Clarifying the relationship between the broken home and juvenile delinquency: A critique of the current literature

Free, Marvin D.

doi:10.1080/01639625.1991.9967871

Cited by 25 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Less restrictive parenting styles, on the other hand, may be more characteristic of singleparent households, giving these children greater opportunities for participating in deviant activities (Amato, 1993;Cookston, 1999;Free, 1991;Nock, 1988;Steinberg, 1987). In support of the latter contention, a composite measure of family processes emphasizing parental control over parental attachment mediated the effects of residing with a single-parent family on marijuana use in one recent study (Kierkus & Baer, 2002).…”

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confidence: 64%

“…Because the presence of a nonbiological parent often increases family tension, researchers have speculated that adolescents residing with stepfamilies may be at risk for conflict with their parents, which undermines the quality of their relationships (Amato, 1987;Free, 1991;Seltzer, 1994). Less restrictive parenting styles, on the other hand, may be more characteristic of singleparent households, giving these children greater opportunities for participating in deviant activities (Amato, 1993;Cookston, 1999;Free, 1991;Nock, 1988;Steinberg, 1987).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Parent–Child Relations and Peer Associations as Mediators of the Family Structure–Substance Use Relationship

Crawford

Novak

2007

Journal of Family Issues

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!Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey of 1988, the authors assess the extent to which adolescents' levels of parental attachment and opportunities for participating in delinquent activities mediate the family structure-substance use relationship. A series of hierarchical regressions supported the hypotheses that high levels of substance use among adolescents residing with stepfamilies would be explained by low parental attachment, whereas heightened opportunities for participating in deviant activities would account for the substance use behaviors of individuals living in single-parent households. More generally, the findings suggest that family structure has a moderate effect on youth substance use; that parental and peer relations are better predictors than family structure of levels of alcohol and marijuana consumption; and that variations in parental attachment, parenting style, and peer relations across family types explain some, but not all, of the effects of family structure on adolescents' substance use behaviors. ! !During the past quarter century, there has been a substantial shift in the structure of the family within this country. In 1970, almost 90% of children resided with either both biological or adoptive parents (Fields & Casper, 2001). Thirty years later, only 64% of children resided in such households (National Survey of America's Families, 2002), with an increasing number of children living in single-parent and stepfamilies (Cherlin & Furstenberg, 1994;Fields & Casper, 2001). Individuals emphasizing the importance of the traditional family as an agent of socialization have cited these changes in family organization as a source of a variety of negative outcomes, including the use of alcohol and other drugs, among today's youth (Clayton, 1992). !Adolescents living in single-parent and stepfamilies report higher levels of substance use than children who reside with both biological parents (Flewelling & Bauman, 1990;Hoffmann, 1995Hoffmann, , 2002Hoffmann & Johnson, 1998;Kierkus & Baer, 2002;Needle, Su, & Doherty, 1990;Stern, Northman, & Van Slyck, 1984), especially when the loss of a custodial parent is recent (Gil, Vega, & Biafora, 1998;Kurdek, Blisk, & Siesky, 1981). It is, however, yet to be determined how particular family forms, and marital disruption more generally, enhance adolescents' risks for the use of alcohol and other drugs (Demo & Acock, 1988;Hoffmann, 1995;Kierkus & Baer, 2002). Interestingly, neither decreased economic resources nor increased residential mobility, two factors frequently associated with marital disruption, account for substantial amounts of the variability in these behaviors across family types (Acock & Kiecolt, 1989;Amato & Keith, 1991;Hoffmann & Johnson, 1998).Differences in patterns of parent-child interaction across family forms may provide a better explanation for the higher levels of substance use found among adolescents residing with singleparent and stepfamilies. From a social control perspective, bonds to conventional society, in part...

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confidence: 64%

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confidence: 99%

Parent–Child Relations and Peer Associations as Mediators of the Family Structure–Substance Use Relationship

Crawford

Novak

2007

Journal of Family Issues

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“…It is well known that children raised in traditional, two-parent families experience a lower risk of delinquency than children from alternative family types (Free, 1991;Wells & Rankin, 1991); however, there is little agreement regarding whether factors like gender, race, SES, age, family size, and place of residence condition this relationship; and provided they do, what is the specific nature of the effects? While some recent studies had shown that the negative effects of familial disruption vary according to context (Price & Kunz, 2003;Schwartz, 2006), others failed to find significant differences (Cookston, 1999;Kierkus & Baer, 2003;Sokol-Katz, Dunham, & Zimmerman, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

The contextual nature of the family structure/delinquency relationship

Kierkus

Hewitt

2009

Journal of Criminal Justice

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“…Scholars are not in agreement, however, as to whether single parents are as effective as two parents in their ability to do these things (e.g., Demo, 1992;Hetherington & Kelly, 2002;Popenoe, 1996;Rebellon, 2002;Stacey, 1996;Wilkinson, 1974). delinquency appears to be particularly significant when official data is used rather than self-report measures and for certain types of conduct problems, such as status offending (e.g., Free, 1991;Hirschi, 1969;Nye, 1958;J. Rankin & Kern, 1994;Rosen & Neilson, 1982;Van Voorhis, Cullen, Mathers, & Chenoweth Garner, 1988;Wells & Rankin, 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Reassessing the family-delinquency association: Do family type, family processes, and economic factors make a difference?

Mack

Leiber

Featherstone

et al. 2007

Journal of Criminal Justice

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Clarifying the relationship between the broken home and juvenile delinquency: A critique of the current literature

Cited by 25 publications

References 57 publications

Parent–Child Relations and Peer Associations as Mediators of the Family Structure–Substance Use Relationship

Parent–Child Relations and Peer Associations as Mediators of the Family Structure–Substance Use Relationship

The contextual nature of the family structure/delinquency relationship

Reassessing the family-delinquency association: Do family type, family processes, and economic factors make a difference?

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