Abstract
Despite decades of research on adolescent friendships, little is known about adolescents who are more likely to form ties outside of school. We examine multiple social and ecological contexts including parents, the school, social networks, and the neighborhood to understand the origins and health significance of out of school ties using survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 81,674). Findings indicate that out of school (more than in-school) friendships drive adolescent deviance and alcohol use, and youth with such friends tend to be involved in school activities and are central among their peer group. This suggests that intervention efforts aimed at reducing deviance and underage drinking may benefit from engaging youth with spanning social ties.
Highlights
A large body of research has demonstrated that adolescents’ social ties are important for understanding which youth are likely to become involved in risky health behaviors
Research on inschool friendships has historically dominated the literature, even though work by Kiesner [1, 2] and Ennett [3, 4] find that friendships and peers outside of school can be especially influential on adolescent delinquency and alcohol use
In a study of Swedish adolescents, Kiesner and colleagues [1] found that where a friendship was formed mattered, with adolescents who formed friendships at a youth center or in their neighborhood self-reporting the highest levels of delinquency. This finding is similar to earlier research by Dishion, Andrews, and Crosby examining American delinquent friendship dyads using information gathered from adolescent boys
Summary
A large body of research has demonstrated that adolescents’ social ties are important for understanding which youth are likely to become involved in risky health behaviors. The role of adolescents’ social networks on their deviance and alcohol use behavior requires understanding the nature of out of school friendships. In a study of Swedish adolescents, Kiesner and colleagues [1] found that where a friendship was formed mattered, with adolescents who formed friendships at a youth center or in their neighborhood self-reporting the highest levels of delinquency. This finding is similar to earlier research by Dishion, Andrews, and Crosby examining American delinquent friendship dyads using information gathered from adolescent boys.
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