Parental Suicidality as a Risk Factor for Delinquency Among Hispanic Youth

This study used data from a longitudinal study of 2,491 Hispanic youth ages 5-13, socialized in 2 different cultural contexts, Bronx, New York, & San Juan, Puerto Rico, to examine the relationship between parental suicidality & offspring delinquency. Results indicate that while traditional risk/protective factors & parental mental health issues relate to delinquency in expected ways, youths who parents attempted suicide engaged in more frequent & varied delinquency over time. Implications for theory & future research are addressed. (55 refs.)