More evidence that even when the "village" is looking out for the welfare of children, too much free time can lead to bad outcomes for teenagers.
Unsupervised teenagers with nothing to do are more likely to engage in violent behaviors, even if they live in good neighborhoods, according to a new study from Ohio State University.
- Dr. Christopher Browning and his colleagues used data from the Project on Human Development in the Chicago Neighborhoods Community Survey, that included a series of three interviews of 842 children.
- The interview subject were age 8 at the beginning of the study, and age 13 at their final interview.
- The research team divided their neighborhoods into areas where neighbors trust each other and help each other keep their children on track and those which did not have such attitudes.
- In areas where neighbors were more involved with each other, parents were more likely to allow their children to roam unsupervised, which in turn increased the level of violence in those neighborhoods.
This lead the researchers to conclude that adults need to supervise teenagers even in places where neighbors know and trust one another. Dr. Browning also recommend after-school programs as another way to control adolescent behaviors.
This study appears in the journal Criminology.
Labels: parental influence, crimes, supervision
Posted By: Aspen Education Group