Listening to the families of juvenile offenders: A North Queensland study

Abstract

This article reports on a study of the families of juvenile offenders in Townsville, north Queensland. The experiences of four sets of parents are discussed in some detail. These accounts reflect the larger sample of 20 families. It is argued that in contrast to current widely held assumptions that equate juvenile crime with parental negligence the study shows that parents are in fact actively involved in attempts to curtail their children's offending. Such attempts may be less than fruitful in terms of preventing further offending, leading to a sense of resignation on the part of parents and other family members. However, indifference in the face of criminalisation and official intervention is rarely an option for the families concerned. The study examines the implications of the findings for social workers dealing with the families of offenders.