NCJ Number
147857
Date Published
1986
Length
489 pages
Annotation
This work examines the influence of companions as an important source of delinquency, the nature and quality of the bond between the young person and his associates.
Abstract
The prevailing view of peer influence holds that the more closely the young person is tied to delinquent associates the more likely it is that he will be involved in delinquent behavior. Current theories disagree as to why ties to peers should be either weak or strong. Cultural and subcultural delinquency theories suggest that weakened or nonexistent ties to conventional adults (parents, teachers) lead to greater reliance on, and strengthening of bonds to, peers. Social control theorists argue that weakening of bonds to conventional adults increases the likelihood of less trusting and less mutually satisfying bonds to peers. These and other theories are explored using data from two large-scale surveys of adolescents. The implications of the findings for competing theories of delinquency causation are discussed. Bibliography, appendixes, tables, diagrams