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Early Adolescent Delinquency: The Role of Parents and Best Friends

NCJ Number
215197
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 488-510
Author(s)
Raymond A. T. De Kemp; Ron H. J. Scholte; Geertjan Overbeek; Rutger C. M. E. Engels
Date Published
August 2006
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study investigated the main and interaction effects of parenting dimensions and best friend delinquency on adolescent delinquent behavior.
Abstract
Results of this analysis consistently showed that adolescent delinquency influenced best friend delinquency 6 months later, indicating that changes in a youth’s problem behavior affected the selection of friends. Results also indicate that parenting is directly related to the intensified delinquent behavior of early adolescents. Parental support and monitoring were associated with decreased levels of delinquent behavior and psychological control appeared to be related to an increased frequency of delinquent behavior. In summary, the study found that an increase or decrease in small criminal behavior of early adolescents was partly related to changes in parental support, monitoring, and psychological control. However, changes in criminal behavior were not related to delinquency of the best friend in school. This study utilized a three-wave longitudinal survey across a 12-month period to examine how parenting and the delinquent behavior of friends affected changes in the delinquent behavior of early adolescents. Data were derived from among 1,021 11- to 14- year-olds in the Netherlands in 2000. Table, figures, notes, and references