The Effect of Family Structures on Juvenile Delinquency

The term ‘juvenile’ refers to children who have not attained the legal age of adulthood. In many countries, the required legal age for one to be considered an adult is 18 years. On the other hand, delinquency describes crimes that are considered illegal ( Hirschi , 2017; Snyder & Sickmund , 2006) . This illegal action goes against the laws defined by a government or against the communities’ norms and doctrines of good behavior. Juvenile delinquency thus refers to illegal activities perpetrated by young children below the age of 18 years ( Parks , 2013; Mullens, 2004) . In adult life, these anti-social behaviors are referred to as a crime. A number of scholars classify juvenile delinquency into two broad categories. These are statuses and offenses ( Parks , 2013; Mullens, 2004) . Statuses are behaviors that the society deems inappropriate to children by virtue of their age but may be legal to the adults. These include, but not limited to, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, truancy, missing school or running away from home. These vices are considered a norm in adulthood but are restricted to children. This may be because children are incapable of sustaining and controlling the repercussions of most of these vices. In this regard, parents should behave responsibly in order to avoid a negative influence on their children (Sexton, 2017). Offenses, on the other hand, refer to expectations that both parents and the legal system place on everyone in order to enforce justice and the rule of law. The juvenile system can charge children against these offenses. They include but not limited to rape, murder, burglary, arson, vandalism, prostitution and crime. Being the custodians of the future of society, children should be brought up in an environment characterized by such aspects as parental care, guidance, and harmony. In this regard, parents should be examples to their children. Likewise, they are expected to punish any form of wrongdoing to effect sound character and good behavior among the youth. 

Numerous researchers have sought to understand how children’s family backgrounds influence their likelihood of engaging in this vice. In this pursuit, it has been discovered that majority of these vices originate from the family ( Snyder & Sickmund , 2006) . This is because the family is the principle and the first institution in which children are socialized. In their findings, numerous scholars have outlined the factors that significantly influence the likelihood of juveniles to engage in crime. Multifaceted sets of families have been examined in this regard. These include families with a parent who has a criminal record, jobless parents, semi-skilled parents as well the children under child protection. Besides the family structure, other factors that are likely to influence juvenile delinquency are the demise of a parent, debts, illiteracy and drug abuse amongst parents ( Bartollas & Schmalleger , 2014). This paper aims to explore the causes and drivers of juvenile delinquency. There is a consensus amongst scholars that the vice is common in households characterized by a low social-economic status. In particular, this paper focuses on the family structure and how it influences juvenile delinquency. 

Juvenile Delinquency: A Background 

Studies on juvenile delinquency have established that children who engage in crime have a history of family wrangles and childhood sexual abuse. Some of these juveniles engaged in crime as a way of securing their daily livelihoods. Scholars have reported that most of these juveniles come from families characterized by drug abuse and domestic violence. These features of juvenile delinquency depict a breakdown in society where parents deviate from their primary responsibility of keeping the family intact and engage in drug and substance abuse. When this happens, many families disintegrate and children are left to fend for themselves. This pushes them to crime in which case they are likely to steal food items or valuables that they can resell to cater for their basic needs Parks , 2013; Mullens, 2004). Research has also established that children are brought up in families that are marred with domestic violence are more likely engage in juvenile delinquency. The constant wrangles mean that the parents can’t keep track of the development needs and stages of their children. Owing to these inconsistencies in parenting, children may be influenced to join criminal gangs in which they are likely to imitate their parent’s violence as a way of arbitrating disputes. Schroeder et al. (2010) suggest that a child borne of an abusive father is 100% more likely to abuse their spouses in their adult life. 

Alcohol and substance abuse are the other notable causes of juvenile delinquency. For instance, children who have been brought up in a family with alcoholic parents are more likely to emulate their parents. Thus, they venture into drug abuse since they find it a normal endeavor, having learned from their parents. Due to lack of enough cash flow to sustain this addictive behavior, these juveniles turn to crime so as to get cash to buy drugs. In families characterized by domestic violence, children may undergo trauma subsequently end up taking alcohol to avoid the reality. These juveniles develop addiction and may end up engaging in crime under the influence. These acts are attributed to influence by their family ( Siegel & Welsh , 2004 ). 

Further, research has shown that children who have a history of sexual abuse in their childhood are also likely to be actively engaged in crime. Proponents of this viewpoint attribute the juveniles’ behavior to the impact that the society has had brought on their life. To run away from reality, these children team up with rogue groups in an effort to find purpose and a haven. Due to peer influence members of these groups engage in drug abuse and crime in order to sustain their lifestyles. The children’s dissociation and eventual engagement in crime can directly be attributed to their family woes ( Ljubičić , 2012). For instance, children brought up in a family with poor parenting efficacy are also more prone to delinquency. They emulate the wrong character traits such as drug abuse and domestic violence. Likewise, these children lack a role model who can guide them on the norms and doctrines of good character. The leeway they get from lack of proper monitoring from parents is what makes these children susceptible to peer influence, drug abuse and juvenile crime (Douglass, 2009). They tend to form gangs that share similar plight and end up in crime while trying to discover life. Subsequently, they tend to start mild tricks like taking goods on credit while implicating parents, shoplifting and eventually into unruly childhood crime. 

Juvenile delinquency is however greatly reduced in cases where one of the parents steps up and fills the parenting gap. The parent may become authoritarian in advocating for the right practices and become the dominant role model that the children can look up to. This, however, applies when the families stick together. The tip of this balance may be affected when the parents separate due to the abandonment of responsibilities owing to drug abuse. Research has found out that parents take an indirect role in shaping a family's moral fabric. Thus when they break up or divorce, the children have the freedom to do as they please. This includes the development of unruly behavior that acts as the predisposing factor to juvenile crime (Lyons, 2009). Another study exploring the role of the family in juvenile delinquency made an interesting finding. The study established that despite the fact that most parents do not divorce or separate, they live in constant domestic wrangles and violence. This implies that the children are constantly in a state of emotional and behavioral discomfort. They also form a skewed perspective of the institution of marriage and always dread for their freedom. In the search for love and stability, they confide in secrecy with friends. Further, due to lack of proper bonding with their parents, these children lack guidance in numerous aspects such as their choice of friends. This aspect is instrumental because picking the wrong company increases the susceptibility of these juveniles to engage in juvenile crime ( Schroeder et al., 2010). 

A study exploring the relationship between a family’s economic status and prevalence of delinquency discovered that a family’s economic prowess, directly and indirectly, influenced juvenile delinquency ( Snyder & Sickmund , 2006; Mullens, 2004). For example, the family’s financial muscle determines the social status and ranking thus influencing self-esteem and the attitude that children have about what reputation they should safeguard. This explains why the juveniles in the lower social classes of the society are involved in juvenile delinquency more compared to the affluent class in the society. The middle and the upper-class families are more stable economically and can meet the basic needs of their children. Conversely, in the lower social classes, children may engage in crime to complement the little support that their parents can afford. The environment that children live in expose them to trauma and depression, making them more inclined to engage in crime as they lose control of their actions into crime (Sexton, 2017). For instance, scholars have established that the children residing in slums and other poor neighborhoods are more likely to be out of school. As a result, they miss quality education that would not only guarantee a bright future but also create a moral institution that shapes the children’s character while impacting requisite skills. At home and in the streets, these children’s lie idle and are more susceptible to crime than the children in the upper social class. The latter, for instance, are guaranteed quality of education. Schooling makes these children more occupied and engaged hence reducing their chances of engaging in juvenile delinquency. Children in the lower social class on the contrary lack even the basic needs making them more susceptible to crime so as to cater for these needs ( Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2005). Undoubtedly, the society is organized into social classes with the affluent classes living in exclusive estates and the poor living in slums or separate estates. These groupings may work well with the affluent class that has social amenities that improve the well-being of their children. Onto the contrary, children from the lower class are characterized by idleness, low self-esteem, emotional and psychological difficulties. These children are also more likely to team up in activities that are not constructive. Since these neighborhoods are characterized with crime, the children may emulate these societal vices increasing cases of children delinquency (Shelden, 2011). 

Types of Juvenile Delinquency 

Individual Delinquency 

This form of juvenile delinquency is used to describe crimes orchestrated and perpetrated by one child. In an effort to understand the cause of this behavior, studies have compared delinquents and non-delinquent siblings. Subsequently, it has been discovered that these children are often unhappy in their families. Their anger is fueled by the feeling that their parents favor others or hate them. They thus engaged in delinquent behavior to capture the attention of their parents (Saunders, 2009). 

Group and Organized Delinquency 

This refers to crime committed by a group of children. This type of crime portrays a breakdown in morals within a society as opposed to individual families. It’s paramount for parents in such as society to alienate these children who are influencing one another into delinquent behaviors. In the theory of differential association, it is outlined that the young become delinquent by associating and accompanying other delinquent kids in a society ( Akers , 2017; Saunders, 2009). These kids may then group themselves in a formerly organized gang. The gang has laid out rules and regulations outlining their award status, leadership as well as punishment for those who leave the gang ( Cloward & Ohlin , 2013) . This is the most secretive and violent grouping of delinquents and is mostly associated with shoplifting, snatching, and petty crime. 

Situational Delinquency 

This categorization groups delinquents based on psychogenic and sociogenic perspectives. These perspectives emphasize a breakdown in the society or the family as the cause of delinquency. Situational delinquency is presently a new perspective that juveniles engage in crime due to poorly developed impulse-control (Saunders, 2009). They are also quick to engage in crime since they have little or weaker reinforcement from their family. This behavior is also influenced by the fact that they do not have a reputation to safeguard. 

Family Structures and Their Effect on Juvenile Delinquency 

The 21 st century has been characterized by changing lifestyle dynamics, mobility and gender activism. The latter has been exemplified by the rise of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex ( LGBTI) community disrupting the traditional societal norms and doctrines that defined a society structure. However, the family remains intact, and most of the cornerstones that form a family are still cherished. The institution of marriage may have been disrupted considerably, but to many in the society, the male-female marriage still dominates. The continuity of this societal backbone structure is based on the offspring that the society raises to carry on with their legacy once the older generation is wiped away by death (Slee et al., 2012). 

The family is an integral part of the society and is comprised of a male, female and their offsprings. The parents cater for the needs of the children, who are the custodians of the future in any society. It's thus imperative to ensure that the family conceives and raises respectable and dignified children who can be vested with the responsibility of the society’s leadership in future. The family offers a sense of security, companionship, and protection to its members. Various forms of family organization exist. These include nuclear, extended, single-parent families, working, older families as well as the stepfamilies. Irrespective of the organization, the role, and influence of family structures on juvenile delinquency cannot be overstated. Juvenile delinquency is influenced by various factors inherent in families. 

Parenting Styles 

Family forms the basic unit of socialization for growing children and shapes their morals, behaviors, and character. This basic institution can thus model or disorient the character of a child. Parents are by default tasked with the responsibility of introducing the norms and doctrines that govern the society to the children so that they become acceptable and responsible members of the society. This guidance forms the foundation for the children as they establish and shape their niche in the society ( Ljubičić , 2012). The norms and doctrines guide them on how to interact and treat others in the society. This means that parents play a very crucial role in shaping the development of their children’s character. This noble call is thus directly dependent on the parents’ character, social status, their perception and general view of the society and their availability to impact requisite guidance to their children. Ideal families create ample time with their children, discuss and guide their children on the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in the society. They also check for conformance to the societal norms and doctrines while punishing deviation from these norms and doctrines. In families with both parents, this responsibility is vested in both parents. However, in single-parent families, the responsibility solely rests on one parent. The society also plays a crucial role in complementing the parents' efforts ( Ljubičić , 2012). 

This noble course is, however, challenging when the family is mulled with domestic violence, family wrangles, separation, the death of a parent or divorce. For instance, parents are likely to be consumed with anger when they disagree, and their focus is on their emotions and how to solve their predicaments as opposed to guiding and raising responsible children in the society ( Ljubičić , 2012). In the case of separation or divorce, children are deprived of the care and guidance of one parent depending on which parent takes custody of the kids. This is further aggravated by domestic violence as the children grow in a hostile environment. In this case, the children are more prone to imitating these vices or developing emotional or psychological distress that are predisposing factors to crime. When parents separate, the children not only suffer emotionally and psychologically but they also lose the source of guidance for their moral life. They are left vulnerable to negative influence from errant peers and adults in the society. This could further be heightened when parents take sides and show preference in some children leaving others distressed and feeling less valued. In an effort to seek acknowledgment and sense of belonging they find solace in bad company who model them negatively against respected norms and doctrines in the society. The breakdown down in the family makes the children lose their only known source of guidance into what is right and wrong. For instance, the anger, emotional and psychological distress caused by their parent’s wrangles during the breakup leaves the children vulnerable to bad influence. If they are unlucky and find solace in the company of errant peers, they are introduced to drug abuse and crime. It is such dynamics that have led to heightened cases of juvenile delinquency ( Farrington & Loeber , 2000). 

The dream of every parent is to have responsible adults out of their children. However, due to the ever-growing life commitments, currently, parents do not offer the best parenting to their children. Poor parenting has caused numerous negative effects which lead to negative effects on their children on the critical stage when they are shaping their character and behaviors. These children either dissociate with the society or strike unhealthy relationships that introduce them to vices that lead them to childhood crime. These poor parenting styles may lead to parents failing to strike a cordial relationship with their children. This emanates when parents don’t adequately discipline their children whenever they make a mistake. This creates a notion to the child that he or she is ever right even when doing mistakes. For instance, a child may end up being spoilt, in which case he or she believes that they must always have their way in everything. This mentality does not augur well with peers as the child tries to socialize and make friends. Consequently, the child is left susceptible to bad company. He or she may also dissociate with people which is a disposing factor to juvenile delinquency ( Farrington & Loeber , 2000). 

In the families that are characterized with domestic violence and emotional distress, children may be neglected. As they grow up, they may find it hard to socialize and make new friends, as well as to build trust. Instead, they find it easy to push away people than open up and create mutual relationships. They may also suffer low self-esteem and depression since the environment at home doesn’t give them the opportunity to make decisions or contribute to any family discussion. Further, the children fear to air their thoughts for fear of being belittled or criticized. Consequently, they develop low self-esteem, and often than not, keep their emotions to themselves leading to stress and depression. These emotions are characterized with violent character that is prone to delinquent behavior ( Farrington & Loeber , 2000). Children who are brought up in a family with a parent having a criminal record or a parent who is a criminal are at risk of venturing into juvenile delinquency. They are likely to imitate their parent’s behavior, making them venture into antisocial behaviors at a young age. This is similar to a family where one or both of the parents abuse drugs. The children tend to imitate their parents and venture into the same vices at the tender age. Involving themselves in drug abuse without money to maintain the addictive vice is a predisposing factor to juvenile delinquency. Busy or parents who engage in drug abuse constantly neglect their children who are influenced by bad company as well as the media. They emulate the movie and film stars who idolize crime and drugs. This mentality, as well as the urge to buy and experience these drugs, drags the juveniles into crime ( Farrington & Loeber , 2000). Families who are characterized with the above vices of drug abuse, domestic violence and poor parenting are often associated with divorce and separation. The separation of parents brings a breakdown in the love and guidance that they offer to their children. Subsequently, the children are exposed to violence, emotional distress and the wrath of the breakup. Thus, they end up developing a weak connection with the society and are more prone to exploiting the environment in a bid to compensate for their loss. This discovery combined with exploits lands the children into crime ( Farrington & Loeber , 2000). 

Single Mother Families 

Over the years, there have been growing theories that assume that children develop responsible adulthood through association. This means that women learn and emulate their mothers more as they transition from childhood to adolescents and later to adulthood. Conversely, the male children learn to be teenagers of character by associating with their fathers. If the father is not there as is the case for single mothers, parenting the young male is difficult. The young male is likely to explore delinquency in an effort to assert his masculinity (Igra, 2007). 

Divorce and Separation 

Most research on the topic of juvenile delinquency in the 19 th century was dominated by the fact that parental guidance highly influences juvenile delinquency. These assertions were backed up in many studies with many delinquent youths from divorced and separated families being used as evidence. As early as the 1920s, research in this area indicated that children from broken families were twice likely to engage in crime compared to those from stable families. These findings informed a report that proposed the reorganization of the structure of African Americans in an effort to reduce juvenile delinquency. However, there is a body of research that does not agree with this. This includes a study that was undertaken in St. Louis among the black Americans that failed to create a link between divorced families and crime amongst the children. The study findings depicted that delinquent behavior amongst children in the locality was evenly distributed amongst intact families as well as the separated families ( Bartollas & Schmalleger , 2014; Sampson , 2005 ). Others also differed with the assertion that children from separated families were more susceptible to delinquent behavior. In an analysis of the reported incidents and cases presented to juvenile courts, it was established that the economic stability of a family rather than its composition forced children to venture into delinquent behavior ( Bartollas & Schmalleger , 2014 ).This was further enforced by a survey done on American and London schoolboys. A study was also conducted in an attempt to understand the emotional impact on children following separation of their parents. The study established that boys who did not have a history of aggression developed aggressive behavior after their parents separated ( Loeber & Farrington , 2012) . This may further be heightened by the experience of living with a single mother, emotional distress and economic constraints. However, other research efforts focused on youths showed that single-parent families had little influence on juvenile delinquency. 

Drug Abuse and Criminal History in Families 

A previous study focused on analyzing the extent to which drug abuse and parents convicted of crime affected their children. This research study showed that teenagers with a father who was a convicted criminal or an alcoholic had a higher likelihood of engaging in juvenile delinquency. This was independent of whether the father lived with the family or the parents were separated or divorced. The study failed to find a correlation between single families and crime (Jabour, 2005). Single parents, however, find it difficult to balance between working and parenting when compared to stable families. For instance, single mothers engage in activities that are aimed at supporting their families and may not have the time to guide and study their children’s behavior. Since they are always busy, they are not keen on observing and analyzing their children’s behavior. This gives the children more leeway to engage in crime. 

Family Composition 

A study aimed at identifying the relationship between crime in children and the composition of their extended family failed to identify any relationship between family composition and juvenile delinquency ( Bartollas & Schmalleger , 2014) . The study involved examination of families having grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, fathers and mothers. This study aimed at discovering the roles and impact of these members on the likelihood of the youth developing delinquent behaviors. This study went against prior research which had indicated that children imitate adults of the same sex and their absence may lead to revolt which is a predisposing factor to children delinquency. 

Family Interaction and Ties 

Research has found that despite individuals inheriting certain characteristics from their family lineage, behaviors and personalities are greatly influenced by the environments that these individuals are brought up in. Family harmony, which is characterized by strict supervision and open socialization of children, creates a conducive environment to shape children’s morality thus reducing cases of children delinquency ( Akers , 2017; Sexton, 2017). This has explained the reduced cases of juvenile delinquency between the age of fifteen and seventeen years. This is attributed to the existence of a cordial relationship between parents and teenagers which promotes stronger social ties and educational attachments ( Bartollas & Schmalleger , 2014 ). A study on Danish youth discovered that youths in a family that upheld warm interactions were less likely to venture into delinquent vices like shoplifting and vandalism. The study involved analysis of the teens’ behaviors and characters based on the socialization approach that their cultural and family background upheld. Another study involved Netherlands youths aged between fourteen and twenty-one years. This study discovered that youths who had a cordial relationship with their mothers showed reduced susceptibility to juvenile delinquency as compared to those who had a strained relationship with their mothers. This notion is further enhanced by a study conducted in Colombia involving adolescents. In the study, it was discovered that children who had healthy relationships with their parents showed reduced chances of engaging in juvenile delinquency. Studies of juvenile delinquency in Sweden discovered a direct relationship between children-parent relations and juvenile delinquency. Adolescents that reported parental rejection had lower self-esteem and didn’t have cordial relations with their peers. Parents who did not periodically guide their children deprived them a unique opportunity to shape their character and behavior. These children may feel unappreciated and neglected. They use the same altitude to treat other people enhancing the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. Research has discovered that delinquents have a very low self-esteem and often report that their parents neglected and did not care about them. 

Conclusion 

In light of the research findings discussed in this paper, it’s indubitable that the family unit contributes significantly to the incidences of juvenile delinquency. Families with a history of drug abuse and domestic violence are more likely to have their children engaged in juvenile delinquency. This is attributed to their lack of role models whom they can emulate or look up to. Parents should, therefore, set precedents and be positive influence to their children to avoid these vice. To do so they should refrain from harmful behaviors for the sake of their children. Domestic violence in families has also been identified as a predisposing factor to juvenile delinquency. This vice has a very close relationship with alcohol and substance abuse since alcoholism often leads to family disputes and conflicts. Children tend to emulate their parents and other influential people around their environment and are more likely to become violent. Therefore, parents should set good precedents for their children to curb the vice. Another family characteristic that is a contributing factor is the financial situation. Children from low-income families lack basic needs, parental care and are thus more susceptible to juvenile delinquency compared to those from stable family backgrounds. It’s thus the responsibility of parents and the society at large to review their influence on their children and be positive role models to their children so as to tame juvenile delinquency. Further, parental affection and control have been reported to boost socialized behavior amongst youths in the society. When children misbehave, their parents take the greatest responsibility of disciplining them. Punishment shapes the immediate and future character of these children. Parents should be able to administrator punishments that instill compliance and not defiance. This is because parents that are aggressive and exhibit antisocial behavior towards their children are more likely to influence the development of aggressive behaviors in the children. Research on the effects of punishments prescribed on children depicted that children who were physically punished developed unruly and aggressive attitude in their adult life. Thus, young children who are physically punished are more defiant on rules set in schools and are more prone to delinquent activities compared to their peers who did not receive physical punishment. This is further emphasized by the discovery that children who had been physically disciplined in their punishment have a higher likelihood of being convicted of a criminal offense. 

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