The impact of intergenerational closure between parents and the school on juvenile delinquency

• In Event: Perspectives on Schools, safe Spaces, and Reporting Criminal Victimization

Abstract

Research has shown the crime reducing impacts of social capital in various settings. In this context Coleman (1990) stresses the importance of intergenerational closure for informal social control. This contribution aims to shed more light on the impact of intergenerational closure between parents and the school on different forms of delinquency. We analyze how ties between parents and teachers can help to reduce the risk of student’s delinquent behavior.
Using multilevel data from a representative survey of more than 9,000 9th grade pupils from the federal state of Lower Saxony (Germany) we assess the impact of intergenerational closure on the individual and context level on self-reported delinquency.
The results show that a higher intergenerational closure and parents’ engagement in school activities decrease the involvement in delinquent behavior. However, the effects are stronger for minor forms of delinquency (truancy) than for severe delinquency (violence).
The discussion addresses how the results on the impact of intergenerational closure can be linked to network analysis and the capacity of certain network structures for informal social control.

Authors

• Michael Andreas Hanslmaier, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony

• Marie Christine Bergmann, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony