The Effect of Parental Incarceration on Delinquency: The Moderating Role of Academic Efficacy

• In Event: Innovations in Delinquency Research: Parental Incarceration, Peer Networks, and Neighborhood Context

Abstract

While prior research highlights the criminogenic effects of parental incarceration, many children of incarcerated parents remain resilient and manage to avoid problem behavior. The purpose of the current study is to shed additional light on the sources of such resilience. Inspired by certain qualitative data that highlight school as an important source of resilience, quantitative analyses were conducted to determine whether academic efficacy and achievement condition the effects of parental incarceration. Preliminary results, based on a longitudinal survey of high-risk youth, indicate that academic variables moderate (buffer) the effect of parental incarceration on delinquency. Implications for theory, research, and policy are discussed.

Author

• Timothy Brezina, Georgia State University