URBAN POVERTY AND THE FAMILY CONTEXT OF DELINQUENCY - A NEW LOOK AT STRUCTURE AND PROCESS IN A CLASSIC STUDY

This paper reanalyzes data from the Gluecks' classic study of 500 deli nquents and 500 nondelinquents reared in low-income neighborhoods of c entral Boston. Based on a general theory of informal social control, w e propose a 2-step hypothesis that links structure and process: family poverty inhibits family processes of informal social control, in turn increasing the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. The results suppor t the theory by showing that (1) erratic, threatening, and harsh disci pline, (2) low supervision, and (3) weak parent-child attachment media te the effects of poverty and other structural factors on delinquency. We also address the potential confounding role of parental and childh ood disposition. Although difficult children who display early antisoc ial tendencies do disrupt family management, as do antisocial and unst able parents, mediating processes of informal social control still exp lain a large share of variance in adolescent delinquency. Overall, the results underscore the indirect effects of structural contexts like f amily poverty on adolescent delinquency within disadvantaged populatio ns. We note implications for current debates on race, crime, and the ' 'underclass'' in urban America.