The role of adolescent friends, romantic partners, and siblings in the emergence of the adult antisocial lifestyle.
This study investigated the contribution of social processes in boys' adolescent relationships in 3 key domains--same-sex friends, cross-sex romantic partners, and younger siblings--to continued association with delinquent peers in young adulthood and, therefore, to continuance of an antisocial lifestyle. It was hypothesized that levels of negative interaction and antisocial talk observed during problem-solving discussions would be associated across the 3 domains. The influences of negative interactions and antisocial talk in the adolescent relationships on young-adult delinquent peer association were compared in 2 mediational models. It was posited that antisocial talk would be more predictive of continued association with delinquent peers than would negative interactions. Hypotheses were tested on an at-risk sample of young men (the Oregon Youth Study). Findings were generally in keeping with the hypotheses.
Shortt
Joann Wu
JW
Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR 97401, USA. joanns@oslc.org
Capaldi
Deborah M
DM
Dishion
Thomas J
TJ
Bank
Lew
L
Owen
Lee D
LD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003380:Courtship; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012801:Sibling Relations; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012951:Socialization