‘LOOBAN’: A MULTIPLE -CASE STUDY ON DELINQUENCY OF TEENAGERS SHAPED BY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES

: Young people engage in delinquent behavior. It covers crimes against persons, crimes against things, crimes against public order, and drug offenses. Delinquent behavior is, therefore, an unmanageable activity that affects the community. This research presents the different experiences of three delinquent teenagers whose dysfunctional families shaped them i n a community called “Sitio Looban” in the Philippines. This study utilized a qualitative multiple-case study to understand and describe the different stories of each participant-case. The study sought to answer the research questions about the family factors that contribute to the delinquency of teenagers, their delinquent experiences, and their feelings and thoughts as delinquent teenagers. The researchers used an in-depth interview to gather the necessary data from the informants. Within-case and cross-case analysis were used to analyze the data, wherein emerging themes were created to describe the family factors that contributed to the delinquency of the teenagers, which include broken family, poor parenting, home discord vis-à-vis peer influence, child neglect, poor family, and family binge drinking. Emerging themes were also created to discuss the delinquent experiences of teenagers, which involve theft, using counterfeit money, and gambling cheating. There were also emerging themes created to describe the feelings and thoughts of the delinquent teenagers, which include: unconditional love and support, happiness towards friendship, regrets, fear, embarrassment, and hatred and anger. This study supports the Strain Theory and Social Control Theory, which explain that negative relationships with family lead to delinquent behaviors in teenagers. Implications for practice and future researchers are provided in this paper


Introduction
In today's fast-changing world, juvenile delinquency is one of the most complicated societal challenges that both emerging and developed countries must deal with (Bu, 2022).At this moment, child delinquency has seen a change in the numeric meaning of illegal behaviors, including stealing other people's property, sexual assault, fraud, using drugs, having an abortion, and even committing murder by employing violence.Adults did not just perpetrate criminal acts, but those still considered children also committed criminal acts (Rufiatun, 2021).Also, young criminal behavior might be a consequence of the social disorder.Young people could be the adult victims or subjects of the crime, or they can even be the criminals themselves (Morina et al., 2021).
Child labor and juvenile criminality are two socioeconomic issues that now affect Nigeria.Both young boys and girls, some of whom are juveniles, are affected by them.These juveniles included kids who had engaged in criminal activity such as gang membership, banditry, thuggery, drug sales, and maltreatment, often resulting from participation in child labor practices that had been outlawed in Nigeria (Esiri & Ejechi, 2021).In Malaysia, families struggle to function properly for a variety of reasons, such as family members abusing drugs, being in jail or prison, having divorced parents, suffering from mental or physical health issues, engaging in domestic violence, being from low socioeconomic backgrounds, having low levels of education, being religious, having ineffective parenting techniques, etc.These circumstances may prevent families from providing teenagers with a successful environment.Due to the disintegration of the family, the children's education was also ignored, which contributed to the issue of teenagers quitting the official education system, namely school (Zakaria et al., 2022).Also, juvenile crime has caused a great deal of public worry in China owing to a rise in delinquency, a drop in the average age of offenders, a proliferation of criminal kinds, and the use of sophisticated methods (Bu, 2022).
In the Philippines, police statistics in 2018 showed 11,321 offenses, or 2.3% of all crimes, were perpetrated by minors.More than 93% of these occurrences involved male youths.Boys aged 14 to 17 who had left school were most in danger.Many came from low-income households with inconsistent incomes.Boys were compelled to drop out of school and work to support the family since they were considered more physically capable.Many come from homes where domestic violence was prevalent.In the highly populated areas of Metro Manila, stealing was the primary reason for arrests.They frequently steal bags, wallets, purses, clothing, and cell phones.Drug-related offenses, such as selling and using illegal drugs, were also frequently reported (Kotte, 2019).
In Pikit, Cotabato, Kadatuan, et al. (2022) reported that there were incidents of criminals robbing people inside their houses, but most of the time, the victims did not bother to report the crimes since the majority of the taken goods were not particularly valuable.Many people thought that only juvenile offenders were involved and that it was pointless to investigate them because they would eventually be released.In instances where essential items were taken, however, and the thieves were adults, they needed to be dealt with by law enforcement with the community's assistance.
Given the existing issues reported about juvenile delinquency, the researchers reviewed the theoretical underpinnings that explain juvenile delinquency.This study was based on the Strain Theory by Agnew (1992) and the Social Control Theory by Travis Hirschi (1969).Agnew's Strain Theory focuses on the strain resulting from unfavorable connections with others.Negative relationships, whether with family members or peers, may cause delinquent conduct by creating pressure that prompts illegal coping (Agnew, 1992).This theory was appropriate for the study because it explains how negative relationships and dysfunctional families could lead to delinquent behavior.On the other hand, Social Control Theory investigates how having good ties with parents and other social institutions lowers the likelihood that children will engage in antisocial conduct (Hirschi, 1969).Social control theory assumes that persons are more likely to engage in criminal activity when their social connections weaken because such connections serve as an informal social check on behavior.Also, individuals were less likely to participate in delinquency when there were strong social ties (Fergusson et al., 2004).This theory explains that if a child has a positive relationship with their parents and the people around them, there is only a small tendency for them will engage in delinquency.These theories aid researchers in understanding the delinquency of teenagers shaped by dysfunctional families.
Relatively, the researchers discovered through various literature studies that juvenile delinquency has been a significant concern in international and national contexts.However, most of these studies focused on various social factors.Still, few research specifically explores the role of the family in shaping the behavior of delinquent teenagers in the local context.With this, the researchers were prompted to conduct a qualitative multiple-case study exploring various cases of teenage delinquency shaped by dysfunctional families in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, Philippines.
This study showcases information on how a dysfunctional family would affect or corrupt youth, which might lead to violating public laws.It displayed significant information about the delinquent experiences of selected participants who were causing disturbances to our public laws.This study may help community leaders initiate youth values formation in activities and family-to-youth relationship interventions to address juvenile delinquency issues within the community.

Purpose of the Study
The primary purpose of this study was to explore the delinquency cases of teenagers shaped by dysfunctional families.It specifically aimed to understand the causes of delinquent behavior among teenagers living in Sitio Looban, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1) What are the family factors that contribute to the delinquency of teenagers in Sitio Looban community?
2) What are the delinquent experiences of these teenagers as a product of dysfunctional families in Sitio Looban community?3) What are the feelings and thoughts of delinquent teenagers in Sitio Looban community?4) What are the similarities and differences of each case?

Research Design
This study used a qualitative multiple-case study as a research design.The case study was the approach used in the qualitative research used in study since this study identifies the socio-demographic backgrounds, family factors, delinquent experiences, and feelings and thoughts of the delinquent teenagers.This offers rich perspectives and insights that can lead to an in-depth understanding of variables, issues, and problems (Crowe et al., 2011).A qualitative case study is a research methodology that helps explore a phenomenon within some context through various data sources.It explores through various lenses to reveal multiple facets of the phenomenon (Baxter & Jack, 2008).This ensures that the issue is not explored through one lens but rather a variety of lenses, allowing for multiple facets of the phenomenon to be revealed and understood.
A multiple case study approach was used in this study.According to Creswell (2013), a multiple-case design explores real-life multiple bounded systems through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information.Using a multiple-case technique, a broader exploration of the research question, and theoretical evolution enabled the researcher to understand the differences and similarities between delinquent teenagers shaped by dysfunctional families (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007).Additionally, in multiple case studies, the researchers analyze the data both within each situation and across situations (Yin, 2003).Thus, multiple cases allow a wider exploration of research questions and theoretical evolution (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007).Baxter and Jack (2008) mentioned that the evidence generated from a multiple-case study was strong and reliable.

Research Participants
This study used purposeful sampling in case study research (Baskarada, 2014) to choose the best participants who would give the correct information.A maximum variation sampling was used to select participants for this study.According to Zach (2020), maximum variation sampling is a method in which researchers collect data from the widest range of perspectives possible about a topic.Additionally, using the maximum variation sampling method, the researcher selects a small number of cases that maximize the diversity relevant to the research question (Elmusharaf, 2016).According to Yin, a multiple-case study includes two or more cases or replications across the cases to investigate the same phenomena.To write a multiple-case study, a summary of individual cases should be reported, and researchers need to draw cross-case conclusions and form a cross-case report (Yin, 2017).With evidence from multiple cases, researchers may have generalizable findings and develop theories (Lewis-Beck et al., 2003).Therefore, the research participants in this study were delinquent teenagers living in Sitio Looban Community, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.There was a total of six (6) informants had undergone in-depth interviews (IDIs).Three (3) delinquent teenagers, one (1) peer, one (1) neighbor, and the purok chairman.

Research Instrument
In the case of studies, the research questions drive the data to be collected.From the research questions, the researchers determined the kinds of questions to be asked in the interviews.Therefore, in this study, the researchers used semi-structured interview questions during the in-depth interview (IDI) to identify the family factors, delinquent experiences, and feelings and thoughts of the delinquent teenagers.Wherein an in-depth interview is a loosely structured interview that allows both researchers and participants to discuss further ideas about their own experiences if needed comfortably (Boyce & Neale, 2006).
The interview was used to gather data that aimed to be provided with statements from the participants.Furthermore, participants gave deeper insights and detailed statements as their answers to the following questions using semi-structured interview questions during the in-depth interview (IDI).Additionally, researchers used a recording app on their mobile phones to obtain precise and accurate information.Transcription and analysis of these data recordings were performed.A series of interview guide questions were also used to facilitate the transcription process.These interview guides were validated.Furthermore, during the interview, note-taking was done.Lastly, each interviewee was shown a copy of the interview transcripts for verification.

Data Analysis
In this study, the researchers established a qualitative case study.Therefore, the information gathered was analyzed using within-case analysis and cross-case analysis (Rashid et al., 2019).According to Mills et al. (2010), within-case analysis in case study research is the in-depth exploration of a single case as a stand-alone entity.The aim of the within-case analysis is an in-depth understanding and description of the phenomenon under study.Aside from the within-case analysis, the researchers also utilized cross-case analysis, which examines themes, similarities, and differences across cases (Mathison, 2004).With the use of within-case analysis and cross-case analysis, the researchers discovered the socio-demographic backgrounds, family factors, delinquent experiences, and feelings and thoughts of these delinquent teenagers as well as the similarities and differences in terms of family factors, delinquent experiences, and feelings and thoughts of these delinquent teenagers shaped by dysfunctional families.

Results and Discussion
The personal accounts of the three participants in the study were presented in this section.The responses to the research questions clearly showed that the experiences of delinquent teenagers were shaped by dysfunctional families.Their important utterances were illustrated in italics to give the readers the sense that they were addressed directly to the three cases.

Profile of the Participants
The participants' profiles are shown in Table 1, which illustrates that all of them were shaped by dysfunctional families and met the selection criteria as identified.Three participant cases were involved in this study.All informants used their native language, "Visayan," during the interview.Each of them was given a pseudonym to keep their identities confidential; codes were also provided for each informant.

Case 1 (Grandma's Boy)
In Case 1, the assigned code name was grandma's boy because his grandma was the one who took good care of him after his father's death.His father was ill because of his poor self-care, which included constant gambling and alcohol consumption.He is 14 years old, currently studying in a public secondary school as a Grade 8 student, striving hard to finish his studies, and wanting to become a police officer someday.He has two siblings in total, each with a different mother.According to him, when his father was still alive, his parents were not on good terms.His parents were always fighting because his mother was very strict towards his father.His parents separated when he was 8 years old, and the one who took good care of him was his grandmother on his father's side.During his father's burial, he met his siblings from another woman.After that, his mother abandoned them, and one of his siblings was adopted by another family.He recently stayed with his mother and stepfather, but his mother is always bad-tempered towards him, which is why he doesn't like being with her.
"My mother easily gets annoyed and has a bad attitude toward us.She will still take care of us, but her attitude is still the same.My siblings are with my grandma on my mother's side because one of us has been adopted by her." (Grandma's Boy) He became a delinquent teenager because of the misdeeds of his peers and their impact on him.He claims that nothing he does is required of him by his family, and he told us that he turned into a troublemaker because he wanted to act like that kind of kid and desired things that cost money."I will steal, and then I will keep answering my mom and do what I want.Also, especially when there is a vice and then no money, I was just influenced by my friends."(Grandma's Boy) He and his friends were observed engaging in criminal activity at their residence when they were caught.They were accused of trying to enter the sari-sari store using the key they were suspected of stealing from the owner by the guy who caught them.The guy was spreading misinformation about it, which made him angry.
"One time we were caught by someone, and then he stated untrue information about us, saying that we were trying to open the store even if we didn't do that.I wanted to punch his face."(Grandma's Boy) Aside from that, he also felt happiness towards his friend's company every time they were together.They did random things to make themselves happy and forget their family problems.He relied on his friends' company because he could feel their happiness when he was with them.
"If I don't have a phone, I'll hang out with my friends.Also, I like it more when I am with my friends."(Grandma's Boy) "We frequently hang out since we are friends.Additionally, we are close, always laughing, smoking cigarettes, and enjoying ourselves when playing ML." (Peer) As a result, he felt regret after committing delinquent acts like stealing, especially after being caught while doing it.He wanted to become a police officer someday so that he would have his own money to fulfill his needs.
"Yes, I regret all the bad things I did, especially when someone caught me." (Grandma's Boy) Everybody commits mistakes in our world, and it is observed that he experienced regret after doing so.The most important thing is that he will be able to utilize his mistakes as lessons in life, learn from them, and change his actions for a brighter future.

Case 2 (Helpful Delinquent)
In Case 2, the assigned code name was helpful delinquent because he chose to do delinquent acts to provide for the medication of his sick father.His mother was a housewife who did side jobs like sewing, but her income was not enough to provide for their needs and his father's medicines.He is a 14-year-old boy and the fifth child among six siblings.He is currently studying in a public secondary school as a Grade 7 student.His brothers were alcoholics, so his mother didn't rely on them too much.According to him, his brothers would fight over something silly and end up having a fistfight.
"I chose to do it because my father was sick, my father's foot had a swollen part, and no one was there to support our family.Sometimes my brother would give something and sometimes nothing, that's why I decided to do it so that I could help my family."(Helpful Delinquent) He started committing delinquent acts when he was 12 years old when his father got sick and was under the influence of his friends.He said they went to faraway places and committed their crimes there, like using fake money to buy stuff in stores, stealing, and cheating in gambling arenas.He mentioned he was doing it with his friend/boss, Kuya Will, who was known in their area as the "thief." "When we were together, we would steal from any store we passed by, and we would use fake money to buy.We would also buy in the store with a big amount, and then we would tell the store owner that we received insufficient change, but the truth is, we just took the 500 pesos, and then the owner would give us another 500 pesos."(Helpful Delinquent) He also shared with us his experiences with Kuya Will and said that his life was at risk when he was with him because they were doing dirty jobs.He said that his life was a matter of life and death when he was with Kuya Will, but he had to do it for his family.He was with Kuya Will for two years, and during those years he wasn't able to continue his studies.
"We would steal from stores and get their income, and there was a time that we were caught by the owner, and he held my hand, but Kuya Will snapped his hand very fast, and then we took off.Also, in the cockpit arena, we would pick pockets and break the feet of the rooster so we could win the gambling.We sometimes win and sometimes get caught and get beaten up by our victims."(Helpful Delinquent) At present, the helpful delinquent has stopped committing crimes and is focusing on his studies.He still didn't have any plans for his future, and all he wanted for now was to enjoy life with his friends.He had regrets and blamed himself for causing his parents embarrassment because of what he had done, but it was all in the past; what was important was that he was taking his life seriously.He does have a place he wants to go alone, not with his family or his friends, just by himself.His parents accepted him for who he was and what he had done because they benefited from it.He loved his family, and he was willing to change his ways for them and for himself.
"I have a place I want to go on my own.Yes, I love them; Yes, I'm willing; Yes, I've changed, I only have vices."(Helpful Delinquent)

Case 3 (Reckless Daughter)
In Case 3, the assigned code name was reckless daughter because she did things, she liked without thinking about the circumstances of her actions, resulting in criticism, judgments, and even being rejected by her family.She was a 17-year-old young lady, currently in a relationship with a guy her age.They were five siblings: four sisters and one brother, who had a family of their own.She was a daughter who had been longing for the presence of her biological father.Looking for his attention ever since her parents separated for long years.The eagerness to see the person that she thinks would care for her the most.Finding ways to reconnect with the person that she thinks would ease the love that she has been wanting to have.She's currently living with her boyfriend's family because of her poor connection with her older sister.They tend to fight, and in addition, her mother and stepfather also fight often, but whatever the misunderstanding she had with her mother and sister, she still supports her family with a small amount of money.
"My wish for this Christmas is to be with my father because we haven't seen each other in a very long time since I was a kid.My father lived in Bukidnon before, and then we have relatives there saying that they saw my father, and there's a picture of him, but I can't clearly see his face."(Reckless Daughter) She committed delinquent acts together with her friends, and they did these things just to provide for their families.She said they stole chickens because they were hungry after leaving the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).She was also accused of stealing dollars from someone she knew, but it turned out that it was not dollars, so the case was withdrawn.
"I did a lot of bad things before, there was this one time that we came home from NIA with my friends, and we were so hungry then we saw three chickens, and we decided to steal the chicken.Then we found out that we had no rice in the house, so we went to steal money to buy rice.That thing they said about me-that I stole a dollar from Mommy-was not a dollar, which is why they withdrew the case."(Reckless Daughter) Due to having unhealthy relations with her biological mother and a jealous, envious sister.She takes uncertain actions that lead to irrational behavior toward the neighborhood.Having dysfunctional relationships in her family sometimes pushes her to be with her friends, diverting her attention to forget her problem.
"We always fight, which is why I didn't stay in our house.I rarely come home.Also, it's not okay because sometimes only my mother and older sister are bonding.Every time my mother and I bond, my older sister feels jealous, which is why I will distance myself from them." (Reckless Daughter) Aside from having an envious sister, her biological mother and stepfather quarreled a lot during her stay in their house.She often hears inappropriate words that make her uncomfortable, resulting in her talking back to her family and leaving the house.
"Every time they are fighting, I can hear something.When my stepfather and mother are fighting, I will say, "Please, if you are fighting, then go inside the room," because I don't want any trouble.If I can hear them fighting, I feel like it's so tiring to witness them, which is why I will go to my boyfriend's house.The mother of my boyfriend said that I should just wait until it gets better before I went home.I'm the only one who will separate them when they are fighting and talk to my mother to understand my stepdad."(Reckless Daughter) Also, she shared with us that they were caught after they stole money from the residents of Villa.They were invited to the police station for an interview conducted by Police Officer Jam.She said that the police officer didn't want them to go home if they wouldn't cooperate in the interview conducted.According to her, the interview went well, so Officer Jam let them go home.She said that the police officer told her to change her wrongdoings because she was a young lady.
"We stole money from the residents of Villa; we plunder the area.That will be the last and no more.We were caught at that time, and the police officer who was assigned to investigate us was Police Officer Jam.She is a woman, she is very strict, and she won't let me out of the office until I tell the truth.She said that I would tell her who was with me when we did it before we could go home, so I would tell her the truth, and then she would let us out.They gave us a chance and told me to change my bad behavior because I am pretty."(Reckless Daughter) But as time passed, she decided to change.She told herself to change.Her childhood friends also told her to change to reform her life and make things right so she could have a peaceful life.A life with no discrimination or criticism for society to forget the wrongs that she committed.

"Those times when I did something bad, they gossiped about me. I just accept what they say about me because I did it, if they don't hurt me. And another one called me a thief; I can't be trusted. I said that people can still change if you don't judge because we all have different attitudes." (Reckless Daughter)
Aside from getting advice from her childhood friend, she wants to pursue her dreams of becoming a flight attendant in the future.She showed us the facial expression of her eagerness to make her life plans come true.She decides to finish her studies for not only her own benefit but also for the benefit of the people that surround her, who trust and support her in the plan that she wants to accomplish in her life.
"I'm really going to be a flight attendant so I can go around the world and support my family because life is hard.I will do everything to finish my studies."(Reckless Daughter)

Cross-Case Analysis of the Family Factors that Contribute to the Delinquency of Teenagers
The delinquent teenagers living in Sitio Looban shared their family backgrounds based on the in-depth interviews conducted.There are six (6) themes emerged; they are presented in Table 2, which include: broken family, poor parenting, home discord vis-àvis peer influence, child neglect, poor family, and family binge drinking: • Broken Family.Case 1 and Case 3 experienced having a broken family due to their parents' separation.They shared with us that their parents were always fighting because their fathers were alcoholics and came home late.Their mothers remarried other men, which is why their mothers had difficulty controlling their child's behavior and actions.Their mothers can't give enough attention to their children, which results in the child's delinquency.According to Reeta & Singh (2020), broken families, separated families, and frequent parent fighting can be the most imperative reasons behind juvenile delinquency.• Poor Parenting.Case 1 and Case 3 also experienced poor parenting.In the situation of Case 1, he was not close with his mother because he grew up with his grandmother, who has taken care of him since his parents separated.He also shared with us that his mother was busy with her work, and when they met, she would just scold him and tell him not to spend too much time with his friends.In Case 3, she said her mother did not focus on giving them support in any way.She said her mother would go to Manila and stay there for a long time without even thinking about what was happening to them.These caused the child to become independent from their mother, which also leads to delinquency.According to Corbett (2019), poor parental supervision and poor parental quality can both have the same effect on juvenile delinquency.Juveniles that do not receive quality parental supervision are more likely to become delinquent.• Home Discord vis-à-vis Peer Influence.Cases 1, 2, and 3 all witnessed this home discord vis-à-vis peer influences.In Case 1, he shared that his mother was very strict and always scolded him and stopped him from being with his friends; that's why he wanted to go out with his friends.In Case 2, he shared with us that when his family had a gathering, his brothers would fistfight for a very nonsensical reason, which is why he preferred spending time with friends to his family.Case 3 also said that the reason she doesn't spend more time at home is because her mother and stepfather keep on arguing with each other, and she doesn't like listening to them because it triggers her to do bad things.According to Liu et al.
(2020), inter-parental conflicts and inter-parental inconsistency in parenting practices drive adolescents away from their parents and into delinquent peer groups, resulting in delinquency.It was supported by Lestari (2022) that child delinquency or criminal acts committed by children are basically a product of the attitudes of the people around them, with all the social upheaval that is in them as a form of indifference toward the child.• Child Neglect.Cases 1 and 3 said their parents were so busy with their own lives that they tended to forget about them and how they were doing, and their parents didn't talk to them all the time, so they felt like their parents didn't care about them.Case 1 felt neglected when his parents' parted ways and he was left with his grandmother.He liked it better when he was with his grandmother because he felt that his grandmother loved him more than his mother loved him.In case 3, she hates her mother for not providing them with their needs, like food and education, because her mother doesn't have a permanent job.According to Maina (2022), neglect among adolescents often leads to delinquent behavior.Also, many studies have found that left-behind children report a higher level of child neglect, most of them are raised by grandparents (Zhang & Li, 2022).• Poor Family.Cases 2 and 3 had a family that couldn't afford anything they wanted from their family.In case 2, his father was sick, his mother only had sideline jobs, and his brothers didn't have jobs, and that pushed him to do things he was not supposed to do to help his mother and father.For case 3, her mother was a manicurist, and her stepfather was a carpenter, she said it's not often that they have work or income every day because they don't always have customers, so they can't provide for them.According to Shong et al. (2019), children from low-income families often feel unhappy about their family's financial situation, which causes various forms of deprivation in their lives.They also long for more money or some enjoyable possessions that they cannot afford to have.Relative to this, Unlu et al. (2021) indicates that the less income a family has, the more likely for youth to engage in delinquent behavior.• Family Binge Drinking.Cases 1, 2, and 3 all had alcoholic members in their families.In case 1, his father gets drunk all the time, and it causes his death.In Case 2, most of his brothers are alcoholics, so he had to deal with them when they got drunk and then fought each other because of a misunderstanding.In case 3, her father was an alcoholic, which caused her mother to get angry at him, which resulted in an argument between her parents and the separation of her parents.
All these experiences got stuck in their memories, and that's one reason they seldom spent time with their families.According to Kim et al. (2020), the possible mediator of the association between juvenile delinquency and poor health in adulthood is the earlier initiation of risky health behaviors such as heavy drinking.
Table 2 shows the themes similar and unique to each of the participant cases.

Cross-Case Analysis on the Delinquent Experiences of Teenagers as Product of Dysfunctional Families
Presented in this section are the delinquent experiences of teenagers.The teenagers shared their delinquent actions based on the in-depth interviews conducted.There are three (3) main themes that emerged in Table 3, which include: theft, using counterfeit money, and gambling cheating: • Theft.Cases 1, 2, and 3 were able to do this because of their situations, like family problems and financial and health problems in their families.In Case 1, he shared with us that he stole money so that he could provide for his own needs, especially his vices.Case 2 also shared with us that the money he used to support and provide his father's medication was from stealing, he said that he stole money at a cockfighting arena with Kuya Will.Lastly, Case 3 shared with us that she committed acts with her friends.They stole three chickens because they were starving, and they stole money to provide rice for their houses.Also, Case 3 stole 5,000 pesos from her mommy, she said that she went to her mommy's house and her mommy was not there.She entered the room to look for food, she found a box of chocolates and ate it, and after that, she stole money.Until now, many children have committed crimes in everyday life, especially children who commit the crime of theft (Utari & Cahyaningtyas, 2022).According to Lestari (2021), the factors that caused children to commit the crime of theft are caused by several factors, the first of which is due to economic factors.• Using Counterfeit Money.Case 2 was the only one who used counterfeit money.
He was influenced and used by the person whose boss was named Kuya Will.This person was the one who took him into this job, and he taught him unpleasant things.Kuya Will would take him to any place far from Bansalan to commit these acts.He said that they used fake or counterfeit money when buying goods at several sari-sari stores they were passing by.After doing one act, they continued doing it, and Case 2 became more confident and eager to commit more acts because of Kuya Will.According to Shore (1996), the shifting power relationships between adult criminals had an insidious effect on the course of their lives.Also, in cases of crimes like theft and counterfeiting, the prime motive might be to make money (Madan & Bansal, 2019).• Gambling Cheating.Case 2 also cheated during cockfights in the arena with Kuya Will.He said that they would break the feet of the chicken or rooster before the fight so that the chickens of the other team would become weak, and they would win the battle.He also said that sometimes they would win and sometimes they would be caught, but whatever happened, they would do it again to earn money through cheating.Starting to gamble at an early age is connected to self-reported problem gambling-related cheating or stealing.Being young and having low income and low education predicted gambling-related stealing and cheating (Lind, 2022).
Table 3 shows the themes similar to and unique to each of the participant cases.

Cross-Case Analysis on the Feelings and Thoughts of Delinquent Teenagers
The delinquent teenagers shared their positive and negative feelings and thoughts based on the in-depth interviews conducted.There are three (3) themes that emerged in the positive and negative feelings and thoughts of the delinquent teenagers that are presented in Table 4, which include: positive: unconditional love and support, happiness towards friendship, and regrets.Negative: fear, embarrassment, and hatred and anger: • Unconditional Love and Support.For cases 2 and 3, the reason for their delinquent acts was to be able to be helpful to their parents and siblings.To give them their needs and to provide them food when their parents can't give that to them.That way, they could show their unconditional love and support for their families by providing them with what they could from their delinquent acts.According to Gilbert (2019), there is a different order of love that exists from parent to child than from child to parent.A child shows their love to their parents by supporting them and providing something for them, even in a small way.• Happiness towards Friendship.Case 1, 2, and 3 said that they felt happiness when they were with their friends.They preferred being with their friends because they somehow forgot about their problems, and they felt that they were still kids who wanted to have fun with their friends.Indeed, they were youngsters who wanted to feel young despite the difficulties they are facing with their families, and they don't want to grow up without experiencing the happiness they wanted to have with their friends.This is not to say that over time friends replace parents as important socializing forces (Moreira et al., 2018).Therefore, even if the young delinquents stick to their friends when they have problems, such as family problems, the happiness they felt towards friends is just a temporary feeling.• Regrets.All cases 1, 2, and 3 felt this regret because they knew that, through their delinquent acts, they also harmed families, not physically but financially.They also regretted their acts because they caused so much trouble and shame, not only to themselves but also to their families.According to Alkatiri et al. (2021), regret arises in the heart and mind after committing immoral acts.A delinquent teenager felt regret because he/she realized that the immoral acts he/she committed harmed themselves and their families.• Fear.Case 3 feared being caught the first time she committed theft because she was scared, she might get caught.She thought she would return what she took but ended up using it to play on the internet.In the predatory prison environment, juveniles experience heightened confusion and fear.The young ones come in with a lot of fear (Johnson & Leigey, 2020).Young delinquents felt fear when it was their first time committing acts and feared being caught by the authorities.• Embarrassment.Case 3 felt embarrassed because her neighbor started talking behind her back, and she kept hearing them tell others not to trust her because she was a thief, and that hurt her pride so much.Embarrassment is the condition wherein children make a mistake that is recognized by others, which results in feelings of embarrassment (Higgs, 2020).• Hatred and Anger.Cases 1 and 3 had these feelings towards their parents because they blamed them for what they had become.They felt that they didn't love them because they couldn't give them what they needed.They also hated them when they would scold them for small things.They hated it when their parents fought in front of them, and it made them feel like they didn't exist.According to Sell & Lopez (2020), hatred and anger have distinct functions, and therefore they are predicted to have distinct triggers.When a delinquent teenager feels unhappy with the treatment that their parents have shown them, it will hurt their pride and result in hatred and anger.Table 4 shows the themes similar to and unique to each of the participant cases.

Confirmation of the Theory
The results of the study explained the theory based on the Strain Theory by Agnew (1992) and the Social Control Theory by Travis Hirschi (1969).Strain Theory by Agnew expounds the results of this study by explaining that the negative relationships towards family made the teenager become delinquent.Due to the poor parenting of the parents, the children became delinquent because they felt unhappy and empty because of how their parents treated them.Also, due to child neglect, the child became distant from their parents and engaged in delinquent acts to provide for the child's needs.The Social Control Theory by Travis Hirschi explains that when social bonds erode, children are more likely to commit delinquent acts.Due to peer influences, the children became delinquent.They were doing things that would make them happy as well as make them forget about their family problems.The children also committed delinquent acts to have the courage to buy what they wanted.

Implications
The implications of the study were meant to advance knowledge, comprehension, and solutions for the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the schools, the parents, and all children through the shared delinquent experiences of the teenagers shaped by dysfunctional families, as well as their feelings and thoughts about their circumstances.The community was thrown off balance by juvenile delinquency.To help the family and children going through this sort of scenario, it is important to come up with fresh and creative solutions.The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) may include essential services to deal with the poorest families, child delinquency, and child abandonment that the participants mentioned during the in-depth interview conducted.The DSWD may focus on the monitoring and utilization of the funds given to the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, if the funds are properly allocated for the education of their children.
In addition, the DSWD could also conduct a livelihood program to teach families to generate their own domestic income so that they can equally provide for their needs and not always depend on their monthly allowances from their 4Ps.
Private schools like the University of Mindanao could also conduct family reformation programs as part of the community extension of the Department of Criminal Justice Education (DCJE) program to heal those broken families and make them realize how important their children are and that being there for them is a big part of their child's life.
For the parents, it is important to provide enough care, love, support, and guidance to their children because their lack of attention can be an instrument for a child to engage in bad behavior or be delinquent, and it will be their basis for how to act and make their decisions in life.When a child doesn't have parents to support his or her needs, he or she will find ways to fulfill what he or she wants and support his or her needs.Parents should provide their children with proper attention and give them advice on everything that the child does so that the child will understand and be aware.In addition, parents should avoid making decisions that can affect the child and the whole family because those decisions can destroy the lives and futures of their children.
For future researchers who would like to use this research as a guide for their chosen study, in line with this title, it would be a good idea to explore this multiple-case study of delinquent teenagers in a wide range of areas and studies.Future researchers may consider finding participants who are shaped by environmental and peer factors because they believe that future participants can still relate to this study in terms of the factors that contribute to their behavior, experiences, feelings and thoughts.Future researchers will also investigate the same research topic on the delinquency of teenagers shaped by dysfunctional families, but using the phenomenology approach that requires more participants, so the perspectives of their experiences will be wider.

Concluding Remarks
In the fast-changing world of today, we, the researchers, have seen that delinquent behavior is one of the most complicated societal problems that the Filipino community must deal with.Therefore, we realized the impact on the people and the community to which they belong.As students and children of our parents, we've seen how proper parenting an effective method is to protect and avoid children becoming delinquent.We also saw that choosing friends was an effective way to avoid delinquency.Our current study's participants, who happen to be three teenagers who were engaged in delinquency, revealed several underlying reasons as to why they became delinquent.Their ideas and experiences were taken into consideration, and these generated the structure of this case study.Our study interpreted the family factors that contribute to delinquency, the delinquent experiences of the teenagers, and the feelings and thoughts of the delinquent teenagers.
We, the researchers, have seen that the family factors that contributed to the delinquency of the teenagers were broken families due to the separation of the parents while the children were not old enough to understand the family situation and poor parenting by the mothers toward their children, which gave them a reason to be delinquent.Teenagers also experienced home discord vis-à-vis peer influences because their parents and brothers were fighting in front of them due to alcohol matters, which pushed them to be with their friends and do delinquent actions.Child neglect was also one of the family factors because the children witnessed how their mother gave and sold their siblings to other people.And lastly, poor families contributed to the delinquency of teenagers because their parents could not give them what they asked for, which is why they committed violent acts to fulfill their needs.With these, the actions of the teenagers became uncontrollable by their parents because their children relied on the friends they were with when they committed delinquent acts.
During our interview, the three participants of this study, who were teenagers, shared their delinquent experiences, such as theft, using counterfeit money, and gambling cheating.Wherein, they claimed that the unlawful acts they had performed were how they supported their families' fundamental needs as well as their own.Additionally, they said that their companions pushed them into committing those criminal acts and that they did it together.On the other hand, the troubled children discussed their feelings and thoughts regarding the violent acts they perform as well as towards their family and friends.With these, they shared with us what their feelings and thoughts were.They said they felt regret, fear, and embarrassment after they committed the acts.They also felt hatred and anger, as well as unconditional love and support for their family.Lastly, they felt happiness towards friendships.
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Table 1 :
Profile of the Participants "In that matter, we can't avoid saying that, and it's because I also see that his parents don't pay enough attention to him because he also told me that sometimes his mother is very strict with him.He said the same thing to me, and I also saw it.I could also see in his eyes that what he said was true."(Neighbor)

Table 2 :
Cross-case analysis of the family factors that contribute to the delinquency of teenagers

Table 3 :
Cross-case analysis on the delinquent experiences of teenagers as products of dysfunctional families

Table 4 :
Cross-case analysis on the feelings and thoughts of delinquent teenagers