The Impact of Material Factors on Female Juvenile Delinquency Trends

This study examined the difference between female juvenile delinquents and nondelinquents in relationship to a combination of maternal factors (negative maternal behaviors, occupational stress, perceived social support, and maternal parenting stress). Participants were 128 biological mothers of daughters between the ages of 12 and 18 who were either mothers of clients or were clients themselves of a Midwest community health center in one of several clinics in Martinsville, Mooresville, Bedford, Bloomington, and Spencer, Indiana. Participants completed six questionnaires, including: the Demographics Questionnaire, the Maternal Behavior Index, the Adolescent Behavior Survey, the Occupational Crisis Survey, the Duke Social Support Inventory, and the Maternal Parenting Measure of Stress. A discriminate function analysis was conducted to determine if the maternal factors of negative maternal behaviors, occupational stress, perceived social support, and maternal parenting stress could be used to predict membership in the following groups for female adolescents: delinquents and nondelinquents. Results indicated that mothers who reported more negative behaviors, perceived less social support, and felt more parenting stress were more apt to have daughters who engaged in delinquent acts.Anne Marie PriceBoyer, Michele C.James L. CampbellLiz O' LaughlinDoctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Communication Disorders, Counseling, School, and Educational PsychologyCunningham Memorial library, Terre Haute,Indiana State UniversityGS201009DoctoralTitle from document title page. Document formatted into pages: contains 81 p.: ill. Includes bibliography, abstract and appendix