Can parental knowledge predict adolescent delinquency?: Examining the role of hanging on the streets with friends and SES.

Abstract

Because delinquent behavior can have such a detrimental effect on individual and societal well-being, it is important to identify its risk factors. This longitudinal TRAILS study investigated the impact of parental knowledge on delinquent behavior. It was expected that particularly adolescents with a lower SES background would engage in delinquent behavior in the absence of parental knowledge. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that adolescents who perceive low levels of parental knowledge, would spend more time hanging on the streets with friends (unsupervised activity), which would induce them to engage in more delinquent behavior. The present study involves longitudinal data of TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) (T1: N = 2230; T2: N = 2149; T3: N = 1816). The sample was assessed at three waves. Self-report questionnaires that assessed parental knowledge, delinquency, time spent hanging on the streets with friends and SES were used. Results indicated that adolescents who perceived higher levels of parental knowledge (T2) were less likely to engage in delinquent behavior (T3). In addition, results showed that hanging on the streets with friends (T2) partially mediated the relationship between parental knowledge (T2) and delinquent behavior (T3), while SES was not found to moderate this relationship. These findings indicate that delinquent behavior in adolescence could be reduced or prevented by more parental involvement during adolescence.