Ethnic differences in the mother-son relationship of incarcerated and non-incarcerated male adolescents in the Netherlands
2011

Mother-Son Relationships in Incarcerated and Non-Incarcerated Adolescents

Sample size: 453 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Violaine C Veen, Gonneke WJM Stevens, Theo AH Doreleijers, Maja Deković, Trees Pels, Wilma AM Vollebergh

Primary Institution: Leiden University

Hypothesis

This study examines the mother-son relationships of Moroccan and native Dutch delinquent adolescents and their association with adolescent delinquency.

Conclusion

Mother-son relationship types of incarcerated Moroccan adolescents and non-incarcerated Moroccan adolescents are quite similar, indicating less problematic profiles compared to native Dutch adolescents.

Supporting Evidence

  • Moroccan adolescents in pre-trial arrest show less serious offending behavior than native Dutch adolescents.
  • A neglectful mother-son relationship type was more prevalent among Moroccan families.
  • Low-conflict mother-son relationships were most common in native Dutch families of non-incarcerated boys.

Takeaway

The study found that Moroccan boys in jail have similar relationships with their mothers as those who are not in jail, which is different from Dutch boys.

Methodology

Latent Class Analysis and logistic regression analyses were used to identify types of mother-son relationships and their associations with incarceration and ethnicity.

Potential Biases

Self-report measures may be subject to social desirability bias.

Limitations

The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and it only included mothers, excluding the role of fathers.

Participant Demographics

Participants included mothers of incarcerated boys, with 66 of Moroccan origin and 63 of native Dutch origin.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.01

Confidence Interval

1.45-10.56

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1753-2000-5-23

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