Helping Parents Understand the Language of Juvenile Court

A parent's failure to take part in their child's treatment and supervision plan is hurtful -- the child, for the most part, is doomed! Notwithstanding the importance of effective treatment that targets a child's tendency to commit crime, none of it can be maximized if parental involvement is minimal or nonexistent -- or worse, resistant. Parental involvement in the prevention or rehabilitation of delinquency cannot be overstated despite the research showing the strong influence of peers on delinquent behavior. Parental attributes are indirectly related to the causes of delinquency whereas peer influence is stronger and directly related to delinquency. So what does the research mean when it says that family function is the greatest protective buffer against delinquency?