Social Alienation and Delinquency of Children in Conflict with the Law as Moderated by Social Support

This study examined the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between social alienation and delinquency among children in conflict with the law (CICL) in Davao City. A quantitative, Pearson’s correlation and regression mode with path analysis was utilized, involving 204 CICL from two rehabilitation facilities. The results show that normlessness has the strongest association with delinquent behavior, particularly in high-risk activities like driving and alcohol use. A significant negative relationship was found between social alienation and social support, with powerlessness and normlessness strongly correlating with reduced support from family and others. Additionally, social support is negatively correlated with delinquency in activities like driving, alcohol use, and fighting. Path analysis confirmed that social alienation significantly predicts delinquency, while social support negatively correlates with delinquency. However, the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between social alienation and delinquency was not supported. These findings suggest that while both social alienation and social support independently influence delinquent behavior in opposite directions, their effects operate independently rather than interactively.