This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Palermo, G. B. Articles by Simpson, D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Palermo, G. B. Articles by Simpson, D. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

At the Roots of Violence the Progressive Decline and Dissolution of the Family

Medical College of Wisconsin, 925 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, U.S.A.

Douglas Simpson

Milwaukee County Safety Building, 821 West State Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, U.S.A.

The authors reflect on the origin of the family and its traditional dynamic force in the social and moral education, and in the affective support and protection of its members. They expound on their thesis that since the institution of the family is progressively crumbling under the pressures of ever changing socioeconomic events, people feel more insecure and frustrated. It is their belief that the present day family often does not pass on to its members those traditional high moral values of honesty and responsibility so important for good citizenship and self-esteem, and that the above, compounded by unemployment and the widespread presence of psychoactive drugs in our streets, may be a basic factor in the upsurge of violence and criminal behavior in our homes and our cities. Sociological and psychological thoughts are offered in support of their theories on the importance of the family as a germ-cell of society. Even though violence in the streets is multifactorial and the too easy availability of guns and the drug culture are certainly important factors, the authors believe that the progressive disintegration of the family and its value deficit are basic to the problem of disruptive violence in our streets. They envision a modern functional family whose members uphold personal responsibility together with cultural, religious, and moral values. They believe that their adherence to the above values would enable them to be better motivated and disciplined for good citizenship. Crime would then be fought at its roots.

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 38, No. 2, 105-116 (1994)
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X9403800203


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?