Juvenile Delinquency Subject of Study

CINCINNATI —  Growing up in a single-parent or broken home is not likely to lead to juvenile delinquency, a study by a University of Cincinnati criminal justice professor shows.

Patricia Van Voorhis says she found that poor quality home life is what leads to delinquent behavior, regardless of whether the family is intact.

She found that physical abuse, conflict, lack of affection, minimal supervision and little enjoyment in the home lead to delinquency. Lack of affection and supervision, she notes, are factors in drug and property offenses, while abuse leads to violent behavior.

“Broken homes are related to status offenses, such as running away from home and truancy, but they do not appear to predispose youths to commit property offenses, drug offenses or violence.”

Van Voorhis’ study was conducted among high school students in a small Midwestern town. Its co-author was Francis Cullen, also of the University of Cincinnati’s criminal justice department, and Richard Mathers and Connie Chenoweth Garner of Western Illinois University.