Family Risk Factors as Turning Points in Desistance from Crime

• In Event: Desisting from Offending

Abstract

Family risk factors, such as the absence of a biological parent in the home or a lack of parental warmth, are considered to be some of the most robust predictors of adolescent offending. The problem, however, is that we do not have a complete longitudinal understanding of the impact of these turning points on future desistance from offending. Accordingly, this paper examines the effects of various dynamic family factors (i.e., the presence or absence of a biological mother or father in the home, and parental warmth and hostility) on desistance from crime. Data on 1,354 serious adolescent offenders from the Pathways to Desistance Study are used, and multilevel modeling techniques are employed to observe within-person changes in family factors and offending over time. The results and their implications for future research will be discussed.

Author

• Kristin Lloyd, Florida State University