Does the Measurement of Peer Deviance Change the Relationship Between Self-Control and Deviant Behavior?: An Analysis of Friendship Pairs

• NCJ Number: 236934
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 39 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2011 Pages: 521-530
• Author(s): John H. Boman, IV; Chris L. Gibson
• Date Published: December 2011
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

This study examined how the link between weak self-control and deviant/criminal behavior changes when peer deviance is statistically controlled using an indirect, perceptual measure or a self-report from a peer.

Abstract

The study found that how peer deviance is measured has a strong influence on the magnitude of the link between self-control and deviant behavior. When an indirect measure of peer delinquency (using a perceptual measure from the subject regarding his/her best friend) is replaced with a direct measure (self-reported deviance from each subject's self-identified peer), the links between self-control - attitudinal and behavioral measures - and deviance/criminal behavior were consistently larger. This suggests that the strength of the link between self-control and deviant/criminal behavior is dependent on how peer deviance is measured, regardless of whether self-control is measured by attitude or behavior. Data from 796 friendship pairs were used to estimate a series of regression models that regress respondent deviance onto indirect and direct peer deviance and attitudinal and behavioral self-control measures, while controlling for elements of the social bond and demographic characteristics. 5 tables, 12 notes and 65 references