The Contextual Nature of Parenthood and Crime

• In Event: The Impact of Becoming a Parent on Offending and Desistence

Abstract

There is an assumption among life course criminologists that parenthood should be negatively associated with criminal behavior; however, research has shown that there is a lack of inevitability regarding parenthood (Giordano, Cernkovich, and Rudolph 2002). Desistance does not always occur after an individual makes the transition to parenthood, and in some cases criminal behavior may even increase. These equivocal results suggest that the parent role is complex and likely shaped by co-occurring changes, such as alterations in routine activities, peer relations, and the contextual relationship between the parent and her/his romantic partner. This study uses the Pathways to Desistance Study to explore whether changes in peer behavior, peer influence, routine activities, romantic partner behavior, or romantic partner influence are responsible for the patterns of criminal behavior that occur after an individual has made the transition to parenthood.

Author

• Leslie Abell, Pennsylvania State University