The sins of the child: Public opinion about parental responsibility for juvenile crime

Eva Aizpurua,Brandon K Applegate,Riane M Bolin,Mateja Vuk,Heather M Ouellette

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105023

Eva Aizpurua, Brandon K Applegate + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105023

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Abstract

Previous research indicates that people ascribe less responsibility to juvenile offenders than adult offenders for the crimes they have committed. Although assignment of responsibility to parents varies depending upon the youth’s age, we know little about the role of other factors. The current study used randomized factorial vignettes to examine whether the seriousness of the offense, peer involvement, and the offender's race, age, sex, and prior record influence support for parental responsibility. We found that participants in our study placed substantial responsibility on parents for dealing with juvenile offenders; however, support for punishing the parents was low, while the importance attached to enrolling parents in training was high. Views on parental responsibility were influenced by the age of the juvenile and the seriousness of the offense. The implications of these findings and how they fit in with previous work are discussed.

Highlights

In the late 19th century, a separate justice system for juveniles emerged in the United States
Effect sizes were large in all cases, except for the differences between the responsibility attributed to the parents and the juvenile justice system, where the effect size was medium (Cohen’s d = 0.47)
Previous research indicates that people believe parents should be held responsible for the wrongdoing of their children and that the age of juvenile offenders affects the degree of responsibility attributed to the parents (Brank et al, 2011; White et al, 2007)

Summary

Introduction

In the late 19th century, a separate justice system for juveniles emerged in the United States. The underlying notion was that parents of court-involved children were not fulfilling their responsibilities, requiring judicial authorities to act in their stead (Tanenhaus, 2011). States across the U.S lowered the age of criminal responsibility, created mandatory minimum sentences, and enacted policies aimed at treating youths as adults (Muncie, 2008). This renewed focus on punitive values and increased responsibility overshadowed the principles of protection and treatment that had guided the creation of the juvenile justice system (Junger-Tas, 2008). Using a randomized experimental design, we analyzed how multiple characteristics of young offenders, and the offenses committed by them, affect perceptions of parental responsibility and preferences with regards to interventions aimed at their parents

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