Abstract
Fox Butterfield is an award-winning journalist, author, and professor of journalism at Boston University. In this book, he seeks to encourage new reform efforts and present a revised view of how crime runs in the family using the story of the Bogle family. This family was selected because they are an excellent example of crime running in the family due to a high incarceration rate; over 60 family members have been incarcerated or placed on probation. The book is comprised of 10 chapters split into three sections. Each section of the book focuses on a branch of the Bogle family and each chapter an individual member.
Butterfield emphasizes the importance of family values in the first section of his work, explaining that society assumes they are all positive. However, family values can be positive or negative depending on what parents and other family members choose to encourage and reinforce. Each person has a moral code and Butterfield posits that most develop such a code based on the behaviors they observe within their initial sphere of influence—the family. Certain moral codes can lead to a life of deviance and the Bogle family exemplifies this by showing that the sphere of influence through which an individual experiences their initial socialization can encourage a skewed view of societal norms.
The concept of a “family curse” is the central theme of the last two sections of the book. In these sections, Butterfield provides a thought-provoking narrative on social control, self-control, and labeling theories. He consistently reiterates that social learning and self-control theories play a significant role in the development and life course of a child. The Bogle family serves as an example of this: crime was all they ever knew, and it was an expected part of life. If deviance is taught and reinforced from an early age it can become a difficult mindset to reverse. A specific example of this is seen in chapter seven, focusing on Tracey Bogle. Butterfield explains that Tracey had criminal behavior “baked” into him during his childhood and then “grew up in prison,” spending most of his formative years there. This illustration is used to showcase the criminogenic effect of prison. This is an important angle to consider, as confinement may serve as a temporary detriment rather than an avenue for productive change. In the case of those who attempt to “go straight,” Butterfield questions if it is possible for an individual to have criminal behavior so deeply ingrained that it becomes impossible for them to change.
This point is further emphasized in chapter eight, which tells the story of Tony Bogle. Tony notes that his father, Rooster, shaped his future and heavily contributed to his development of a criminal lifestyle. Because Rooster reinforced a skewed sense of reality and the certainty of future criminal behavior became so ingrained in his children they believed it was the only path they could take. Tony believed that no matter how hard he fought, there was no way to break the family curse that haunted him. Labeling theory accompanies this point well: if a juvenile believes their fate is sealed, as formal and informal influences label them in such a way, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Butterfield concludes his book by discussing those in the family who overcame the family curse and chose another path. Two powerful concepts are discussed in these final chapters: words and choices. The author suggests that it is possible to break the cycle and choose another way; the family curse narrative may be strong, but it is not unbreakable. It is important to emphasize this point in research, policies, and programs; change is possible, and generational curses and habits can be broken. The Bogle family serves as an excellent example of the power labels can have; words have the power to reinforce generational crime and even lead individuals to believe they are victims of an inescapable narrative. While he does not suggest a specific policy implication, Butterfield encourages a general dissolution of stigmas surrounding “crime-ridden families” and inspires readers to place a greater emphasis on the humans behind the labels.
While Butterfield's narrative is thought-provoking, the perspectives and approaches to studying delinquent behavior that he presents are not entirely new; prior works examining familial influence on crime and deviance discuss the same points and some even provide a more in-depth analysis than is seen in this book. The primary shortcoming of this work is that it lacks discussion of factors outside the family itself that impact delinquency. A comprehensive discussion of this topic necessitates the consideration of both internal and external factors. Strains caused by external factors will impact family processes and the quality of parenting that one experiences. In addition, life-course perspectives greatly emphasize social “turning points” and transitions that allow for change, although these perspectives were not mentioned in Butterfield's work. Understanding the impact of family on delinquency requires the consideration of several pieces that come together to complete the puzzle; Butterfield provides an excellent narrative on one piece but provides little narrative on other factors.
This book is an excellent supplemental read for those studying familial influence on crime and deviance at all academic levels. It should be noted that many of the discussions assume prior knowledge of basic criminological theory, so undergraduate students may find it difficult to pull applications from this book until they have a working knowledge of these concepts. However, this book may serve as a good supplement to an undergraduate criminological theory course. Butterfield presents his work as showcasing a new perspective and original approach to the study of delinquent behavior, although he mostly provides a case study that builds upon the prior literature and raises thought-provoking questions for students to consider.
