Deviant Peer Affiliation Research Articles

Social exclusion and externalizing problem behaviors of adolescents: A moderated mediation model

Adolescents' externalizing problem behaviors have attracted increasing research attention in recent years. We explored the relationship between social exclusion and adolescents' externalizing problem behaviors with a sample of 871 Chinese adolescents, who completed the Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, the Deviant Peer Affiliation Scale, and the Externalizing Problem Behavior Questionnaire for Adolescents. The results showed that social exclusion was significantly associated with adolescents' externalizing problem behaviors, and that interpersonal needs mediated this relationship. In addition, deviant peer affiliation moderated the direct effect of social exclusion on externalizing problem behaviors, as well as the indirect effect via interpersonal needs. Our results provide suggestions for teachers and parents to prevent and intervene in the externalizing problem behaviors of adolescents.

Perceived Pubertal Timing and Deviant Peer Processes Predicting Substance Use Initiation: The Moderating Role of Impulsiveness

The present study aimed to test if perceived pubertal timing was related to marijuana and alcohol use through deviant peer affiliation. Additionally, we examined if the deviant peer pathway was moderated by impulsiveness, gender, or both. Data were collected from 342 youth, most of whom had a family history of substance use disorder. Youth completed assessments every six months from age 13 to 16. For girls only, longitudinal analyses revealed that perceived pubertal timing was indirectly related to substance use through higher levels of deviant peer affiliation. This pathway was moderated by impulsiveness such that the association between perceived pubertal timing and deviant peer affiliation was only present for girls with average to high levels of impulsiveness. These findings elucidate a developmental pathway from perceived pubertal timing to substance use through deviant peer affiliation for high-risk girls, although low levels of impulsiveness were protective.

Sex-specific joint trajectories of deviant peer affiliation and externalizing problems from middle childhood to early adolescence: the predictive role of family maltreatment.

Previous research has shown a strong link between deviant peer affiliation (DPA) and externalizing problems (EXT) among children and adolescents. Little is known about how DPA and EXT develop jointly over time or possible sex differences in their development. This longitudinal study identified sex-specific joint trajectories of DPA and EXT from middle childhood to early adolescence and investigated the predictive role of family maltreatment experiences in joint trajectories of DPA and EXT. A total of 3622 Chinese elementary school students in grades 3 and 4 (Mage = 10, SD = 0.53; 46.5% girls) comprised the sample. Assessments were conducted every six months on five occasions across 2.5years. Parallel process latent class growth modeling (PP-LCGM) was used to explore the joint trajectories of DPA and EXT for boys and girls separately. The PP-LCGM identified four trajectories for boys: "congruent-low" (78.2%), "congruent-high" (12.40%), "deviant peer affiliation increasing" (6.5%), and "congruent late increasing" (2.9%). Four trajectories were identified for girls: "congruent-low" (82.5%), "slowly increasing" (10.2%), and "deviant peer affiliation desisting" (5.6%), and "congruent late increasing" (1.7%). After controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), the results showed that compared to the congruent-low group, more severe family maltreatment predicted the high and high-start trajectories for boys. The findings highlighted the joint development of DPA and EXT and the sex differences associated with their development. Findings also shed light on the importance of sex in developmental responses to family maltreatment.

Does deviant peer affiliation accelerate adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration? Roles of moral disengagement and self‐control

AbstractCyberbullying perpetration has become an international public health concern among adolescents. Based on the general aggression model, the present study sought to examine whether deviant peer affiliation was significantly related to adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration, and whether moral disengagement mediated this association and self‐control moderated this mediation process. A total of 2286 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.46, SD = 0.93) completed a series of anonymous questionnaires regarding deviant peer affiliation, cyberbullying perpetration, moral disengagement, and self‐control. Results showed that adolescents who interacted with deviant peers were more likely to cyberbully others, which was mediated by moral disengagement. Self‐control moderated the association between deviant peer affiliation and moral disengagement and the relationship between moral disengagement and cyberbullying perpetration, but not the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and cyberbullying perpetration. Specifically, compared to high self‐control adolescents, low self‐control adolescents with high deviant peer affiliation were more likely to develop high moral disengagement and further engage in cyberbullying perpetration. The present study contributes to our understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the association between deviant peer affiliation and adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration.

Understanding the link between alcohol dependence and victimisation risk: Is risk explained by peers or alcohol behaviours?

AbstractBackgroundAlcohol dependence is a risk factor for experiencing victimisation, but little is known about how peer and behavioural mechanisms may explain this relationship.AimsTo test deviant peer association and/or heavy‐episodic drinking frequency as mediators between alcohol dependence and risk for being victimised.MethodsThe Pathways to Desistance data were analysed. Generalised structural equation modelling was used to determine whether either or both of the hypothesised pathways significantly mediated the relationship between alcohol dependence and victimisation.ResultsAlcohol dependence at recruitment (age 14–17) was associated with higher odds of being a victim of some form of violence in Wave 3 (age x–y). This relationship was significantly mediated by deviant peer association but not heavy‐episodic drinking frequency between Waves 2 and 3.ConclusionsThese findings add knowledge about the mechanism of a link between early alcohol dependence and later violent victimisation among young offenders. They suggest that more focus on reducing delinquent peer association, or reducing its impact, is crucial to reducing further harms to these young people, in turn possibly affecting continuing substance use and reoffending risks. Peer mentoring programmes help to provide prosocial modelling and reduce deviant peer ties in some circumstances, and these findings suggest that the next step should be their evaluation specifically among justice‐involved young people with alcohol dependence. Providing additional funding and/or opportunities for involvement in such mentoring programmes may help to reduce the public health and financial costs associated with alcohol dependence in the juvenile justice system.

Effects of Harsh Maternal Discipline on Adolescents' Externalizing Problem Behaviors

Within the framework of Patterson et al.'s (1989) antisocial developmental model, this study explored the associations between harsh maternal discipline and adolescents' externalizing problem behaviors. We investigated the independent mediating effects of inhibitory control and deviant peer affiliation as well as the chain mediating effect of these variables. Participants were 367 adolescents who completed validated scales assessing maternal discipline, inhibitory control, deviant peer affiliation, and externalizing problem behaviors. The results showed that harsh maternal discipline affected adolescents' externalizing problem behaviors through the chain intermediary effect of inhibitory control and deviant peer affiliation. These findings facilitate understanding of the pathway of harsh maternal discipline on adolescents' externalizing problem behaviors. It is important to avoid harsh maternal discipline, establish harmonious parent–child relationships, avoid deviant peer affiliations, and achieve healthy physical and mental development of adolescents.

The Effects of Neighborhood Disorder on Polydrug Use: Examining Depressive Symptoms and Deviant Peer Association as Mediating Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Neighborhood disorder is a risk factor for substance use, but research is limited with regard to the effect of such disorder on polydrug use. Further, research on potential mechanisms underlying this relationship is similarly limited. The current study examined the direct effect of neighborhood disorder on drug use variety and examined deviant peer association and depressive symptoms as mediators among a sample of justice-involved youth. The first three waves of the Pathways to Desistance study were analyzed. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to test for direct and indirect effects of interest. A bootstrap resampling process was used to compute standard errors and significance of hypothesized mediation effects. Findings indicated that greater levels of neighborhood disorder were associated with increased drug use variety. This effect was attenuated by 15% when mediating pathways were included in the model. Only deviant peer association significantly mediated this relationship and accounted for the majority of the total mediating effect. These results indicated that justice-involved youth exposed to neighborhood disorder are at elevated risk for polydrug use and that increased deviant peer association helps to explain this relationship.

Latent Transitions of Census-level Deprivation and Network Analysis of Conduct Problem Behaviours.

Conduct problems are more prevalent in neighbourhoods that have a vulnerable structure (e.g., high neighbourhood-level deprivation) and disarranged interpersonal characteristics (e.g., low social cohesion and informal social control at the neighbourhood level). However, as an indicator of neighbourhood structure, neighbourhood deprivation has typically not been assessed longitudinally and solely based on neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status rather than a wide variety of census-level deprivation indicators. Also, few studies have examined which CD behaviours (e.g., stealing) interplay with neighbourhood risks (e.g., low social cohesion). In this study, latent transitions of neighbourhood-level deprivation patterns, based on census-level information, were estimated between age 12.5 and 15.5 using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). In network models, we employed multi-informant variables and estimated interplays between mother-reported CD behaviours and child-reported social cohesion, informal social control and deviant peer affiliations within different patterns of the latent neighbourhood-level deprivation transitions. We identified three constant deprivation patterns: deprived, intermediate and low pattern. In the deprived pattern, the CD behaviour "bullying" had the highest interplay with lack of social cohesions, social control, and high deviant peer affiliation. In contrast, non-violent CD behaviours: "lying" and "staying after dark ", showed importance in the intermediate and low patterns, respectively. Regardless of deprivation patterns, social cohesion played a protective role, whereas affiliation with deviant peers involved in property crime was a risk factor for CD behaviours. The identified CD behaviours can serve as a screening tool, and interventions increasing social cohesion might mitigate CD development.

The Effect of Parents and Peers on the Neural Correlates of Risk Taking and Antisocial Behavior During Adolescence.

Social and neurobiological factors independently associate with the development of antisocial behavior during adolescence, yet it is unclear how these factors contribute to antisocial behavior in girls. Using a longitudinal sample of 45 adolescent girls (age in years at scan: M = 15.38, SD = 0.33), this study examined the contributions of parent-adolescent relationship quality and deviant peer affiliation from 6th-8th grades along with the neural correlates of risk taking in 9th grade to later antisocial behavior. High parent-adolescent closeness in early adolescence predicted lower antisocial behavior for girls in later adolescence via lower affiliation with deviant peer groups and less activation of the medial prefrontal cortex during risk taking. Findings highlight the enduring role of parents and peers during adolescence, and the importance of investigating social relationships alongside the brain to identify a holistic understanding of the development of antisocial behavior in girls.

Deviant Peer Association as a Risk Factor for Firearm Carrying Among Justice-Involved Youth: The Mediating Roles of Exposure to Violence and Moral Disengagement

Deviant peer association has been identified as a risk factor for firearm carrying among adolescents. However, there remains a dearth of research examining mechanisms explaining this relationship. This study addressed this gap in the literature by examining victimization and moral disengagement as mediators of the relationship between deviant peer association and firearm carrying risk among a sample of justice-involved youth. The first four waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance study were analyzed. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to test for direct and indirect effects. Results indicated that deviant peer association was significantly associated with increased log-odds of carrying a firearm. While neither victimization nor moral disengagement significantly mediated this relationship, the combined mediation effect was significant.

Examining the risk and predictive factors for substance use and mental health among indigenous youth in out-of-home care

BackgroundYouth exposed to the child welfare system are among society’s most vulnerable citizens. Despite research highlighting the harms that typically follow child welfare placement, little is known regarding the factors that influence substance use and mental health among older Indigenous youth in out-of-home care. ObjectiveThe objective of this research are to provide a recent snapshot of the severity of substance use and mental health problems among older Indigenous youth in-care, identify factors driving the high prevalence of Indigenous youth in the child welfare system, and provide information on factors that could reduce health disparities among Indigenous youth. MethodUsing data from the 2016 Ontario Looking After Children project, this study examines the risk-predictive factors of substance use and positive mental health among 1173 youth between 16 and 17 years of age in out-of-home care. ResultsFindings reveal no significant difference in positive mental health between older Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, but Indigenous youth are more likely to engage in substance use. Results also indicate that unstructured living arrangements, placement instability, low caregiver attachment, school suspensions, and deviant peer associations impact substance use and/or mental health among this population. ConclusionsThis study offers insight into how older Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in the child welfare system fare with respect to substance use and mental health. While there are no differences in positive mental health, findings from this study warrant further investigation into the factors for substance use for older Indigenous youth.

Predictors of methamphetamine use in a longitudinal birth cohort

BackgroundIdentifying predictors of methamphetamine use can inform population prevention strategies. MethodsParticipants (n = 1265) born in Christchurch, New Zealand were followed from birth to age 40. Methamphetamine outcomes (any use since the last interview, and regular use, defined as any period of at least weekly use) were ascertained by self-report at six interviews from age 18 to 40. Predictors with plausible associations with methamphetamine use were extracted from the study database. These were grouped into early predictors (age 0–16), comprising childhood, familial and individual characteristics; and later time-dynamic correlates of methamphetamine use in adulthood (ages 16–40). Generalised estimating equation models were fitted to identify predictors of methamphetamine use outcomes. ResultsIn adjusted models, paternal overprotectiveness and childhood anxious / withdrawn behavior were associated with any use of methamphetamine, but not regular use. Conversely, childhood conduct problems and parental illicit drug were associated with regular use but not any use. Male sex, high novelty seeking and deviant peer affiliations were associated with both any use and regular use in adjusted models.The strongest correlates of methamphetamine use in adulthood were unemployment, life stress and other substance use disorders (cannabis, nicotine, and alcohol). ConclusionMarkers of externalizing problems in childhood and adolescence (conduct problems, high novelty seeking, parental illicit substance use, and deviant peer affiliations) are the strongest predictors of regular methamphetamine use in adulthood.

Childhood maltreatment and adolescent cyberbullying perpetration: Roles of individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation

Guided by the general aggression model, relative deprivation theory, social control theory, and self-determination theory, the current study aims to explore the relation between childhood maltreatment and cyerbullying perpetration using a multiple mediation model, that includes individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation as mediating variables. In November 2019, a sample of 1976 Chinese adolescent students attending 7th, 8th, and 10th grades (49.40% males; 8.80% only children; 32.30% middle school students; 32.10% urban students; Mage = 14.43 years, SD = 1.14) responded to questionnaires regarding demographics, childhood maltreatment, individual relative deprivation, deviant peer affiliation, as well as cyberbullying perpetration. Results showed that: (a) after controlling for relevant demographic variables, childhood maltreatment was significantly and positively related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration; (b) both individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation partially mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying perpetration in a parallel fashion; and (c) individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation also mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying perpetration in a sequential fashion. In sum, childhood maltreatment is positively related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration, and the relation is mediated by individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation both parallelly and sequentially. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how childhood maltreatment is related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration, which has important implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent cyberbullying perpetration.

The Determinants of Digital Piracy Behaviour in Malaysia

The advancement of technology has facilitated sustainable and significant development in supporting digitalisation of business operations, including but not limited to electronic commerce, but also resulting in a significant increase in digital crimes, particularly online piracy. Many consumers seek out pirated content and the majority of them do not perceive it as something that could eventually harm the creative industry or perceive it as a wrong practice. Therefore, the problem of online piracy becomes rampant. This research investigates the direct and indirect relationships between deviant peer associations, perceived benefits, attitude towards digital piracy, subjective norms, self-efficacy, digital piracy intention and actual digital piracy behaviour. A total of 450 samples were gathered via an online self-administered questionnaire survey. The data was evaluated by structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). According to the statistical findings, all of the direct and indirect relationships among the seven variables are significantly supported. This study provides theoretical and managerial implications by demonstrating that digital piracy intention has a significant relationship on actual digital piracy behaviour as well as deviant peer associations have a significant relationship on an individual’s attitude towards digital piracy. This study concludes with some limitations and recommendations for the future digital piracy research.

A developmental cascade model of adolescent peer relationships, substance use, and psychopathological symptoms from child maltreatment

IntroductionAlthough previous studies have demonstrated high intercorrelations among deviant peer affiliation, substance use, externalizing and internalizing symptoms in adolescence, these studies have been limited because they did not examine 1) the associations over time by assuming one particular sequence; and 2) child maltreatment effects. MethodsThis study included 617 adolescents (54.3 % girls, 55.6 % Black) at-risk of maltreatment living in the U.S and primarily low-income. Deviant peer affiliation was assessed at ages 12, 14, and 16 using 13 items from the modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior and Monitoring the Future Survey. Externalizing and internalizing symptoms were measured at ages 12, 14, and 16 using the Child Behavior Checklist. The number of substances used (ages 12, 14, 16, and 18) were created by summing the self-reported alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Each type of maltreatment (birth to age 12) was assessed using the self-report. ResultsAutoregressive cross-lagged structural equation modeling explained the stability effects within each domain, as well as how different maltreatment types affect diverse developmental processes. Cross-lagged results showed the socialization effects of peers on substance use, whereas the peer selection effects on externalizing symptoms. Physical abuse was only associated with externalizing symptoms, while sexual abuse was associated with both externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Additionally, emotional abuse was associated with deviant peer affiliation and substance use. ConclusionsIdentifying the underlying reciprocal processes offers a deeper understanding of peer relationships in the substance use and externalizing symptoms among at-risk of maltreatment sample.

Parental and Adolescent Educational Expectations and Adolescent Problem Behaviors: The Role of Deviant Peer Affiliations.

The comprehensive theory model of problem behaviors proposed that expectations are important factors affecting adolescent problem behaviors. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between educational expectations (in this study, this includes parental educational expectations and adolescent selfeducational expectations) and problem behaviors based on the framework of the CTMPB to provide empirical support for the prevention and intervention of adolescent problem behaviors. This study used cross-sectional data from the 2014-2015 academic year of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) conducted by the China survey and data center at the Renmin University of China. A nationwide representative sample of 9936 junior high school students was selected. Among them, 4870 (52.2%) were female, and the average age was 14.52 years (SD = 0.67 years). The results revealed that adolescent selfeducational expectations and deviant peer affiliations played a contributory mediating role in the association between parental educational expectations and adolescent problem behaviors. Both parental educational expectations and adolescent selfeducational expectations are protective factors against adolescent problem behaviors, and enhancing the two factors can decrease the likelihood of adolescent engagement in problem behaviors. In addition, deviant peer affiliations are risk factors for adolescent problem behaviors and represent a mediating factor between educational expectations and adolescent problem behaviors. However, this study was only based on cross-sectional data, requiring further support by longitudinal or experimental studies.

Parental marital conflict and internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: The multiple mediating roles of deviant peer affiliation and teacher-student relationship.

A considerable amount of evidence suggests that parental marital conflict is an important factor in adolescents' internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between parental marital conflict and IGD among Chinese adolescents, and whether this relationship is mediated by deviant peer affiliation and teacher-student relationship. There were 698 Chinese adolescents that took part in the study (51.58% male; Mage = 13.52). They completed self-report questionnaires regarding perception of parental marital conflict, deviant peer affiliation, teacher-student relationship and IGD. Structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine the relationship between parental marital conflict and adolescents' IGD, as well as the mediating roles of deviant peer affiliation and teacher-student relationship. Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between parental marital conflict, deviant peer affiliation, and IGD, as well as a negative correlation between them and teacher-student relationship. The results of the SEM showed that parental marital conflict not only predicts adolescent IGD directly, but also through the mediation effects of deviant peer affiliation and teacher-student relationship. Additionally, deviant peer affiliation and teacher-student relationship not only play an independent but also a sequential mediating effect in the relationship between parental marital conflict and IGD. The relationship between parental marital conflict and IGD is mediated by deviant peer affiliation and teacher-student relationship, which has potential prevention and intervention value for adolescent IGD.

Longitudinal association between interparental conflict and risk-taking behavior among Chinese adolescents: testing a moderated mediation model

BackgroundThe interparental conflict has been associated with an increased adolescents’ engagement in risk-taking behaviors. However, few studies have examined the potential mediation of deviant peer affiliation and the potential moderation of school climate. Grounded in the ecological system theory, this study aimed to explore the mediating role of deviant peer affiliation and the moderating role of school climate between the association of interparental conflict and risk-taking behavior.MethodsThis study conducted a longitudinal design (3 time points, 3 months apart) with the sample comprising 550 middle school students in southeastern China (52.91% males; mean age at Time 1 = 15.37). The performed measurements encompassed interparental conflict (T1), deviant peer affiliation (T2), school climate (T3), risk-taking behavior (T1/T2/T3), and demographic information.ResultsThe moderated mediation model revealed that after controlling for T1/T2 risk-taking behavior, T1 interparental conflict was longitudinally and positively correlated with T3 risk-taking behavior through T2 deviant peer affiliation. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that a positive school climate ameliorated the adverse impact of deviant peer affiliation on risk-taking behavior, thereby mitigating the indirect effect of interparental conflict on risk-taking behavior among adolescents.ConclusionsOur findings propose a nuanced explanation of the processing mechanisms between interparental conflict and risk-taking behaviors among Chinese adolescents. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Harsh parental discipline and school bullying among Chinese adolescents: The role of moral disengagement and deviant peer affiliation

School bullying is prevalent worldwide and poses a serious threat to the safety of school and students. However, few studies have explored the relationship between harsh parental discipline and adolescents’ school bullying. The current study aims to explore the internal mechanism between the two in the Chinese cultural context, and further test the mediating effect of moral disengagement and the moderating effect of deviant peer affiliation. This study recruited 1,246 students in eastern and southern China (average age = 14.48 ± 1.48) to complete the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale, Moral Disengagement Scale, Deviant Peer Affiliation Scale, and the Olweus Bully Questionnaire. The results showed that: The prevalence of school bullying among adolescents accounted for 33.5 %, from most to least are verbal bullying, relational bullying and physical bullying. Harsh parental discipline positively predicted school bullying among Chinese adolescents. After controlling for gender and school type, moral disengagement partially mediated the association between harsh parental discipline and school bullying, and deviant peer affiliation moderated the first and second halves of the mediation effect. Current findings reveal that parents should adopt proper parenting styles and intervene appropriately in their children’s dating choices.

Deviant peer affiliation, parent involvement, and aggressive behaviors of rural children in China.

Aggressive behaviors in early childhood may indicate future violence, so effective intervention measures should be taken on time to promote children's physical and psychological health. Based on sampling survey data from Jintang County in Sichuan Province of China, this paper analyzes the mechanism of rural children's aggressive behaviors from the perspective of peer influences and examines the role of parent involvement in it. The results show that the deeper the degree of deviant peer affiliation, the poorer the psychosocial adaptation of rural children, which is more likely to lead to aggressive behaviors. Parent involvement can effectively inhibit the aggressive behaviors of rural children arising from deviant peer affiliation.