Date of Award

2004

Degree Name

Psychology

College

College of Liberal Arts

Type of Degree

M.A.

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Stephen O’Keefe

Second Advisor

Robert Wilson

Third Advisor

Tony Goudy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental absence and juvenile delinquency and to determine if a link exists between the two variables. Data was collected from male juveniles who were alleged to have committed status or delinquent offenses between 1996 and 2004. Each offense was categorized according to the family unit (e.g., intact, father only, mother only, etc.), offense type (e.g., underage consumption, petit larceny, breaking and entering, etc.), offense level (e.g., status misdemeanor, and felony), the victim (e.g., crimes against the person, crimes against property, etc.) and the juvenile’s age at the time the alleged offense occurred. This study examined whether a child living in a non-intact household is more susceptible to becoming a delinquent youth. The overall model was found to be statistically significant; however, the father only household was the sole individual family type to produce a statistically significant effect.

Subject(s)

Juvenile delinquency.

Juvenile delinquency -- Family.

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