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THE IMPACT OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND QUALITY ON DELINQUENCY: A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL FACTORS*
Abstract
Despite the plethora of studies of broken homes, multivariate studies comparing the effects of the broken home and other theoretically relevant measures of the quality of family life are rare. This study examines the family structure versus family function issue by testing the comparative effects on self‐reported delinquency of family structure and jive measures of family function. Five types of delinquency are considered. The data were obtained from a 1980 survey of 152 high school students in a small midwestern town. Item analysis and data reduction techniques were employed to construct six family quality indices and jive delinquency indices. Two types of family structure were examined: presence of both biological parents in the home v. other and single‐ v. two‐parent homes. Multivariate analyses controlled for the effects of age and gender. Bivariate tests of the relationships between broken homes and delinquency were not significant, except for a moderate relationship between broken homes and status offenses. In addition, a bivariate relation between single‐parent homes and delinquency was observed for status offenses only. Other forms of family dysfunction all were significantly related to overall delinquency and to status offenses. Moreover, several measures of family quality evidenced significant bivariate relationships to property offenses. violent offenses, and drug offenses. The importance of the broken home was further diminished when the direct effects of broken homes and home quality were examined in multivariate tests. Regression equations showed home quality and gender, rather than family structure, to be the more important determinants of delinquency. The family structure coefficient was significant in only 1 of 10 tests, a regression of broken home and home quality on status offenses. Efforts to expand the analysis to identify specific areas of family dysfunction were unenlightening.
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Citations
Cited by
The Relationship Between Parenting and Delinquency: A Meta-analysis
Hoeve, M., Dubas, J. S., Eichelsheim, V. I., van der Laan, P. H., Smeenk, W., & Gerris, J. R. M. (2009) · Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10802-009-9310-8 · Cited by 1,358
Low self-control and imprudent behavior
Arneklev, B. J., Grasmick, H. G., Tittle, C. R., & Bursik, R. J. (1993) · Journal of Quantitative Criminology · doi:10.1007/bf01064461 · Cited by 458
Age Trends in the Association between Parenting Practices and Conduct Problems
Frick, P. J., Christian, R. E., & Wootton, J. M. (1999) · Behavior Modification · doi:10.1177/0145445599231005 · Cited by 354
Rohner, R. P., & Britner, P. A. (2002) · Cross-Cultural Research · doi:10.1177/106939702129146316 · Cited by 329
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND ADULT CRIMINALITY*
McCORD, J. (1991) · Criminology · doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.1991.tb01072.x · Cited by 275
Metadata
- Authors
- VOORHIS, P. V., CULLEN, F. T., MATHERS, R. A., & GARNER, C. C.
- Venue
- Criminology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1988-05
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 235-261
- ISSN
- 0011-1384 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-9125
- OpenAlex
- W2054698039
- Cited by
- 159
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 19.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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- VOORHIS, P. V., CULLEN, F. T., MATHERS, R. A., & GARNER, C. C. (1988). THE IMPACT OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND QUALITY ON DELINQUENCY: A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL FACTORS*. Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.1988.tb00840.x
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