Abstract
The present study assessed the impact of one of the dimension of parenting practices, that is, parent- adolescent communication and its influence on the development of delinquent behavior. The data was collected from 200 adolescents (100 delinquents and 100 non- delinquents) aged 11- 18 years. Results indicated that there exists a significant difference between delinquent and non- delinquent adolescents, in their perception of satisfactory parental communication. Further analyses revealed that both mother’s and father’s separate communication as well as their interaction effect was linked to the development of delinquent behavior. It was further noted that a satisfactory mother- adolescent communication was much more important compared to the father- adolescent communication in the present context. Furthermore, age of the adolescent was also related to delinquency and it was observed that early adolescence was a richer breeding ground of delinquency, although a satisfactory parental communication was crucial all throughout the adolescent period to serve as a protective factor against delinquency. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Highlights
Parent–Adolescent Communication and DelinquencyThere is considerable evidence to suggest that the family plays an important role in the development of adolescent delinquent behavior
The data has been collected from two groups of adolescents living in the city of Kolkata, India
Kolkata is the commercial capital of Eastern India, located on the east bank of the Hooghly River
Summary
Parent–Adolescent Communication and DelinquencyThere is considerable evidence to suggest that the family plays an important role in the development of adolescent delinquent behavior. The period of adolescence is that phase of life when strong parent-child attachment is essential for both the normal development of adolescents, both biological and psychological, but it can be a period that is disruptive for family socialization (Granic, Dishion, Hollenstein, & Patterson, 2002; Steinberg, 1988). Warm, loving and responsive parenting contributes to strengthen parentadolescent bonds and reduces the likelihood of delinquent involvement (Smith & Krohn, 1995). The stronger this attachment bond, the more likely the adolescent is to take it into account when he or she contemplates a criminal act (Hirschi, 1969). A great deal of research has emphasized the importance of children‟s attachment with parental figures in decreasing the likelihood of delinquency (Bachman, 1970; Bandura & Walters, 1959; Glueck & Glueck, 1962; Gold, 1963; Hirschi, 1969)
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