Editors' Introduction to the Special Issue: New Findings on Family Factors in Juvenile Delinquency Prevention.

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is a serious societal problem with detrimental physical and mental health effects for both victims and offenders. To prevent onset of delinquent behavior or keep it from escalating in frequency and seriousness, effective prevention is imperative. Since the family entails the primary context in which juvenile development takes place, families have a pivotal role in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. This special issue aims to highlight new findings on the role of family factors in the explanation of juvenile delinquency, to increase fundamental knowledge on the impact of family risk and protective factors on juvenile delinquency to inform prevention efforts. It presents findings of six studies with varying methodological designs, including longitudinal and cross-sectional designs using cohort data, network analyses, and genetically informed designs. Together, these studies (1) advance our understanding of the interrelatedness of (family) risk and protective factors in explaining juvenile delinquency; (2) provide more insight in the link between family factors and delinquency in two relatively new areas: the field of online delinquent behavior and the developmental period of emerging adulthood; and (3) increase knowledge on (the effects of) family involvement in preventive programs and interventions. The contributions advance our knowledge about the complex interplay of risk and protective factors contributing to juvenile delinquency, and underscore that families and parents matter in the development and prevention of juvenile delinquency.