Dr. Cavanagh's latest article, Parental Legal Culpability in Youth Offending, is out now in the Annual Review of Criminology. Did you know parents may be held legally responsible for their children’s crimes? Parental legal culpability laws were developed to deter delinquency, but may instead contribute to existing disparities in the juvenile justice system.
First, we highlight the different types of offenses that parents may be held responsible for with particular attention to parental culpability for youth violence and cybercrimes.
Then, we consider the unintended consequences of parental culpability laws, from exacerbating racial and ethnic inequalities to imposing financial burdens that may put families at risk for further justice involvement.
Finally, we discuss challenges to the efficacy of parental culpability laws from a psychological perspective, with recommendations for future research. Check it out!