NCJ Number
207745
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 83 Issue: 1 Dated: September 2004 Pages: 351-390
Date Published
September 2004
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether social isolation affects involvement in future delinquent peer relationships and delinquency.
Abstract
Criminological research has consistently found that the delinquency of peers is one of the strongest correlates of delinquent behavior; however, the causal significance of this relationship remains elusive. The current study explored the roots of peer status to determine whether and how socially isolated adolescents are a heterogeneous population. The goal of the study was to determine the potential impact of isolation on future involvement in delinquent peer relationships and on future involvement in delinquent activities. Data on 20,745 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 between 1994 and 1996 were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Dependant variables included isolation, trouble with peers, future delinquent group involvement, and future delinquent behaviors. Independent variables measured structural position, personal characteristics, friendship networks, and neighborhood disorganization. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that social isolation alone did not increase future delinquent behavior. However, when social isolation was coupled with problematic peer encounters at school, future delinquent behavior and future involvement with delinquent peers both significantly increased. The results show that isolation, in and of itself, is an insufficient predictor of future delinquency. Future research should continue to probe the relationship between social isolation and peer conflict. Figures, tables, notes, references, appendixes