On the Relationship between “Delinquent Formation Space” of Juvenile Delinquency and the Family――With Special Reference to the Approach Frame――

Abstract

The problem of the interrelationship of the family as a social system to juvenile delinquency as a social phenomenon can be rightly understood only when we, students, examine precisely the way the family relates to each action space of delinquency. However closely each factor of the family or personality traits isolated from the action space may be related to the phenomenon, the problem cannot be solved either synthetically or scientifically.

The writers, in this paper, intended to understand historically the interrelationship of the family to the whole “delinquent formation space” in juvenile delinquency, which consists of the formation and fixation situation of delinquent readiness, the occurrence situation of delinquent behavior, the control or suppression situation of delinquent behavior, and the correction or dissolution situation of delinquent readiness.

And the relationship of the family to the delinquency especially in middle adolescence was divided into two major types on the basis of the point that whether or not the conditions in childhood and in early adolescence functioned as delinquent readiness for delinquent behavior in middle adolescence. Each type was devided, moreover, into two subtypes according to the point that whether or not the occurrence situation of delinquent behavior was formed in the earlier period of development.

In each of these types, the family had different relations to the formation and fixation situation of delinquent readiness, to the occurrence situation of delinquent behavior, and to the suppression situation of delinquent behavior, though the relationship was fundamentally indirect because middle adolescence corresponds to SD-II or -III. And in every type the family is often requested to relate itself to the correction situation of delinquent readiness by the public organizations. And this relationship plays an important role in the later delinquent behavior. For each type the relationship was closely examined in connection with Delinquent-Geno types.

This typology is applicable to the delinquency in both early and late adolescence, though there is some difference in the degree of strength of the relation among the three stages of adolescence. In the case of early adolescence, the family has direct relation to the formation and fixation situation of delinquent readiness and the occurrence situation of delinquent behavior. For example, the victim, or the cooperator, or the protector of the delinquent behavior is the family or family members, and sometimes delinquent behavior place is in the family. And since early adolescent bases his essential ego on the family, the family does necessarily have great importance in the other situations of delinquent formation space, too. And in the case of late adolescence, the family, which he will form in adulthood, comes to have important meaning in each situation of delinquent formation space.

In short, the relationship of the family to the delinquency should not be considered as the same structure throughout one’s life cycle. And the difference in Socialization-Depth of individuals determined primarily the interrelationship of the family to delinquency or crime.