Impact of Chinese Parenting on Adolescents’ Social Bonding, Affiliation with Delinquent Peers, and Delinquent Behavior

The relationship between delinquent behavior and the quality of peer relations is the subject of criminological debate. Some authors state that delinquent youths have friendships of relatively low quality, while others predict no differences compared to non-delinquent peers. In the current study, the perceived intimacy within peer relations, the occurrence of friendships, intimate friendships, practical and emotional social support relations, functional relationships for misconduct and unpopularity, are measured within the school-networks of adolescents aged between 13–18 years. These measures appear not to be negatively associated with delinquency, nor when differences in sex, school or the importance of school friends are taken into account in the analysis. It is suggested that delinquent adolescents have different ties with other delinquents than with non-delinquents.

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DELINQUENT PEERS, BELIEFS, AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR: A LONGITUDINAL TEST OF INTERACTIONAL THEORY*

Criminology ◽

10.1111/j.1745-9125.1994.tb01146.x ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 47-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 413

Author(s):

TERENCE P. THORNBERRY ◽

ALAN J. LIZOTTE ◽

MARVIN D. KROHN ◽

MARGARET FARNWORTH ◽

SUNG JOON JANG

Keyword(s):

Delinquent Behavior ◽

Interactional Theory ◽

Delinquent Peers

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Peer Relations and Delinquency Among Girls in Foster Care Following a Skill-Building Preventive Intervention

Child Maltreatment ◽

10.1177/1077559520923033 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 107755952092303

Author(s):

Alana Hu ◽

Mark J. Van Ryzin ◽

Maria L. Schweer-Collins ◽

Leslie D. Leve

Keyword(s):

Middle School ◽

Foster Care ◽

Juvenile Justice ◽

Peer Relations ◽

Preventive Intervention ◽

Delinquent Behavior ◽

Mediation Effects ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Delinquent Peers ◽

Safe Intervention

There is evidence that risk for delinquency is elevated among girls with foster care histories, and one correlate of delinquency is affiliating with peers who engage in delinquent behavior. Although intervention studies have shown positive effects of interventions that target delinquent peer affiliation on reductions in delinquency among adolescents with juvenile justice histories, the success of such interventions for younger girls in foster care, without prior involvement with juvenile justice, is unknown. We analyzed data from a randomized clinical trial of the middle school version of the Keep Safe intervention in a sample of girls in foster care ( n = 100). The intervention was delivered to girls and foster parents during the transition to middle school. Path analysis suggested a significant intervention effect on reduction in affiliation with delinquent peers at 12 months ( B = −.21). No significant mediation effects were identified. The middle school Keep Safe intervention shows promise as a preventative intervention for reducing affiliation with delinquent peers, which importantly is associated with adolescent delinquent behavior. Implications for researchers and professionals who tailor and deliver evidence-based programs for girls in foster care are discussed.

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