Officially recorded rates of most forms of crime are higher in economically disadvantaged areas. The conventional view has been that disadvantage increases the motivation to offend. However, a growing body of research evidence drawn from studies of individual families suggests that economic and social stress exert their effects on crime by disrupting the parenting process. Aggregate-level studies almost universally show a strong positive association between measures of economic stress and reported rates of child neglect and child abuse. Research also shows a strong relationship between factors such as poor parental supervision of children and a weak parent-child bond, and subsequent juvenile and adult involvement in crime. The article also examines the effect on delinquent juveniles of residence in "offender-prone" neighborhoods. The article discusses the implications of these findings for crime control policy. Notes, figures, tables, references