Shay Bilchik, Administrator	September 1999

Family Disruption and Delinquency   Introduction Methods Results Summary and Conclusions References Acknowledgments   Points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of OJJDP or the U.S. Department of Justice. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime.   NCJ 178285

From the Administrator Despite a multitude of happy exceptions, it is a sad truth that children in families disrupted by divorce or separation have a greater chance of exhibiting problem behavior, including delinquency, than children being raised by two parents. This Bulletin examines the impact that multiple changes in family structure have on an adolescent's risk of serious problem behavior. Research teams in 3 cities interviewed 4,000 youth and their caretakers to analyze the prevalence of delinquent behaviors and drug use and the number of family transitions the youth had experienced. The researchers found that these young people had faced a substantial number of family transitions, which can result in decreased financial security and increased stress and conflict. In Rochester, NY, and Denver, CO, the number of transitions had a significant effect on delinquency and drug use, with the Pittsburgh, PA, data showing the same trend, although not at a statistically significant level. The findings reported here add to our knowledge about families and children at risk and give us a broader understanding of delinquency and its causes. Society cannot guarantee an intact, stable family for every child, but we can—and must—make every effort to counteract the negative effects of family disruption. Shay Bilchik Administrator