Results indicated that peer pressure was the most significant predictor of delinquent behavior in early adolescence while family environment was found to have a protective effect. Childhood emotional and behavioral problems also had a significant impact on delinquency in early adolescence. The findings suggest that childhood problems must be addressed if youth are expected to develop in prosocial ways. The protective influence of the family in early adolescence suggests that the home environment remains an important place where delinquent behavior can be addressed and stifled. As such, it is recommended that youths should be assessed for early emotional and behavioral problems and that delinquency prevention approaches should be family-centered. Data were drawn from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which collected information from mothers, children, and young adults during several waves of telephone interviews. The sample analyzed for this study included 1,389 youths (and their mothers) who were between the ages of 4 and 6 years at the first interview period (1986 and 1988). Interviews focused on substance abuse, delinquency, peer associations, family environment, and emotional and behavioral problems and spanned the period from 1986 to 1994. Data analysis included the use of multivariate regression models. Future research should focus on uncovering the mechanisms through which peer pressure and emotional and behavioral problems affect delinquent behavior. Tables, figures, appendix, notes, references