Victimisation, offending, and family: A comparison of young people in Brazil and Britain

• In Event: ISRD Panel 4 ISRD Findings from a Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Much work in Criminology has focused on a person’s familial context as a potential determinant of offending behaviour and occasionally of victimisation, often using the lens of Control Theory. However, far less research has examined the potential effects of victimisation and offending on the person’s familial context, including family living arrangements and interactions with family members. This second approach is of interest for theorising the effects of offending and victimisation and for providing practitioners with knowledge that can be deployed when working with offenders and/or victims. The current study explores the effects of victimisation and delinquent behaviour on young people’s self-reported familial contexts, among samples of 13 to 17 year-olds in Brazil and Britain who were surveyed as part of the ISRD-4 project. We expect victimization to lead to greater integration with, and support from, the family, while offending behaviour is likely to have the opposite effect. Given that Brazil and Britain are classed as belonging to different cultural regions, and that family practices are one component of culture, we also explore the extent to which significant differences emerge between the two countries.

Authors

• Rafaelle CS Costa, University of Sao Paulo

• Chris Birkbeck, Salford University

• Marina Rezende Bazon, University of São Paulo

• Neal Hazel, University of Salford, UK