Juvenile Delinquency

Single Parent and Divorced Households Effect on the Juvenile Delinquency Rate

Kirby K. Matthews

Southern University and A & M College

Criminal Justice Capstone Project

Dr. Anadi

April 15, 2011

Abstract

Single parent and divorced parent households appear to be a leading cause in juvenile delinquency. Single parent households and divorced parent households tend to lack in supervision and quality time spent together among children or teens and their parents, which opens the door for opportunity, Using a minimum of 100 surveys, data was gathered to show the correlation between single parent and divorced parent households. Results indicate that children and teens from single parent and divorced parent households are more likely to become juvenile delinquents.

Single Parent and Divorced Households Effect on the Juvenile Delinquency Rate

I have always been interested in the correlation between the delinquency rates of juveniles and whether they live or lived in a single parent or divorced household. It has always been an assumption that children from divorced families externalize their problems and often times engage in deviant, in some fashion, whether it be breaking house hold rules or breaking the law. I often wonder if this is the same for single parent families, as well, or is the child accustomed to living in a one parent household and this is what they view as normal. If granted the opportunity and funding to complete research on a topic of importance or interest to me, I would research single parent and divorced household’s effect on the juvenile delinquency rate.

Single parent and divorced parent households are constantly on the rise, which tends to indicate that the delinquency rate is on the rise as well. After doing research on the computer and after reading many articles, it is safe to say, on average 7percent, give or take, of children lived in a single parent household in 1960 and on average 26 percent, give or take, of children...