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You Can Choose Your Friends, But You Cannot Choose Your Family: How Peer and Family Factors Impact Delinquency

Ross, Ashley R.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1281038017

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, Department of Criminal Justice.
The focus of this thesis is on the relationship of deviant peer association, parental structure, parental support, and parental maltreatment with delinquency. According to Edward Sutherland, criminal behavior is a learned behavior. His theory explains how associations can lead to criminal activity. In the same ways we learn through socialization the norms of society, we also learn criminal behavior. Data for this thesis were from a secondary analysis of information collected via a survey of students (N=39) at a small college in northeast Ohio. The value of this thesis is in examining the role of both family and peer factors in the potential influence they have on delinquency. Four of the six hypotheses proposed were supported by the data. Overall, the more delinquent the peers of the respondent the more delinquent the respondents are. Respondents with supportive parents reported less delinquency than those respondents with less supportive parents. Unexpectedly, family structure did not impact delinquency in a statistically significant manner. Future work may benefit on looking at other family and school dimensions in order to understand more completely and influence programs that address delinquency.
John Hazy, PhD (Advisor)
Allen Pierce, PhD (Committee Member)
Patricia Wagner, JD (Committee Member)
43 p.
Criminology
delinquency; parental influence; peer influence

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ross, A. R. (2010). You Can Choose Your Friends, But You Cannot Choose Your Family: How Peer and Family Factors Impact Delinquency [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1281038017

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ross, Ashley. You Can Choose Your Friends, But You Cannot Choose Your Family: How Peer and Family Factors Impact Delinquency. 2010. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1281038017.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ross, Ashley. "You Can Choose Your Friends, But You Cannot Choose Your Family: How Peer and Family Factors Impact Delinquency." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1281038017

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1281038017
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.