The goal of this literature review is to
analyse the effect the family has on an adolescent's behaviour. It
is believed that parents have direct and indirect control. Previous
research has found that parents directly influence their children's
behaviour through the parenting techniques utilized. Parental
support is the largest influence on creating preferable behaviour
in adolescents. Along with the direct influence from parents, the
parents have indirect control over the community through which the
adolescents lives in and socializes with peers in. Adolescents
require strong bonds in their community. Through these bonds,
adolescents are watched over and other families reciprocate the
actions. When these conditions are not provided an up-rise in
juvenile crime may overtake the community. Adolescents learn
greatly from their peers. The family has an indirect control over
peers through community watch and their parenting techniques;
teaching the child not to succumb to peer pressure. This
information is vital due to the presence of juveniles in the
criminal justice system.
Key words: deviant behaviour,
adolescents, family, children's behaviour, criminal justice
system.