Abstract
The aim of the study is to investigate the basic development of the Malay parent-child relationship and identify the behavioural and psychological aspects of incarcerated juveniles. Three types of attachments, namely mother attachment, father attachment and peer attachment were examined, along with family environment, individual behaviour, self-esteem, and religiosity in relation with delinquency. The thesis also aims to investigate the reasons for the incarcerated juveniles' involvement with delinquent activities. The studies of this thesis integrated both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Study One reported that incarcerated juveniles of the youth rehabilitation centre committed more than one offence each. They lacked parental supervision, participation in family activities, and intimate communication with their parents, and had experienced the lack of parental warmth. In Study Two, the participants reported that their relationships with their mothers and their fathers are almost similar and that it was hard to distinguish between the two in detail. The interviewees felt more comfortable disclosing personal information to their peers, having great propensity to feel connected to their peers, both physically and emotionally, especially in times of crisis. Study Three shows that no mother-child and father-child attachments were associated with delinquency. The attachment theory presented by Bowlby (1969, 1973, 1980) and the discussion on insecure parent-child attachments show no relationship between poor attachment and delinquency, as demonstrated in this thesis. By using simple linear regression analysis, 'cohesion', 'conflict', 'achievement orientation' and 'moral-religious emphasis' (sub-scales of family environment); 'insight', 'conformity' and 'considerateness' (sub-scales of individual behaviour); and religiosity were found to have significant associations with delinquency. Via the multiple regression analysis, this study found that the strong contributing factors towards delinquency came from the variables of religiosity, 'conflict', 'achievement orientation', 'moral-religious emphasis', 'insight', 'conformity', and 'considerateness'. In Study Four, the interviewees' spoke of a number of weaknesses of family environment and poor characteristics about their own behaviours and attitudes that contribute to delinquency. The interpretative process conducted on the raw data resulted in the development of the eight themes, that is, frustration, friend factors, problems with the family environment, weakness in religiosity, need to do 'it' for money, self-need, self-behavioural weaknesses, and revenge, illustrated the reasons for juveniles involvement in delinquent activities. In conclusion, the finding of this thesis, generally, observed that delinquent adolescents did not receive the parents support and emotional affection that the needed. They also experienced severe stress in their relationship with their parents. Thus, at this point, parents need to be educated about this fact so that they have a better understanding of the extent they should go in terms of trying to prevent their children from being involved in deviant behaviour.