Family and delinquency: Textbooks analysis of family influence on the juvenile delinquency

Abstract

In this paper we are dealing with analysis of the typology of crime causes, with particular reference to the position of the family in the etiology of juvenile delinquency. Our intention was to, by using the so-called mixed content analysis of criminology textbooks; determine the topics of crime patterns, and the typical family characteristics of juveniles pushed into delinquency. On the other hand, the need to consider the influence of the ideas presented by some textbooks authors to their followers appeared to be of particularly importance in a longitudinal perspective. Analysed were 22 textbooks published between 1945-2010 in the former SFR of Yugoslavia and also the Republics that emerged after disintegration of the SFRY. The analysis showed that the significant number of textbooks follow identical pattern of etiological factors which reflects mutual influence of authors on one another. Also, considering the causes juvenile delinquency we noticed that the family takes up a special position. In addition, families of delinquents, regardless of the name under which it is recognized and almost without exception, carry a socially unacceptable ‘degraded’ character. These findings have opened a number of issues related to certain aspects of the scientific base for the existing typologies (e.g., objectivity and verifiability), and the implications that ‘scientific image’ has had on the practical involvement of experts whose professions require knowledge of criminology.