The Stigma Experiences of Parent With A Delinquent Child

Child delinquency continues to be a serious social problem. It has been determined that 25.3% of the children who come or are brought to the security units in Turkey are dragged into crime. This situation has negative consequences for the delinquent children and their families. Stigmatization is the most dominant and wearisome of these negative consequences. In this study, we investigated the stigmatization experiences of parents with delinquent children. We conducted qualitative interviews with 10 parents who have a child delinquent for different reasons and receive social assistance. As a result of the analysis of the interviews, we identified two main themes; (a) reasons for juvenile delinquency; and (b) having a delinquent child. Under the theme of having a delinquent child, we created 3 sub-themes depending on the types of stigma. (1) social stigma, (2) relational stigma, and (3) self-stigma. The findings show that parents have to deal with intersecting inequalities such as being immigrants, being of different ethnicity, being poor and having delinquent children. The feeling of loneliness, social exclusion, pressure from the neighborhood and being blamed as the cause of the problem are other prominent results of the interviews.

Şerif UZUNASLAN

Metin Gani Tapan