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Families and Delinquency: The Interaction Between Cohesion and Adaptability

NCJ Number
163882
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: (1996) Pages: 67-82
Author(s)
R D Clark; G Shields
Date Published
1996
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Borrowing from the family studies literature, two major elements of family relationships, cohesion as a measure of attachment and adaptability as a measure of how well families respond to daily living, were examined in terms of their link to juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
The study sample was derived from a rural midwestern city, and anonymous questionnaires were administered to 339 high school students to assess family cohesion and family adaptability. The hypothesis that family cohesion would be an important predictor of juvenile delinquency was generally supported. Cohesion was consistently associated with self-reported juvenile delinquency, and low levels of family cohesion were significantly associated with higher rates of self-reported juvenile delinquency. Results for family adaptability were less promising, with family roles and family leadership only marginally related to juvenile delinquency. High cohesion, however, tended to enhance the effects of flexibility in family roles. In families with high cohesion, ambiguity in family roles had a positive impact on violent behavior. The authors conclude that family cohesion and family leadership are primary variables to consider in juvenile delinquency prevention efforts. An appendix contains specific questions on cohesion, discipline, family roles, and family leadership. 36 references and 2 tables