An outline of the model

The broad picture of the relationship between economic stress and crime which has emerged so far is this. Other things being equal, parents with dependent children who experience higher levels of economic stress are more likely to neglect or abuse their children or engage in disciplinary practices which are harsh, erratic and inconsistent. This pattern of parenting behaviour increases the likelihood that children affected by it will gravitate toward or affiliate more strongly with their peers. To the extent that these peers are involved in crime, this association increases the likelihood that susceptible juveniles will become involved in crime. These effects are attenuated when parents facing economic stress are enmeshed in a strong social support network but they are exacerbated in the absence of such a network or when parents face added parenting burdens, such as the absence of a partner (or the presence of an unsupportive partner), marital conflict, a larger number of children, children with behavioural or developmental problems of some kind, or when parents face particular personal problems such as drug addiction or depression. The process is depicted schematically in Figure 6.1.

The important point to note about Figure 6.1 is that it depicts an epidemic process.