“I Wanna Make My Mom Proud of Me”: Embracing Mothers as Protective Factors Against Future Offending in Delinquent Youth

• Published date: 01 September 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12117
• Date: 01 September 2018

“I Wanna Make My Mom Proud of Me”:

Embracing Mothers as Protective Factors Against

Future Offending in Delinquent Youth

By Taryn VanderPyl

ABSTRACT

The potential protective factor of mothers is often overlooked in literature on

juvenile delinquency. However, when hearing from incarcerated youth themselves,

their mothers are a clear and unquestionable priority. Through embracing mothers

using a strengths-based lens, practitioners have an opportunity and responsibility to

capitalize on this asset in a youth’s life in an effort to aid rehabilitation and decrease

recidivism. In this study, 1,008 writing samples from incarcerated youth were ana-

lyzed and writings to or about their mothers emerged prominently. Recommenda-

tions are shared on how to embrace and support mothers as protective factors against

future offending among incarcerated youth.

Key words: juvenile justice, delinquency, mothers, families, incarcerated youth, risk factors,

protective factors.

My dear mother, / I’m sorry for everything, / All the pain and tears, / You were there for

me through ups and downs. / I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. / You let me in

when no one wanted me, / ...Im

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sorry for all the worries. / I love you Jefita.

(“Sorry Mother,” Joseph, Spring 2013, p. 19).

The author of this writing sample, Joseph, is one of hundreds of thousands of ado-

lescent boys who have spent unrecoverable time incarcerated within the juvenile justice

system in the United States. In fact, there are approximately 50,000 youth residing in

detention and correctional secure care facilities at any point in this country (Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention [OJJDP], 2015b). From such a facility,

Taryn VanderPyl, PhD., is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Law and Society at Pacific

University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Dr. VanderPyl’s research focuses on improving outcomes of youth in

the juvenile justice system through interventions for at-risk youth, educational and rehabilitative program-

ming for incarcerated youth, and reintegration supports.

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Writing samples are shared unedited. Any misspellings or grammatical errors are uncorrected to

respect and maintain authenticity of the author’s voice.

Juvenile and Family Court Journal 69, No. 3

©2018 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

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