Learning from bad peers? Influences of peer deviant behaviour on adolescent academic performance

Abstract

ABSTRACT In addition to family and school factors, adolescent academic performance can also be influenced by the surrounding peer groups. Based on the data from China Education Panel Studies (CEPS) between 2013 and 2014, this paper examined the association between peer deviant behaviour and adolescent academic performance. It is found that peer deviant behaviour negatively predicted adolescent academic performance, and the negative association between peer deviant behaviour and academic performance in migrant and school-boarding adolescents was obviously weaker than that in native and home-resident adolescents. This negative association was slightly reduced but still significant after controlling for potential selection bias. More peer deviant behaviours reduced adolescent academic performance by increasing their own deviant behaviours and reducing their own educational expectation. Therefore, it is necessary to guide peer behaviours and interactions and regulate adolescent deviant behaviours from a global perspective to avoid negative peer effects.