What do you believe happened with delinquent children? Was it poor parenting? ?

Question

What strategies do you believe will get a child to be a good student, and never delinquent?

Answer 1

I am a sociologist, and I know that one of the most respected theories of delinquency is called control theory.  Essentially it says that people do deviant things when there is nothing to stop them.  For kids, the kinds of "controls" that stop them from becoming delinquent include  parenting that teaches the child socially acceptable values and standards, supervision, involvement with school and school activities, and acceptance of society's laws and values.

Poor parenting can certainly set the stage for a child to become delinquent. Lack of supervision, substance addiction, and failure to teach kids values may give kids the freedom to get into trouble and fail to give them any reasons why they shouldn't.  But other important influences are the peer group and the way the child spends his/her time.  If the child is involved with school, meaning they want to do well, get good grades  and participate in school activities, they are more likely to choose friends who are good influences and to avoid bad behavior (because it can get them kicked off the team or expelled from school).  Religious involvement has also been shown to prevent delinquency.

The bottom line: Supervise your child, communicate your values (even if they don't seem to listen), model good behavior, take them to church if you are religious, emphasize good grades and attendance at school, get them involved in constructive activities from little on, and know who their friends are.  There are no guarantees, and no way to make them totally resistant to bad peer influence, but you can do a lot to stack the odds in your favor.  Good for you for believing parents can still make a difference!

EDIT: To Mommy of 4: Having money doesn't protect against delinquency, it just reduces the likelihood of getting caught and punished for it.  I know parents who had nice big houses and left their teens alone in them.  Guess what happened?

Answer 2

Well, I think that not only what the parents teach affects their attitide, personality and behavior, but also the enviornment that they live in. Take this as an example-- if both parents (or guardians) work all day, and the child is home alone, he will more than likely be getting into more trouble/mischief than a child that has a stay at home parent. And since when have you seen a juvenille delinquent that lives in a nice, beautfiul neighborhood with big houses and nice cars? Haven't you seen more delinquents from let's say, a trailer park? ....Another example of how enviornment affects kids. Another thing that affects children's behavior is the type of friends and people he or she is exposed to.

The strategies? Well, obviously punish for bad behavior, pressure good school and working habits (but obviously not too much). Chores, also are a great thing for any child to do. It teaches them respect, and also how to keep up a clean house.

I think that's pretty much all I can say on the topic....

Good Luck!

Izzy

Answer 3

Always be there for your child! I think every child should have a time when they just want to hang out with friends and forget about school,but it is up to the parent to set a good example and stress the importance education has on ones life without being overwhelming.

My sister and I got into trouble when we were teenagers. Both got pregnant at 16, but we went through our troublesome behavior early, and I think that is important. My other oldest sister was a honor roll student, graduated on time, never did drugs, or drank until she was 21 and then she became an alcoholic a drug addict, and at age 32 she lost her daughter and has a 21 year old boyfriend.

As for me and my other sister, I am a mom of 3, and a college student, no drugs, no smoking, no alcohol. Same for my sister.

My parents always stressed the importance of education no matter the  circumstances and I think that helped a great deal in my decision to finish high school and to start college.

There is no perfect child. Everyone goes through rough times and if they don't do it younger they will do it when they are older and that may interfere with their adult life and family.