The Effects of Paternal and Maternal Parenting on Juvenile Delinquency

• In Event: Biosocial Criminology: Juvenile Delinquency and Families

Abstract

Prior research has identified a connection between parenting and delinquency. However, most studies focused on the effect of joint parenting on juvenile delinquency, neglecting the different influences of maternal and paternal parenting on delinquency. The purpose of this paper is to explore the separate influences of maternal and paternal parenting dimensions on adolescent behaviors, and contrast the impacts of both types of parenting on delinquency. This study is a part of a large-scale empirical study conducted in China. Using multistage stratified sampling, the study selected more than 3,000 students from 12 middle schools and high schools. The current study is restricted to 320 students from one school. Following the parenting typology developed by Diana Baumrind (1991), we proposed four paternal parenting styles and four maternal parenting styles, and examined whether paternal parenting and maternal parenting differed and how they jointly influenced adolescent delinquency.

Authors

• Yan Ma, University of Macau

• Spencer D. Li, University of Macau