Date of Award
1-1-2009
Document Type
Campus Access Dissertation
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Mathieu Deflem
Abstract
This dissertation explores delinquency in youth raised by grandparents and other older caregivers as compared to delinquency in youth raised by parents. It has been posited here that youth raised by grandparents and other older caregivers are more likely to commit delinquent acts. This study uses survey responses from Wave I, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (AddHealth), a comprehensive and representative data base. Bivariate, baseline logistic regression and multivariate regression models were used to test whether youth in the care of grandparents and other older persons were more likely to commit violent and non-violent delinquent acts than youth raised by their parents.
Custodial care of children by grandparents has been increasing over the past twenty years resulting from social problems that render parents unable to provide that care. Scholarship related to kinship care and grandparents raising grandchildren has been developing over that time period as well. Specific attention is now being focused on the impact of this care arrangement upon the caregivers as well as upon the youth. Causal factors for delinquency have been studied for some time through the work of Delbert Elliott and others. These factors are included in the multivariate models for this study as control variables.
Rights
© 2009, Lynn Marie Frederick
Recommended Citation
Frederick, L. M.(2009). Older Relatives Raising Adolescents: the Relationship Between Age of Caregiver and Youth Delinquent Acts. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/29