Does Authoritative Parenting Impact Juvenile Delinquency?

Does Authoritative Parenting Impact Juvenile Delinquency?

Chander Laws

Dr. Brailer

Soc331-Methods

Research Proposal

July 24, 2014

Does Authoritative Parenting impact Juvenile Delinquency?

Abstract

Research centering delinquency, educational concerns, community restoration, family structure/parenting have implied that since 2002 through 2006, drastic increases in defiant behavior and crime in the school, community, and home settings, among adolescents, have proven to have a strong association with family structure, environmental, and structural factors, parenting styles (e.g. parent involvement and support, parent-child relationships and communication, and parental supervision/monitoring) (Garcia & Gracia, 2009). The social changing notion of my study is evident in its two purpose points: to evaluate if authoritative and involved parenting positively impacts adolescent risk of delinquency, and to hopefully aid in proposing implementations of effective social programs and supportive methods and resources within communities for parents and adolescents, in efforts to decrease inclining juvenile delinquency.  Gaps in information concerning adolescent delinquency and authoritative parenting as the optimum style for adolescents and their parents, in the fight towards decreasing delinquent behaviors and trends, make way for my studies relevance (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2007). The purpose of this quantitative study of 300 public high school students from 3 separate high schools in South Carolina is to examine to what extent does authoritative parenting style influence delinquent behaviors among adolescents.  I am interested in evidence of effectiveness, so my methods would consist of the following: correlational/ regression analyses (quantitative analyses of the strength of the relationship between delinquency and parental style (authoritative) (is authoritative parental style correlated with delinquency).

Literature Review

Introduction

According to the United States Attorney’s Manual (1997) a "juvenile" is a person who has not attained his eighteenth birthday, and "juvenile delinquency" is the violation of a law of the United States committed by a person prior to his eighteenth birthday which would have been a crime if committed by an adult’. ‘A person over eighteen but under twenty-one years of age is also accorded juvenile treatment if the act of juvenile delinquency occurred prior to his eighteenth birthday” (18 U.S.C. § 5031).  Juvenile delinquency in its various forms, school and community behavioral problems, petty to violent crimes, gang violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and early involvement in sexual activity, has risen as a salient issue or concern for parents, communities, schools, and juvenile justice systems globally.  Although reports on juvenile crime indicate slight declines in violent crime rates among adolescents,  overall delinquency and crime rates among such a precious population have increased drastically since 2003 (Batool, 2013).  The National Center for Juvenile Justice (2006) suggests those adolescent males and females account for 38%, 59,000 countrywide, of offenders in custody for violent crimes and aggressive behaviors in the United States.  

Factors such as home environment, community demographics and availability of extra-curricular activities, social economic status, peer influences, family dynamics, and parenting practices play great roles in behavioral, psychological, and social development among adolescents (National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2006).  These statistics help paint a clear picture that juvenile delinquency is a problem that needs special attention and care, and like many notions concerning behavior, care and concern needs to begin in the home.  Recent research practices have implied that major increases in defiant behavioral problems, violence, and crime in the school, community, and home settings, are strongly associated with family structure, environmental, and parenting styles (i.e. parent involvement, parent-child relationships and communication, parental warmth and support, and parental supervision/monitoring) (Cenkseven Ṏnder & Yilmaz, 2012).  Efforts to develop a more in depth understanding of influential factors of aggression and juvenile delinquency have been helpful, but there are still major limitations in research and social change efforts.  Batool (2013) suggest that investigations concerning quality of maternal support vs. paternal support in influencing adolescent behavior and wellbeing is limited, resulting in limitations in useful resources centering what parental factors are associated with helping reduce adolescent risk for delinquency or reoffending.  

The purpose of my study is to examine the effects of authoritative parenting style on aggressive behaviors in juvenile delinquents.  Gaps in information concerning Black males and contributing factors to increases in crime and delinquency results in limited aid for adolescents and their parents in decreasing aggressive and delinquent behaviors and trends (National Center for Juvenile Justice, 2006).  Of great concern also is the lacking of community involvement in educating parents on effective parenting practices and on risk factors of delinquency for their adolescents, as well as, community based activities and programs designed to teach adolescents positive decision making, appropriate emotion management and expression, life skills, personal skills, and coping mechanisms, within communities which drastically elevated crime rates among the selected population.  Limitations in such useful resources are possible attributes to the rise of youth crime and delinquency and poor parenting practices (Garcia & Gracia, 2009).  My study interest is whether authoritative parenting style is the optimum form of parenting in the fight to decrease juvenile delinquency.  

Theoretical Framework: Social Control Theory of Delinquency

                My theoretical framework of choice is that constructed by Travis Hirshi (1969), Social Control Theory of Delinquency.  Hirshi’s Social Control Theory of Delinquency implies that the most noticeable feature in increases in delinquency is the breakdown in the family rather than social disorganization or an individual’s personality.  Social relationships (bonds) evoke criminality; in which Hirshi’s theory assumes that delinquent acts will result from broken or weak bonds and connections to society.  The absence of control that allows persons to be liberated or free to weigh benefits and costs of delinquent act drives behavior/acts.  Parenting means or styles initiate the instilling of morals, values and beliefs.  If children learn common value systems within society from the home, perhaps fear of or lack thereof for violating such norms or fear of law breaking behavior dictates delinquency (Schreck 2014).