Reassessing the Criminogenic Risk of the ‘Broken Home’: The Concept of ‘The Good Family’ From the Perspective of Young Offenders in Trinidad and Tobago

This paper, based on a qualitative study with incarcerated male young offenders in Trinidad and Tobago, explores participants’ conceptualizations of the impact of family background on adolescent offending. The paper challenges the civilized vs deviant dichotomy often proffered when discussing the pr...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. VerfasserIn: Mendez, Melissa (Verfasst von)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: 2025
In: The British journal of criminology
Jahr: 2025, Band: 65, Heft: 4, Seiten: 762-779
Online-Zugang: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Schlagwörter:
Family Structure
Delinquency
absentee fathers
good family
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:This paper, based on a qualitative study with incarcerated male young offenders in Trinidad and Tobago, explores participants’ conceptualizations of the impact of family background on adolescent offending. The paper challenges the civilized vs deviant dichotomy often proffered when discussing the presence (and absence) of fathers and offers a nuanced account of what makes a ‘good family’ and a ‘good father’ according to young offenders. Findings demonstrate participants’ preference for the nuclear family, irrespective of whether they were raised within supportive familial networks. These findings raise questions about the continued strength of historically resilient matrifocal support systems in the Caribbean.
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azae084