Genetic and Environmental Influences in Delinquent Peer Affiliation: From the Peer Network Approach

BackgroundPrior research has indicated that affiliation with delinquent peers activates genetic influences on delinquency during adolescence. However, because other studies have indicated that the socializing effects of delinquent peers vary dramatically across childhood and adolescence, it is unclear whether delinquent peer affiliation (DPA) also moderates genetic influences on delinquency during childhood.MethodThe current study sought to evaluate whether and how DPA moderated the etiology of delinquency in a sample of 726 child twins from the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR).ResultsThe results robustly supported etiological moderation of childhood delinquency by DPA. However, this effect was observed for shared environmental, rather than genetic, influences. Shared environmental influences on delinquency were found to be several-fold larger in those with higher levels of DPA as compared to those with lower levels. This pattern of results persisted even when controlling for the overlap between delinquency and DPA.ConclusionsOur findings bolster prior work in suggesting that, during childhood, the association between DPA and delinquency is largely (although not solely) attributable to the effects of socialization as compared to selection. They also suggest that the process of etiological moderation is not specific to genetic influences. Latent environmental influences are also amenable to moderation by measured environmental factors.

Download Full-text

The Influence of Delinquent Peer Affiliation on Substance Use: The Moderating Effects of Anxiety and Depression

Journal of Drug Issues ◽

10.1177/0022042619832019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 450-464

Author(s):

Thalia Rodriguez ◽

Jeffrey T. Ward ◽

Marie Skubak Tillyer ◽

James V. Ray

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Moderating Effects ◽

Peer Affiliation ◽

Delinquent Peer

Download Full-text

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Delinquent Peer Affiliation.

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology ◽

10.1037/0022-006x.72.6.956 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 72 (6) ◽

pp. 956-966 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

Eva R. Kimonis ◽

Paul J. Frick ◽

Christopher T. Barry

Keyword(s):

Peer Affiliation ◽

Callous Unemotional ◽

Callous Unemotional Traits ◽

Unemotional Traits ◽

Delinquent Peer

Download Full-text

Delinquent peer affiliation and conduct problems: A twin study.

Journal of Abnormal Psychology ◽

10.1037/0021-843x.116.3.554 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 116 (3) ◽

pp. 554-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

Tanya M. M. Button ◽

Robin P. Corley ◽

Soo Hyun Rhee ◽

John K. Hewitt ◽

Susan E. Young ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conduct Problems ◽

Twin Study ◽

Peer Affiliation ◽

Delinquent Peer

Download Full-text

Strains and Delinquency of Migrant Adolescents in China: An Investigation From the Perspective of General Strain Theory

Youth & Society ◽

10.1177/0044118x15611308 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 506-528 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yunjiao Gao ◽

Dennis S. W. Wong

Keyword(s):

Social Control ◽

General Strain Theory ◽

Strain Theory ◽

Migrant Status ◽

Peer Affiliation ◽

Migrant Youth ◽

General Strain ◽

Delinquent Peer ◽

Migrant Adolescents

Migrant youth are widely considered to engage in more delinquency than their local counterparts because they experience more strains, but few studies have empirically examined the delinquency of migrant adolescents in China. This study applied data of 496 local and 667 migrant adolescents in Shenzhen, China, and examined the effect of migrant status on delinquency and the mechanism of how strains contribute to delinquency. The study found that migrant adolescents, compared with their local counterparts, generally did not engage in higher levels of delinquency despite experiencing higher levels of strains. The pathways to delinquency under strains were similar between the two groups, which were partially mediated by weakening social control and increasing delinquent peer affiliation. The findings of this study challenge the migrant–delinquency link in the dominant Chinese discourse and suggest that migrant adolescents are not necessarily more deviant compared with local adolescents.

Download Full-text

Peer Victimization and Aggressive Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents: Delinquent Peer Affiliation as a Mediator and Parental Knowledge as a Moderator

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01036 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shuang Lin ◽

Chengfu Yu ◽

Weiqi Chen ◽

Yunlong Tian ◽

Wei Zhang

Keyword(s):

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Peer Victimization ◽

Parental Knowledge ◽

Chinese Adolescents ◽

Peer Affiliation ◽

Delinquent Peer

Download Full-text

Evidence of Genetic and Environmental Effects On the Development of Low Self-Control

Criminal Justice and Behavior ◽

10.1177/0093854809342859 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 36 (11) ◽

pp. 1158-1172 ◽

Cited By ~ 68

Author(s):

Kevin M. Beaver ◽

Marie Ratchford ◽

Christopher J. Ferguson

Keyword(s):

Self Control ◽

Parental Socialization ◽

Control Analysis ◽

Antisocial Behaviors ◽

Peer Affiliation ◽

National Longitudinal Study ◽

Delinquent Peer ◽

Low Self Control ◽

Delinquent Peers ◽

Crime Causation

A body of research has revealed that low self-control is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of antisocial behaviors. As a result, there is great interest in identifying the factors that cause variation in levels of self-control. Much of this work has centered on identifying the effects that social factors, such as parental socialization, have on self-control. More recently, however, there has been research revealing that levels of self-control are scripted by genetic factors as well as environmental factors. The current study examines whether a polymorphism (5HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter gene and exposure to delinquent peers are associated with levels of self-control. Analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health indicates that the 5HTTLPR polymorphism interacted with a measure of delinquent peer affiliation to predict variation in self-control during adolescence and adulthood. Implications for theories of crime causation are discussed.

Download Full-text

Co‐development of alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation from ages 11 to 34: Selection, socialization, and genetic and environmental influences

Addiction ◽

10.1111/add.15402 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah J. Brislin ◽

D. Angus Clark ◽

Mary M. Heitzeg ◽

Diana R. Samek ◽

William G. Iacono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

Peer Affiliation

Download Full-text

Co-development of alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation from ages 11 to 34: Selection, socialization, and genetic and environmental influences

10.31234/osf.io/ue4md ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Brislin ◽

D. Angus Clark ◽

Mary Heitzeg ◽

Diana Samek ◽

William G. Iacono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

The United States ◽

Developmental Trajectory ◽

Self Report ◽

Peer Affiliation ◽

Large Correlation ◽

History Of ◽

Lagged Effects ◽

Shared Genetic

Aims: Social context is an important factor in determining the developmental trajectory of alcohol use. We examined the co-development between alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation in a longitudinal sample of twins from the United States mid-west region, beginning prior to alcohol initiation and extending across key developmental periods in the natural history of alcohol use (ages 11-34). Methods: Bivariate latent basis models with structured residuals (LBM-SR) were used to estimate between- and within- person effects of self-report alcohol use problems and self-report antisocial peer affiliation. We also estimated the genetic and environmental influences on alcohol use problems, antisocial peer affiliation, and their co-development over time.Results: The LBM-SR model revealed that there was a large correlation between the growth factors for alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation (r = .78, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: .76, ,80) and cross-lagged effects consistent with both selection and socialization effects. Additionally, antisocial peer affiliation in adolescence was associated with greater increases in alcohol use problems over time (r = .57, 95% CI: .54, .60). Genetic influences largely accounted for the association between antisocial peer affiliation in pre-adolescence and growth in alcohol use problems, while shared environmental influences accounted for the correlation between antisocial peer affiliation and alcohol use problems growth factors.Conclusions: This is the first study to examine the co-development of alcohol use problems and antisocial peer affiliation and their shared genetic and environmental influences from adolescence into adulthood. Findings demonstrate that antisocial peer affiliation in adolescence is a salient, genetically-influenced risk factor for early alcohol use and increase in alcohol use from adolescence through young adulthood. These findings have implications for the development of interventions to target “high-risk” children before the onset of alcohol use.

Download Full-text