Forensic Psychology For Dummies (148 page)

Destroying property, his own or others.

Frequent truancy.

Habitual lying.

Running away from home overnight more than once.

Stealing more than once.

Although a family’s attitudes and behaviour are crucial for the development (or otherwise) of criminality in young people, the social and economic circumstances a child experiences can make matters better or worse. Children from large families with a low income, or with unemployed parents or who live in poor housing, are more at risk of becoming criminals. If the family unit has been broken in a distressing way through a messy divorce and a step-parent who doesn’t really relate to the child, this situation can also increase the prevalence of antisocial behaviour in the child.

When one or more members of a child’s family have been convicted of a crime, the probability increases of the child also drifting into criminality. This probability goes up further if the child isn’t particularly bright and if schooling fails to deal with the problem and ignores the child. This situation can also result in the youngster leaving school early and so being even less equipped to gain an honest living. Some children don’t engage with school but are shrewd enough to become effective criminals.

Examining causes of antisocial behaviour within the family

Research has established a number of aspects of family life as being at the root of delinquent behaviour:

Little involvement by the parents in the lives of their children.

Poor communication within the family.

Little feelings of attachment to each other and the related lack of family cohesion.

Erratic discipline, which can be too harsh or too permissive, and which often varies from one parent to the other.

High levels of conflict at home framed in anger.