Although research suggests that parental incarceration is associated with intergenerational continuity in crime, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Using multi-population structural equation modeling and data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (n = 1207), the current study explored specific experiences associated with labeling as well as internalizing labels, including experiencing corporal punishment during childhood, criminal arrests during adolescence, and identifying as a troublemaker/partier in young adulthood (measured with reflected appraisals), as potential mechanisms linking parental incarceration and young adults’ offending. We assessed whether this association differed by young adults’ level of emotional independence, that is, freedom from the need for parental approval. We found that parental incarceration indirectly influenced criminal activity particularly through identifying as a troublemaker/partier during young adulthood but only for those who sought parental approval. Overall, we concluded that high emotional independence, or not seeking parental approval, may be a protective factor that facilitates intergenerational discontinuities in crime.

尽管研究表明父母监禁与犯罪的代际连续性有关，但这种关联背后的机制仍不清楚。使用来自托莱多青少年关系研究 ( n = 1207），目前的研究探索了与标签相关的具体经历以及内化标签，包括在童年时期经历体罚，在青春期被刑事逮捕，以及在青年期确定为麻烦制造者/参与者（通过反映的评估来衡量），作为潜在的将父母监禁和年轻人犯罪联系起来的机制。我们评估了这种关联是否因年轻人的情感独立程度而异，即无需父母批准的自由度。我们发现，父母的监禁间接影响了犯罪活动，特别是通过在青年时期认定为麻烦制造者/参与者，但仅限于那些寻求父母批准的人。总的来说，我们得出的结论是，高度的情感独立，或者不寻求父母的认可，犯罪的不连续性。