ABSTRACT
The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of family strength on the relationship of parentification and delinquent behaviour in adolescents from poor families, who are studying at the Centre of Community Learning Activity. Parentification is a concept that represents a process of role reversal experienced by adolescents, where they must carry parents’ responsibility without considering their needs and their capabilities. Excessive roles assigned to adolescents could have negative effects on the adolescents’ delinquent behaviour. As a part of collective society, parentification could be perceived as being an obligation for their family, and it would be supported by their family. So the impacts of parentification on delinquent behaviour depend on their family. Participants in these studies consist of 442 teenage boys and girls (aged 12–18 years, mean 15.6 years) who come from poor families in Jakarta. The result of this study showed parentification has negative correlation with delinquent behaviour. Moreover, the presence of family strength could lower the negative impact of parentification on delinquent behaviour in adolescents from poor families.
