Book

Parenting as Crime Control: Informal Governance, Moral Regulation, and Juvenile Delinquency in Pakistan challenges the long-standing emphasis within criminology on state-led mechanisms of crime control, redirecting attention to the often-overlooked regulatory role of the family. The book advances a compelling argument that crime prevention begins not with formal institutions, but within the everyday practices of parenting, where behaviour is shaped, guided, and constrained long before it comes under the purview of the state. By positioning the family as the primary site of informal governance, it highlights how early socialization, moral guidance, and routine supervision quietly structure life trajectories, influencing whether pathways toward conformity or delinquency emerge. Bringing parenting into the center of criminological debate, the book reveals how everyday practices—supervision, discipline, communication, and moral guidance quietly function as powerful mechanisms of informal governance. These processes, often overlooked in policy and research, play a decisive role in shaping children’s choices, opportunities, and capacities for self-regulation. Grounded in the socio-cultural realities of Pakistan, the book offers a nuanced account of how changing family structures, shifting authority patterns, and social pressures influence juvenile delinquency. It moves beyond simplistic explanations to show how both the presence and absence of effective parenting can redirect life trajectories either reinforcing social order or opening pathways toward deviance. The book speaks directly to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking more effective and sustainable approaches to crime prevention. By shifting attention from reactive institutional responses to early, relational forms of regulation, it highlights the urgent need to invest in family-centered strategies, parenting support, and community engagement. Timely, thought-provoking, and grounded in real-world contexts, Parenting as Crime Control reframes crime prevention as a continuous social process—one that begins not in courts or police stations, but within the everyday practices of family life.