines the relationship between delinquency and family parental patterns including divorced parents and stepparents.
Abstract
A self-report questionnaire was administered to 1,041 male and female high school students in Southern California who represent a wide range of social class backgrounds. There was a relationship between family status and delinquency, and male adolescents with stepparents reported a slightly higher rate of more serious delinquency than females. However, the stepparent and social status variables become statistically non-significant when youth-parent relations were added to the analysis. The strongest predictor of reduced delinquency, especially among males, was the total amount of time spent weekly with parents; other factors associated with reduced delinquency were family influence and family integration. The results held for both natural and stepparents. 1 table and 22 references (Author abstract modified)