The Family Structure And Delinquency Sociology Essay

Delinquency is a very vital issue in American Society, and many questions are raised as to what inflames and influences a child to become delinquent. Given the significance of delinquency it seems necessary to explore the determinants of delinquency. In order to discover a solution to the problem one must shape an understanding as to what initiates a certain situation. Several researchers took interest in this special topic to determine if family factors play a major role on delinquent behavior. One of the most enduring theories by Travis Hirschi which is Social Bond theory attempts to explain why some people become delinquent focuses on the role of family structure. The Social Bond theory suggests that children who are raised in (broken homes) where one of their biological parents is missing are considerably more liable to become involved in delinquency than children raised in (intact) families where both biological parents are present (Kierkus & Baer, 2002). Parental attachment also plays a major factor in how children behaviors are shaped, if there is no attachment the child may feel neglected and turn to delinquency for attention. Family structure is a key component in a youths’ life, if there is little structure in a family, it is a great possibility that the youth may turn to delinquency and be labeled as a juvenile delinquent. Realizing the family dynamics and how the juvenile within that family circle works actually get to the core of delinquency. The purpose of this study is to explore how family cohesiveness influences juvenile delinquency.

Families are one of the strongest socialization forces in life. The family is the primary unit in which children learn the values and attitudes that guide their actions throughout their lives. The effect of family stressors can have significant impact on children’s behavior. Family disruption or change can have a long-lasting impact on children. In contrast, effective parenting can help neutralize the effect of both individuals (e.g., emotional problems) such as social (e.g., delinquent peers) forces, which promote delinquent behaviors. Children that are neglected by their parents, who are raised in a dysfunctional household with tension, violence or a lack of supervision, are at a greater risk of becoming delinquent. Guidance, supervision and positive parental efficacy during the beginning stages of life carried out into adolescences years appear to act as buffers avoiding a child from becoming engrossed in delinquent behaviors (Sullivan, 2006). On the contrary, families with considerable conflict can also teach children to become aggressive and antisocial which could explain why the juvenile may end up becoming delinquent. Family factors which may possibly influence the advancement of juvenile delinquency consist of extreme and unremitting family conflict. Such conflict can be characterized by domestic violence dysfunctional family cohesiveness, child abuse and neglect parental inability to express appropriate affection toward a childlike of adequate supervision of a child and rigid and non-democratic child rearing practices (Sullivan, 2006). The link between parental deviance and child misbehavior may be genetic. Parents of delinquent youth have been found to suffer neurological conditions liked to antisocial behaviors, and these conditions may be inherited genetically (Baker, Jacobson, Rain, Lozano & Bezdjian, 2007). If children behave like their parents, it’s because they share the same genes and not because they have learned to be bad or live in an environment that causes both parental and child misbehaviors.

There is a theory know as coercion theory in the land of family function. This theory suggests that family environment influences and adolescent’s interpersonal style, which in essence influences peer group selection (Cashwell & Vac, 1996). Cashwell & Vac (1996), states that “peers with a more coercive interpersonal style tend to become involved with each other, and this relationship is assumed to increase the likelihood of being involved in delinquent behavior. Thus understanding the nature of relationships within the family, to include family adaptability, cohesion and satisfaction, provides more information for understanding youth (pg. 110).”

Studies show that parents of delinquent youths tend to be inconsistent disciplinarians, either overly harsh or extremely lenient. The link between discipline and deviant behavior is uncertain. Most Americans still support the use of corporal punishment in disciplining children. The use of physical punishment cuts across racial, ethnic and religious groups. However, despite this public support, there is growing evidence of a “violence begetting violence” cycle (Patterson & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1984). Children who are subjected to even minimal amounts of physical punishment may be more likely to use violence themselves. Physical punishment weakens the bond between parents and children, lowers the children’s self-esteem, and undermines their faith in justice (Patterson & Stouthamer-Loeber, 1984).

Single Parent Household vs. Two Parent Household

The traditional family was once thought of as mother, father and child. In the world today, with the increase in divorce rates and occurrence of single-parent household, the meaning of family has truly changed. Classically, family is considered to be those persons living under one roof in the same household. This leads to several questions that are raised by many Americans. Who is held responsible for teaching children social-skills and learning to have respect for others? Who help children learn to make rational and socially acceptable problem solving choices. The many answers to these questions lie in the responsibility of the family.

Two-parent households provide a more solid foundation for supervision and surveillance, while single parent households has one less person to assist with supervising the youth which leaves room for opportunity and experimentation which could increase the likelihood of delinquency. Disrupted families were characterized by greater conflict and unhappiness that their counterparts and reasoned that these factors would undermine effective relationships with the family and interfere with intimate communication networks. Children from single parent families did experience significantly lower levels of social control than children from two parent homes (Dornbusch, 1985).

Parenting is critical to the prevention of delinquency and youth violence. Studies are showing that single parent families are potentially more harmful than traditional two parent homes. It is believed that children of single parent families are twice as likely to develop serious psychiatric illnesses such as depression and suicidal tendencies and several addictions like alcohol and drug abuse later in life in comparison to two parent households. Children from single parent homes are exposed to certain conditions that can put them at a greater risk to delinquency (Single Parent Home and Child Delinquency, 2007). These include economic conditions, bad neighborhood, parental rejection and the social response towards them. Exposure to sexual abuse and physically abusive punishment also increases the risk of delinquency. Specifically, adolescents exposed to physically abusive punishment are observed to be about four times more likely to commit delinquent acts, and adolescents exposed to sexual abuse commit about three times more delinquent acts than those not exposed to these forms of abuse (Single Parent Home and Child Delinquency, 2007).

There is a general misconception that broken families with one non-biological parent in the household provide a better prospect of parenting than single parent families. Studies highlight that delinquency rates are lowest in homes with two biological parents and highest in broken homes with at least one non-biological parent in the household, while single-parent households fall in the middle. This same ratio also stands true for physical and sexual abuse (Single Parent Home and Child Delinquency, 2007). This exemplifies that it can actually be worse to have two parents in the household, if one of those parents is not a biological parent. Even children growing up in families with marital discord and continuous conflicts are more prone to delinquency.

Most children that are raised in a single parent home are raised by their mothers; also having the role of a father in the home is just as important. Various disturbing US social problems come from fatherlessness. The absence of a father during your childhood and adolescence years can have a serious effect on your well being and the way you view things and make daily life decisions.

Social Bond

Individuals have their own perception on how they view crime and delinquency and what are the contributing factors for such behavior. Some believe that familial disruption is the root of delinquency, because it plays a significant role in the various parent-child interaction variables. The literature examining the link between family structure and delinquent behavior has tended to focus on the attachment component of social bond theory (formerly known as Social Control Theory). It has been assumed that this component is most strongly influenced by family structure. Social Bond Theory is the belief that self control of an individual can be built by manipulating the processes of socialization and social learning. It is also thought to help decrease the urge to engage in antisocial behavior (Lilly, Collen, and Ball 2007). The main proposition of Hirsch’s theory is that delinquency is the result of broken bonds between the individual and society. Weakens in any one of these areas can be criminogenic, both on its own and in combination with other elements. The four key elements of these bonds are attachment to conventional others, commitment to conformity, involvement in conventional activities and belief in the legitimacy of the law (Lilly et al. 2007). Hirschi (1969) “defines attachment to others as the degree to which we admire others, feel affection for and identify with them, thus caring about their expectations. Without a sense of attachment, psychologists believe a person becomes a psychopath and loses the ability to relate coherently to the world (Wright & Cullen, 2001). The acceptance of social norms and the development of social conscience depend on attachment to and caring for other human beings. Attachment to parents is the most important. Even if a family is shattered by divorce or separation, a child must maintain a strong attachment to one or both parents. Without this attachment, it is unlikely that feelings of respect for others in authority will develop. Commitment is the personal stake or investment of an individual in deviant behavior. If a person build a strong commitment to conventional society, they will be less likely to engage in acts that will jeopardize their hard-one position (Wright & Cullen, 2001). A lack of commitment to conventional values may foreshadow a reasonable behavior alternative. Involvement refers to the level of one’s participation in pro-social activities such as family functions, school work or job. Involvement, heavy involvement in conventional activities leaves little time or opportunity for illegal behavior. When kids become involved in family activities, school and recreation, it insulates them from potential lure of delinquent behavior, whereas idleness enhances it (Siegel & Welsh, 2009). Belief, according to bonding theory, refers to an individual’s credence in societal norms and values that laws and rules are necessary and should be followed (Kierkus and Baer 2002). People who live in the same social setting often share common moral beliefs; they may adhere to such values as sharing, sensitivity to the rights of others, and admiration for the legal code. If these beliefs are absent or weakened, an adolescent is more likely to participate in antisocial or illegal acts (Siegel & Welsh, 2009). The stronger these social bonding components with pro-social significant others the more and individual’s behavior will be directed toward conformity (pgs.15-20).” The degree that these elements are weak, the individual will be more likely to violate the law. Social Bond Theory values explain the onset to crime can apply to both middle and lower class crime.

Direct supervision, indirect supervision and the intimacy of communication are all significant elements that could be used to measure parental attachment. The simplest of these elements is direct supervision. The more time that is spend in the parents company, the more attached the child will be amongst their parents (Nye & Hirschi, 1969). The most significant bond of all the bonds is indirect supervision which in essence suggest that children who are strongly close to their parents are less likely to get involved in delinquency because the child believe that their parents are aware of their whereabouts, who they are socializing with, what company they keep and what they are doing (Kierkus & Baer, 2002). The intimacy of communication element of bond theory signifies the actual relationship between parental attachment and delinquency. According to Hirschi (1969), “he believed that children who frequently discuss their intimate thoughts and feelings with their mothers and fathers were unlikely to commit delinquent acts because intimate communication strengthened psychological presence (pg.12).”

Literature Review

The social -science evidence points strongly to the influence of parents as the chief underlying cause of juvenile crime. In England, 27% of prison inmates had been in care and 47% had run away from home as a child. But it’s not just broken families. Criminal parents are much more likely to raise criminal offspring: a recent survey found that 43% of prisoners had family members who had been convicted and 35% had a family member who had been in jail. But family breakdown is important, especially when parents contradict each other-thereby providing no clear moral lead-or compete for affection by being lax with their children, such conflict is more likely in disrupted families, when one parent is absent, or when a new partner or step-parent appears (Skinner, Steinhauer & Santa-Barbara, 1983).

Matlack, McGreevy, Rouse, Flatter & Marcus (1994) states that “several 1992 studies that found that over a 10 year period, there was high correlation between maladaptively aggressive children and single-mother family structures regardless of income, number of children, and the sex of the child. Also reported was a higher tendency for delinquency in males when there was a step-father in the home. This research reported higher rates of delinquency among youths from broken homes than those from intact homes (pg.2).”

Klein & Forehand (1997) suggest that “the prediction of juvenile delinquency in early childhood depends on the type of maternal parenting skills that are imposed upon the child during early adolescence (pg62).” Dumas & Laughlin (1994) cites that “several 1992 studies that found that over a 10 year period, there was a high correlation between maladaptively aggressive children and single-mother family structures regardless of family income, number of children and the sex of the child. Also reported was a higher tendency of delinquency in males where there was a step-father in the home. This research reported higher rates of delinquency among youths from broken homes than those from intact homes (pg40).”

Research shows consistent support for the idea that families that communicate with their children about problems and issues in an effort to resolve them have children with greater problem-solving abilities and social skills. Children with better problem-solving and social skills affiliate with others more socially skilled peers who are more likely to be involved in positive ways socially, behaviorally, and academically and less likely to be involved in antisocial and deviant behavior( Coughlin & Vuchinich, 1996).

METHODOLOGY

The research design I would perform for this study would be the evaluative survey research method, in the sense that it seeks to present family cohesiveness as a source of delinquency. The research would be a quantitative analysis approach. A quantitative approach is an approach which is the examination, analysis and interpretation of observations for the purpose of discovering underlying meanings and patterns of relationships. The population for the study would include adolescents who are from centers or group homes for re-education and subsequent reintegration into society. The sample for this study would be made up of 50 adolescents. The instrument for data collection would be a questionnaire made up of 10 questions. The items in the questionnaire would include personal data, family status, do you live in an intact or broken home, socio-economic status of family, level of education, family attachment (e.g., family activities, vacations, love, affection, bonding and communication) number of persons living in their homes and crimes committed.

CONCLUSION

Research on this topic is not where it should be. Juvenile delinquency is a very interesting topic in American society, and we must figure out the reasons behind this, in order to prevent it from happening in the future. Previous research has left this important question unresolved. Some authors have provided empirical evidence which suggests that attachment variables significantly mediate the direct influence of family structure on delinquency. The results demonstrate that the concept of parental attachment cannot completely explain why children from non-traditional families are at high risk of becoming delinquent

There are many suggestions for future research to determine if there is a direct linkage between family cohesiveness and juvenile delinquency. Several variables in this study could also have been operationalized differently. Researchers have argued that family structure studies should differentiate between homes headed by a single female parent and those headed by a single male parent. Another suggestion for future research on this related field of study would be to conduct research on children who are in juvenile detention homes with a serve criminal background , interview the inmates and ask how did they get into the juvenile detention home and at what age did they start to commit delinquent acts and discuss their family dynamics.

. Majority of juvenile delinquents are from a broken homes and the cause of delinquency is cultivated by the lack of parent-child interaction. The adequate amount of time spent with your child and supervision are also key elements in contributing toward the conception of delinquency. Social Bond Theory is the belief that self control of an individual can be built by manipulating the processes of socialization and social learning. The main proposition of Hirsch’s theory is that delinquency is the result of broken bonds between the individual and society.