Dimensions of Peer Influences and Their Relationship to Adolescents' Aggression, Other Problem Behaviors and Prosocial Behavior.
Although peers are a major influence during adolescence, the relative importance of specific mechanisms of peer influence on the development of problem behavior is not well understood. This study investigated five domains of peer influence and their relationships to adolescents' problem and prosocial behaviors. Self-report and teacher ratings were obtained for 1787 (53 % female) urban middle school students. Peer pressure for fighting and friends' delinquent behavior were uniquely associated with aggression, drug use and delinquent behavior. Friends' prosocial behavior was uniquely associated with prosocial behavior. Friends' support for fighting and friends' support for nonviolence were not as clearly related to behavior. Findings were generally consistent across gender. This study highlights the importance of studying multiple aspects of peer influences on adolescents' behavior.
Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 842018, Richmond, VA, 23284-2018, USA. afarrell@vcu.edu.
Albert D
0000-0003-4841-2461
AD
Farrell
Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 842018, Richmond, VA, 23284-2018, USA.
Erin L
EL
Thompson
Department of Psychology, Violence Prevention Initiative, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market St, Rm. 1464, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Krista R
KR
Mehari
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D000067074:Peer Influence; D000066553:Problem Behavior; D012649:Self Concept; D012928:Social Desirability; D012938:Social Perception; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
Aggression; Delinquency; Early adolescence; Measurement; Peer influence; Prosocial behavior