Gender Dynamics in Parenthood as a Source of Change

• In Event: The Importance of Parenting Across Multiple Dimensions of the Life Course

Abstract

Family development reduces offending behavior, and while a sizeable amount of research has elaborated on the short- and long-term impact of marriage, less attention has been paid to the impact of parenthood on desistance. Fatherhood was not identified as a source of change in early desistance literature, but recent studies have begun to elaborate on changes in male offending behavior after the birth of a child. Motherhood has consistently been shown to significantly alter behavior among samples of female offenders, suggesting a gender imbalance in the parenthood effect that may be changing over time. Utilizing meta-regression analytic techniques I will examine the gender dynamic of the parenthood effect within the desistance literature. The findings will address differences in parenthood experiences for male and female offenders, suggest theoretical insights into informal social controls, and elaborate on broader social assumptions of parenthood as an opportunity for change.

Author

• David Abeling-Judge, Northeastern University