A consistent trend in many countries has been a movement towards greater parental involvement in delinquency and criminal proceedings involving youth. However, there is a paucity of research on the extent and nature of parents’ involvement in the youth justice system. In this study we investigated parents’ involvement from the perspective of 120 Canadian youth. Results suggested that many parents had limited involvement in certain aspects of their children’s legal proceedings but that involvement varied depending on the context (police station vs. court). Implications of findings for policy and practice are discussed.
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