Family building and juvenile delinquency
Abstract
This study aimed to describe the structural variables prevailing in the families of juvenile delinquents. Family structural variables were operationalized as: family size, birth order, crowdedness in the house, broken homes, residential area, family type, father's occupation, father's education, mother's education, and family income, Moreover, it studied delinquent's demographical variables such as juvenile delinquent's job, education, and occupation. Further, it aimed to describe the relationship between juvenile delinquency and family structural variables. This studyt consisted of 57 juvenile delinquents, with an age average of 15.167 who were institutionalized in Osamah Ben Zaid center for juvenile care. Results showed that about half of familes of juvenile delinquents were living in Amman. Families of juvenile delinquents characterized as large, broken with the absence of one of the parents (mostly the father) crowded, nuclear, low income, low education, low social and cconomic status jobs. Most of juvenile delinquents were: students, middle birth order. A positive relationship were found between juvenile delinquency and family size, juvenile delinquent' job, polygyny, and the absence of one of the parents. A negative relationships were found between juvenile delinquency and delinquent's education and the education of father and the education of mother. Some practical applications were discussed.