The influence of family process and structure on delinquency in adolescence—An examination of theory and research

This article describes three different realms of theories examining the relationship of the family to youth delinquency. The first approach focuses on the psychological processes and interactions between children and their parents. The second considers the role of family structure. The final approach considers economic factors that relate to family functioning and delinquency. Research in each theoretical area uniformly showed that attachment between parents and their adolescents makes a difference in the adolescent’s participation in delinquency.