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Family Correlates of Male and Female Delinquency
Author(s) -
CANTER RACHELLE J.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1982.tb00454.x
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , psychology , developmental psychology , association (psychology) , divergence (linguistics) , demography , clinical psychology , sociology , linguistics , philosophy , psychotherapist
This article examines sex differences in family bonds as a possible explanation of sex differences in self‐reported delinquent behavior (SRD) among a national probability sample of 1725 adolescents. It was hypothesized that girls would report significantly stronger family bonds and significantly lower delinquency than boys. The findings provide limited support for these hypotheses. The expected sex differences in SRD were observed. males report significantly greater involvement in all forms of delinquent behavior. However, the expected sex differences in family bonds were not observed. Family bonds are modestly correlated with delinquency, but at comparable rates for males and females, and with evidence of their greater association among males in many cases. Theoretical and methodological explanations are suggested for the divergence of the observed findings from existing research.