DELINQUENCY AND FAMILY-LIFE AMONG MALE-ADOLESCENTS - THE ROLE OF ETHNICITY

This study addresses the role of ethnic and racial diversity in the re lationship between family processes and delinquency. The study evaluat es the overall role families play in the etiology of delinquency acros s different ethnic/racial groups, and investigates the relative role o f specific issues such as family involvement, family attachment, and f amily control among Hispanic, African American, and white male adolesc ents. This analysis utilizes two waves of data from the Rochester Yout h Development Study, a longitudinal project investigating the causes a nd correlates of delinquency among a high-risk urban sample of youth. Results of this study indicate that family variables as a group are mo re important in constraining delinquency for Hispanic adolescents. In addition, the relative influence of particular family processes on del inquent conduct appears to differ among diverse populations. We also f ind that living in a single-parent home has less impact on family proc esses than living in a situation of economic hardship.