PARENTAL NEGLECT AND OVERPROTECTION AS RISK-FACTORS IN DELINQUENCY

This study examined perceived parental neglect and overprotection as c orrelates of self-reported delinquency in 405 male and 387 female Aust ralian secondary school students under the age of 18. Consistent with the research hypotheses, correlations obtained show that perceptions o f low care and high protection, from either fathers or mothers, were a ssociated with higher levels of both male and female delinquency. Resu lts from analyses of variance confirm that adolescents reporting the p arental style of affectionless control (neglect plus overprotection) w ere more delinquent than those with optimal parental bonding (care plu s permission of independence). A regression analysis including various parental bonding interactions further shows that maternal care was th e most important predictor of delinquency, that paternal care was anot her significant correlate, and that an interaction effect of paternal neglect and overprotection was found among male adolescents.