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Crimes Amongst Our Youth

Crimes are being committed by our youth every day from youths of single parent households and criminal environments. The struggle some single parents face cause youth to turn to violence. Single parents are more likely to live in poverty and single mothers are more likely to be poor compared to single fathers (Casey). For example, single mothers become overwhelmed from working, self-care, and lack of support. Many families are low-income, which is considered poverty and live in less safe communities with limited access to quaility healthcare and support services and activities (Casey). While most children in single parent households grow up to be well adjusted adults, some will face emotional and behavior health challenges, parental stress and breakups, witnessing conflict, lost social network, moving homes, and social economic hurdles (Casey). However, others may argue that there are numerous resources provided in the community to help single parents and reduce youth crime rate.

Growing up

The percentage of single parent families has been consistently high over the past few decades (Kroese). Research has suggested that different types of single parent families show different types of poor school adjustment (I.e. children from divorced parents have significantly more acting out problems than children from deceased parents or controls, and the children with parental death show a higher level of shyness, and anxiety than the other children (Kroese). Adolescents participate in crime because they lack strong affective attachments to their parents, lack of development of a stake in conformity that increase commitment to controversial activities and not develop a belief that conventional homes deserve respect (Kroese).

Family Structure

Family structure has been determined as the contributor to juvenile offending (Schroeder). According to Well and Rankin (1991) estimate that the prevalance rate of juvenile offending is approximately 10-15 percent higher among youth from broken homes and intact homes (Schroeder). One conditioning factor that has been overlooked is parent child bond prior to transition (Schroeder). Single mothers form a bond with their children. It can become difficult when the mother meets or brings someone new into the household. Some youths may find that less attention from the mother can also cause friction between the two. Family structure indeed both negatively and positively play a role leading to juvenile delinquency (Singh).

The lack of communication and structure of the family may be some of the reasons which provides the more likely make the child engage in delinquent activities (Singh 866). Parents of family decision making, and family structure have significant effect on child behaviors (Singh 866). Often single working parents lacks parent-child relationship because they lack adequate time to help their children deal with frustration of having only one parent present in the home (Singh 866). Single parent families have a great effect on children and their engagements in criminal activity (Singh 866). As a result, the children often display their aggression by involving themselves in crime (Singh 866).