Family Processes, Delinquency and the Role of Protective Assets in Youth Offenders and Non-Offenders in Singapore

Abstract

This study examined the effects of family processes (family functioning, maternal and paternal attachments, home environment) on delinquent behaviours (rule-breaking, reactive, and proactive aggressive behaviours) in Singapore youths, and whether this relationship was mediated by youths’ internal protective assets. Using baseline data from an ongoing longitudinal study which has collected data on 1,879 youths aged 12 to 19 years in Singapore, path analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect effects of family processes and internal assets on delinquent behaviours. For direct effects, after controlling for age and sex, the family processes significantly predicted the delinquent behaviours examined. However, no indirect effects were found. The present study shed light on the supportive role of the family in the development of internal assets in youths, as well as the need to continue to identify internal assets associated with specific delinquent behaviours, family contexts and individual characteristics.