Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-94d59 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T12:03:00.286Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

14 - Early adolescent social influences on delinquent behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2009

Joan McCord
Affiliation:
Temple University, Philadelphia
Get access

Summary

The goal of this chapter is to examine the links between three constructs of potential predictive and clinical significance for the development of adolescent delinquent behavior: (1) early childhood aggressive behavior and poor peer relations, (2) the development of peer social networks in early adolescence, and (3) concurrent antisocial behavior and poor peer relations in early adolescence. Generally, these constructs have been investigated separately; however, for at least some children, they may be part of the same developmental process. Therefore, following a short review of the literature pertaining to each of these areas, we will present our own data in answer to the following questions suggested by this literature:

  1. What is the general structure of peer networks in early adolescence? Are there developmental differences in the way these peer networks form?

  2. Are there peer cliques that can be identified as consisting of individuals who are more likely to engage in deviant behavior? If so, what are the behavioral and social relational correlates that distinguish these cliques from more normative peer cliques?

  3. What are the implications of early childhood antisocial behavior and poor peer relations for the development of adolescent delinquency in the context of the adolescent peer network environment? That is, does a greater likelihood of delinquency arise out of the formation of these deviant peer cliques, or is the deviant peer clique an epiphenomenon of both earlier childhood antisocial behavior and poor peer relations, which themselves are the precipitating factors in the development of adolescent delinquency?

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×