Sins of the fatherless: how broken homes contribute to juvenile crime

Craig Ortega

March 20, 2024 11 Reactions

However, no government program can replace the experience of growing up in a happy family. I remember speaking with one young man before he appeared in court. When I asked about family dynamics, the youth expressed in tears that what was most desired was a relationship with his biological father.

A father's love

The presence of fathers in intact families contributes to the healthy development of their sons and daughters in a variety of ways.

My mother and my late father were married for more than 60 years. During that time, my father served his country in Korea in the US Air Force, and later as a chaplain in his VFW Post. Along with other fathers, he helped form a dads’ club for the boys in the neighbourhood which promoted football and baseball activities.

When I was 13 years old, to keep me from wasting time at home during the summer, my father took me to work. As a truck driver hauling freight, he taught me the skills of organisation, customer service, and punctuality. I learned to appreciate hard work and how to hand-roll 55-gallon drums onto the back of a truck.

My father’s witness to marriage, faith, family, and the importance of quality work has served me well during my career, marriage and family life.

One policy recommendation from the Institute for Family Studies is to “advertise and advocate the ‘success sequence’, the idea that a high school education, a full-time job, and marriage should precede parenthood, in schools and social media across American cities.”

That advice is gold.

I recall a man who wrote us a note of thanks for the guidance he had received during his time in the juvenile justice system years earlier. He said that his father had never given him advice and structure, and that his mother had been too busy working.

He did well. He finished high school, got married, had a family, and started a business. It was wonderful to hear that our work in the juvenile justice system had paid off.

But family structure does matter, and the gold standard for children remains an intact marriage between a biological mother and father. Take it from a former juvenile justice professional who has witnessed firsthand the devastation that results from family breakdown and absent fathers.

How can we build stronger families and lower the juvenile crime rate? Let us know in the comments.

Craig Ortega retired from a career in juvenile probation after more than twenty years. He worked in field, court and residential services as well as training, accreditation and quality assurance. His interests include juvenile delinquency, culture, disability, and history.