Conclusion

“Boomeranging” and Delinquent Behavior in Emerging Adulthood

“…However, the idea of young people transitioning in a linear manner from a dependent adolescent status to an independent adult status is becoming less relevant (e.g., Rindfuss, 1991; Shildrick & MacDonald, 2007). Emerging adults regressing or boomeranging from more independent adult roles back into dependent nonadult roles, such as returning to the parental home (Farris, 2016; Mitchell, 2006) and experiencing periods of unemployment (Kaplan, 2009), appears to be becoming increasingly prevalent. In this article, we examine this phenomenon of boomeranging in emerging adulthood.…”

“…Nevertheless, change in one area of life is often related to change in other areas (Cohen et al, 2003; Stone, Berrington, & Falkingham, 2014), for example, getting a job may instigate a change of living situation (Kerckhoff, 2003). We might, therefore, expect role instability, represented by moving into and then back out of adult roles, to be interdependent across life domains: If someone moves in and out of employment frequently, their living situation might also be affected, with them having to return to the parental home at times of financial uncertainty (Farris, 2016). Similarly, stability across domains might also be interdependent.…”

“…However, many of today’s emerging adults do not transition in a linear manner from a dependent adolescent status to an independent adult status (Rindfuss, 1991). Multiple role changes, which may represent regressing back into more dependent, less adult roles, have increasingly become a feature of this time of life (Farris, 2016; Kaplan, 2009; Mitchell, 2006). In the popular media, this phenomenon is commonly referred to as “boomeranging,” particularly in reference to returning to live in the parental home (e.g., Chevreau, 2011; Marsh, 2016; Pennington, 2015; Sussman, 2015; Talty, 2015).…”