In the master's thesis, I investigated the family factors that influence the development of delinquent behavior in adolescents. Based on theoretical and empirical findings, the aim of the study was to understand the significance and the influence of the aforementioned family factors on the phenomenon of delinquent behavior, thus improving my own skills for identifying possible prior emotional and behavioral problems. These can be the result of the inadequate parental educational strategies, inappropriate interpersonal relationships in the family, a specific strength and style of attachment between child and parent, inadequate or inappropriate communication between family members, social learning through the observation and imitation of the parents, the influence of the family structure and the role one has in their own family. It is important to emphasize that delinquent behavior is not brought about by only one factor, but it is always a combination of various factors that do not derive solely from family dynamics. According to the principles of qualitative analysis, I processed data derived from semi-structured interviews with adolescents who, due to various forms of delinquent behavior, got an educational measure of moving to a residential care institution or an educational measure of moving to a juvenile correctional institution. I was wondering whether adolescents themselves understand their family dynamics and their parent's upbringing as potential triggers of their own delinquent behavior. The majority of the interviewed adolescents rank family causes for delinquent behavior on the top of the scale of relevance. However, they recognize factors such as peer influence and personal characteristics equally as important as family factors. The results show that adolescents themselves see the cause of their delinquent behavior in their own family dynamics. Adolescents themselves are the best narrators of their own lives so their opinion and views need to be taken into account during the problem-solving process.
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