All issues > Volume 36(2); 1993

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1993;36(2):195-207. Published online February 15, 1993.

A Study on the Relationship between Juvenile Delinquency and Family Environment

Duk Jin DJ Yun¹, Jung Kyoo JK Park², Jong Bok JB Chung², Jung Mo JM Nam³, Jong Yun JY Park¹

¹Emeritus professor, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University, Seoul,Korea
²Emeritus professor, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Department of Juvenile delinquency the Seoul District prosecutors Office, Seoul, Korea
³Emeritus professor, Department of Pediatrics, Preventive medicine and public health, Yonsei University, Seoul,Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out an appropriate means for preventing the juvenile delinquecy(JD), which is supposed to be greatly realted to family environment. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey with a means of writing by themself, to 257 middle and high school students and 309 juvenile delinquetns who were in confinement. The question-naire was consisted of 27 items of juvenile delinquencies, 15 questions about personal environment in parental behavior to their children in the rearing of them. The extent of delinquency was calculated divided into two groups; student group(SG) and juvenile delinquent group(JDG) and the collected data were analyzed with the extent of delinquency in each group by using SPSS/PC+ statistical package. The extent of JD was increased as the study subjects grew older, defective families were more common, total family income was more poor, parents?educational level was lower, personal expenses were higher and the conflicts between parents were more high in JDG as compared with that of SG. The differences were statistically significant. As long as the extent of delinquency is concerned, delimquent points of JDG were significantly higher as compared with that of SG in all items except one item, below the primary school item in fathers?educationl level. (In order to prevent JD in our country, it is recommended that educational level and the living standared of the lower class people should be raised, the sound families which do have less conflicts should be established as much as possible, the present educational system which is making much conflicts between parents and their offsprings should be changed so that their given temperament would be brought up to the highest level, defective families should be reduced as much as possible and adults should not do actions that are considered not to be done by youngsters and must set a good example.)

Keywords :Juvenile delinquency, Family environment