Delinquent Peer Influence on Offending Versatility: Can Peers Promote Specialized Delinquency?

Citation

Thomas, Kyle J. (2015). Delinquent Peer Influence on Offending Versatility: Can Peers Promote Specialized Delinquency?. Criminology. vol. 53 (2) pp. 280-308

Abstract

The consistent and robust relationship between peers and frequency of offending is often cited as evidence that friends play an important role in adolescent behavioral tendencies. But Warr (2002) has argued that the empirical support for peer perspectives remains equivocal in part because research has not demonstrated that individuals and their peers display similarities in the qualitative form of their delinquent behavior (i.e., the tendency to specialize in delinquent acts). By using data from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) evaluation (N = 1,390) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (AddHealth) (N = 1,848), this study seeks to fill this void in the literature by examining whether having friends who display specialization in specific delinquent acts relative to other offense types predicts an individual's own tendency to display specializing in those same crime types. Consistent with peer influence perspectives, the results of multilevel latent-trait models (Osgood and Schreck, 2007) suggest that individuals who associate with friends who demonstrate specialization in violence, theft, and substance use are more likely to display greater levels of specialization in those offense types themselves.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12069

Keyword(s)

peer influence

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Criminology

Author(s)

Thomas, Kyle J.

Year Published

2015

Volume Number

Issue Number

Pages

280-308

Edition

April 7 2015

ISSN/ISBN

1745-9125

DOI

10.1111/1745-9125.12069

Reference ID

5630