title: The Role of Adolescent Friendship Group Integration and Cohesion in Weapon-Related Violent Crime as a Young Adult.
abstract: Weapon-related violent crime is a serious, complex, and multifaceted public health problem. The present study uses data from Waves I and III of Add Health (n = 10,482, 54% female) to examine how friendship group integration and cohesion in adolescence (ages 12-19) is associated with weapon-related criminal activity as a young adult (ages 18-26). Results indicate that greater cohesion in friendship groups is associated with significantly lower weapon-related criminal activity in young adulthood. In addition, for adolescent girls, a greater number of close friendship ties-an indicator of friendship group integration-is associated with less weapon-related criminal activity in young adulthood. These findings suggest that school-based initiatives to facilitate inclusive and cohesive adolescent peer communities may be an effective strategy to curb weapon-related criminal activity in young adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1100 Delaplaine Ct, Madison, WI, 53715, USA. marlon.mundt@fammed.wisc.edu.|Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 N Walnut St, Madison, WI, 53726, USA. marlon.mundt@fammed.wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Marlon P
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0606-6540
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mundt
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Miami, 5202 University Drive, Merrick Building, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA.
authors.forename: Olena P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Antonaccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Miami, 5202 University Drive, Merrick Building, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA.|Department of Health Sector Management and Policy, University of Miami, 5250 University Drive, Jenkins Building, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1100 Delaplaine Ct, Madison, WI, 53715, USA.
authors.forename: Larissa I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Zakletskaia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057237:Criminals; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012944:Social Support; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054041:Weapons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent friendship groups; Cohesion; Integration; Social network analysis; Social networks; Weapon-related crime