Family Structure And Delinquency Essay Examples

Response to Candace Smith

According to this discussion, children raised in a non-nuclear family are at an increased risk of developing behavioral problems. The type of family that is idealized in the society is the one comprising of two parents and their biological children. However as the author writes, who knew that only 25% of all American households actually fit this family model? The author of this discussion went into great detail to exemplify how children raised in non-nuclear families such as the single parent households are prone to behavioral problems not just because of this living status but also because of other factors such as parent quality and family structure instability. It was also shown that children in blended families are also at a similar risk with one of the contributing factors being the lack of authority by the step-parent when it comes to enforcing discipline. These explanations seem very plausible, and when accompanied by the other predictor of children behavioral problems; family instability, it is clear to see why researchers y primarily attribute child behavioral problems to family structure.

Response to Latricia Laurant

According to this discussion, family forms has changed over time, unlike the past where a typical family consisted of a husband, wife, and their biological children. Two types of families that have emerged in recent days are single families and blended families. The author of this discussion has brilliantly explained why this trend has emerged. For example, some of the contributing factors mentioned by the author include increased economic independence as well as the acceptance of sex without commitment, all which have led to decreased marriage rates. It emerges that most of the single parent families involve a mother and her children, and there is a great correlation between these families and greater risks of delinquency in children raised in such homes. The author suggests further research to find out if this correlation is any different in female-headed and male-headed single parent families. This research could, in fact, prove to be beneficial because if no differences are found, then it would be possible to pinpoint the contributing characteristics to this correlation without considering the aspect of the single parent’s gender.

References

“Family Structure and Delinquency”. Families and Crime. (CCJ 4931). 2014.
Simons, R.L., Simons, L.G., and Wallace, L.E. (2004). Families, Delinquency, and Crime: Linking Society’s Most Basic Institution to Antisocial Behavior. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury. (ISBN 1- 931719-30-6).