Parents and Prisons Critique - Essay Example

Parents and Prisons by Jennifer Morse is a very compelling read not only for students studying criminal behaviour or psychology but for the rest of society as well. Nowadays, many individuals have decided to raise children single-handedly not as a consequence of circumstances but rather as a personal choice. Some people want to enjoy the fulfilment of loving children yet do not want to give their commitment to a lifetime partner. In Morse’s article, she strongly urged people to rethink of such choices. While Morse presented very good arguments that supported her belief that children of single parents are youth at risk; still, there are many loopholes in her argument. This paper would be dealing with. Morse’s arguments are in three points.

First, the article stated some news reporting the dumping of a dismembered body by two boys. Such news is common even before because the crime appeals to sensationalism that makes the reading public buy newspapers. Grisly accounts of murders, whether or not involving parents is common since ancient times. Then, the news article was linked by Ms Morse to the budget cuts imposed by city Mayors except for the Department of Corrections. The article missed establishing the main reasons why budget spending for prisons was not part of said budget cuts. The Department of Corrections spending needs to be increased simply because the increasing rate of the population also produces a higher incidence of criminality. This doesn’t mean that the majority of the crimes can be attributed to juvenile delinquency as caused by children from single-parent homes. There are many factors why the Bureau of Corrections has to increase spending which the author failed to explain. Instead, the news reports were directly correlated to the incidence of juvenile delinquency which lacked substantial evidence.

Second, the article cited some studies that link mental illness and single parents. Ms.Morse quoted that “people who have a family history of certain kinds of mental illness may also have a higher propensity to become single parents”. This is an overstatement that most single parents would disagree with since many families with both parents intact also exhibit a dysfunctional system. Even if a family is intact, an abusive father can render as much physical and emotional damage to a child especially when the mother keeps quiet about such abuse. Thousands of cases of child abuse are commonplace in a society where a mother would not address the grievance because she is too afraid to rock the boat. The children of such families are as much at risk to exhibit aggressive behaviour leading to juvenile delinquency because of the trauma they have undergone.

Lastly, a study made by Jan Mccord titled “Long Term Perspectives on Parental Absence “reported contrary results to what Morse reported. The study concluded that “poor child rearing” increased the risk of juvenile delinquency (p.117, 2002). Even families with a complete set of parents can increase the risk of criminal behaviour if the father‘s interaction with the family is weak and/ or the mother has poor control according to the results of the study. This does not mean that Morse's arguments are completely baseless; rather, it is very biased against children of single parents. A bad parent such as an alcoholic father can render as much damage to an absentee father. Parenting is not just about the quantity but rather the quality of child-rearing experienced by an individual. In conclusion, Morse's article has its merits but fails to see the whole picture of factors needed to raise a good child. Whether or not the child comes from a whole family, the state steps in as long as child-rearing has failed. Read More