De relatie tussen gezinssamenstelling na echtscheiding en jeugddelinquentie.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between family structure after divorce and juvenile delinquency in the Netherlands. The researches also looked at whether the adolescent's sex could affect the relationship between family structure and delinquency. It was also hypothesized that the number of transitions in family structure had an influence on juvenile delinquency. The more transitions an adolescent experiences, the higher the degree of delinquent behavior of the adolescent. A questionnaire has been used to ask students (n = 747) about their home situation and behavior. The results showed that there’s no significant result for the relationship between family structure and juvenile delinquency. There also appears to be no interaction effect with sex. However, a post hoc analysis showed that adolescents who live in both a single-parent and a stepparent family had a significant higher degree of delinquent behavior compared to adolescents who lived in a intact family. Implicating that the number of transitions in family structure does not affect the degree of delinquent behavior. Suggestions for follow-up research are discussed.