Relationship between parent supervision and anti-social behavior in juvenile offenders from the state of Morelos

Abstract

Introduction. Parental supervision is constituted by a series of correlated parental behaviors involving children care, knowing their where abouts, which activities they are performing, and the situation of their adaptive processes. In order for parental supervision to take place, it is necessary that communication and mutual support exist between mother and father, as well as between parents and children so that the family environment becomes pleasant. Supervision is one of the most studied factors related to anti-social behavior, and it has been observed that its absence or inconsistency allows for the occurrence of anti-social behavior, which in the more serious cases leads to delinquency.

Objective. To know the relationship between family environment, supervision and the seriousness of anti-social behavior in juvenile offenders confined in a state penitentiary from Morelos.

Method. A survey was used to collect data from a population of 86 juvenile male offenders from a state penitentiary located in Morelos.

Results. Parent-children communication and support are interrelated and form the familiar environment. Thus, children’s communication predicts proper supervision and monitoring, specifically in the area of knowing children’s activities, which, at the same time, predict less serious anti-social behavior.

Discussion and conclusion. It is important that families have an environment based on communication and support. It is also relevant to encourage adolescents to freely communicate with their parents so supervision and monitoring become common elements that help adolescents to stay away from behaviors that could lead them to crime.