Ewan

From Innocence to Corruption: The Effects of a Broken Home on Child Development1

Brittany Henderson© Simon Fraser University

Abstract. A vast amount of evidence suggests that growing up in an adverse family environment has detrimental effects on child development. My research focused on harmful factors that are correlated with growing up in a broken home, such as insecure attachment, child abuse, low-SES, and negative schooling experiences. Specifically, I investigated how growing up in a broken home has affected my participant’s development into a criminal life-course. During my research I discovered that my participant’s experiences supported the literature that has been written on this topic. He displayed insecure attachment with both of his parents, was a victim of child abuse, grew up in an underprivileged family, and had many negative experiences at school. Overall, my research gives excellent insight into the personal experiences of a career criminal’s transition from an innocent child to a life of delinquency. In order to decrease the harmful effects of an unenriched childhood, future researchers should focus on trying to find an effective intervention that attends to the needs of the parents, children, and their relationship.

Introduction

Adverse family environments are a major risk factor in predicting future delinquency (Kierkus & Baer, 2003). Studies have shown that children with parents who end their marriage in divorce are more likely to have higher levels of depression and engage in a greater amount of antisocial behaviour (Statistics Canada, 2005 a). Furthermore, criminological theories also suggest that families with one parent are more likely to raise non-conforming children than families with the traditional two-parent structure. Antisocial behaviour is thought to develop due to lack of attachment, unsupportive parenting, improper supervision, and child neglect or abuse (Kierkus & Baer, 2003). This is becoming a pressing social issue, as...