title: Parental Low Self-Control, Family Environments, and Juvenile Delinquency.
abstract: Research consistently finds that low self-control is significantly correlated with delinquency. Only recently, however, have researchers started to examine associations between parental low self-control, family environments, and child antisocial behavior. Adding to this emerging area of research, the current study examines associations between parental low self-control, aspects of the family environment, and officially recoded juvenile delinquency among a sample (N = 101) of juveniles processed through a juvenile justice assessment facility located in the Southeastern United States. Furthermore, it considers whether aspects of family environments, particularly family cohesion, family conflict, and parental efficacy, mediate the influence of parental low self-control on delinquency. The results of a series of analyses indicate that parental low self-control is correlated with various aspects of family environments and juvenile delinquency, and that the association between parental low self-control and juvenile delinquency is mediated by family environments. Supplementary analyses also suggest that the association between parental low self-control and the family environment may be reciprocal.
authors.affiliation: Florida International University, Miami, USA rmeldrum@fiu.edu.
authors.forename: Ryan C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Meldrum
authors.affiliation: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Fort Pierce, USA.
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Florida International University, Miami, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flexon
authors.affiliation: Florida International University, Miami, USA.
authors.forename: Rob T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Guerette
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054541:Family Conflict; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D000068356:Self-Control; D012931:Social Environment; D015144:Southeastern United States
keywords: delinquency; family environment; intergenerational continuity; official records; parental low self-control; parenting practices