Attribution and Mitigation of Parent and Child Responsibility: A Qualitative Analysis

The present study examined how parents account for the level of responsibility attributed to both the child and the parent when a child commits a delinquent act. Ninety-two parents gave their reasons for attributing responsibility in eight specifically designed hypothetical scenarios. Using a content/thematic analytical approach, the findings indicate that parents attributed responsibility to the child when they felt the child knew right from wrong, or when the act appeared to be premeditated. Parents were attributed responsibility in terms of their level of physical supervision, and surveillance of their child's behaviour. Irresponsible parenting was equated with a lack of supervision by the parent. The child's responsibility was mitigated by their age (10 years or 13 years) and whether they were provoked into the action. Mitigating for the parents included arguments that the child had been taught correct behaviour, and that it was impossible to accompany a child 24 hours a day. The ramifications of the findings for legal and psychological realms are discussed.