Parenthood and Crime: the Role of Wantedness, Relationships with Partners, and Socioeconomic Status

Parenthood may play a pivotal role in the criminal desistance process, but few studies have examined the conditions under which becoming a mother or father is most likely to lead to reductions in criminal behavior. The current longitudinal study draws on four waves of adolescent and young adult interview data (N = 1,066) to examine the impact of parenthood on criminal trajectories, as well as the degree to which the prosocial potential of parenthood is modified by socioeconomic factors, the nature of the relationship between the biological parents, and pregnancy wantedness. The influence of gender on these relationships is also examined. Results from HLM longitudinal regression models indicate that highly disadvantaged young men and women do not report lower average levels of criminal behavior after becoming parents, although young men and women from more advantaged backgrounds do report lower average levels of crime after making these transitions. Pregnancies that were described as wanted reduced female involvement in crime regardless of socioeconomic status, while status of the relationship (married or cohabiting and single) was in general not a strong predictor. In-depth qualitative data are used to further elucidate the conditional nature of the parenthood-crime relationship.