NCJ Number
209462
Journal
Criminology Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 77-106
Date Published
February 2005
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This study examined the impact of parent-child relations on the acquisition of delinquent friends.
Abstract
While previous research has established that having delinquent friends is one of the strongest correlates of delinquent behavior, little is known about why some adolescents acquire delinquent friends while others do not. The current study drew on data from the national Survey of Parents and Children (SOPC) to examine the association between forms of direct and indirect parental supervision and the type of friends that adolescents make. The SOPC data were obtained via telephone in 1990 with a national probability sample of 1,738 parents living with their children and 929 children ages 10 through 17 years living in those households. Results of statistical analyses indicated that close and direct parental monitoring of children’s friendships mediated or influenced the types of friendships acquired. Indirect parental supervision mediated the effect of attachment to parents. Thus, the findings suggest that parent-child relations play a critical role in the acquisition of adolescent delinquent friendships. Footnotes, figure, tables, references