Deviant Peers Research Articles

Understanding marijuana use initiation vs. frequency of use on risk for hallucinogen use: testing for mediating mechanisms underlying the gateway hypothesis

ABSTRACT The gateway hypothesis posits that marijuana use initiation may lead to neurological changes predisposing individuals to escalation to harder drug use later on. However, there is limited research, which has examined marijuana as a gateway drug leading to hallucinogen use and examination of mechanisms linking the two drug use behaviors. This study examined marijuana use as a predictor of hallucinogen use and tested for mediation via social, affective, and cognitive mechanisms. The Pathways to Desistance data were analyzed. This is a longitudinal dataset comprised a sample of 1,354 justice-involved youth. Path analyses were used to test for direct and indirect effects of interest. Findings indicated that elevated marijuana use frequency prior to baseline was a significant predictor of increased log-odds of later hallucinogen use. None of sensation-seeking, impulse control, nor deviant peer association significantly mediated this relationship. Ever having used marijuana prior to baseline was not significantly related to later hallucinogen use risk and no mediation effects were identified for this independent variable. Results indicated that higher frequency marijuana use may result in gateway effects for later hallucinogen use. Both marijuana use variables were also statistically significant predictors of increased sensation-seeking, diminished impulse control, and greater deviant peer association.

Navigating the social maze: An integrative review on the social network properties of deviant peer influence in adolescent networks

Navigating the social maze: An integrative review on the social network properties of deviant peer influence in adolescent networks

Does Decreased Parental Support/Bonding or Increased Peer Deviance Lead to a Rise in Delinquency in Early Adolescence? Investigating the Left Side of the Age-Crime Curve

The gap in the literature this study sought to fill was whether a reduction in parental support or an increase in peer deviance during early adolescence explains the left or ascending side of the age-crime curve. Employing the control and social learning components of interactional theory as a guide and assessing longitudinal data provided by 845 early adolescent youth (406 boys, 439 girls) followed from a mean age of 11 (Wave 1) to a mean age of 13 (Wave 3), we assessed within-person change in perceived parental support/bonding, perceived peer deviance, and child delinquency using a random intercepts cross-lagged panel design. Results showed that decrements in perceived parental support but not increments in peer deviance between Waves 1 and 2 predicted a rise in delinquency from Wave 2 to Wave 3. Although there were no signs of a peer influence effect, there was evidence of a peer selection effect. As predicted, bidirectional effects failed to surface in this study. These findings support the social control aspects of interactional theory but not the bidirectional aspects and suggest that a criminogenic environment marked by a weakened parental bond may, in part, explain the left side of the age-crime curve.

Individual, Familial and Environmental Risk Factors for Treatment Relapse Among Patients with Substance Use Disorders in Kerala: A Mixed Method Study

ABSTRACT A statewide mixed-methods study was conducted at government-funded deaddiction centers in Kerala, India, to examine the psycho-socioeconomic risk factors of addiction relapse. 435 randomly selected participants from 36 Government-funded centers were included in the quantitative assessment. Among them, 50 were purposively selected for qualitative assessment. The quantitative assessment examined self-esteem, personality dimensions, and various risk factors associated with relapse. On the other hand, the qualitative assessment explored individual, psychological, familial, societal, and economic challenges. Among the beneficiaries, 271 were current and 166 ex-beneficiaries, and among the latter, 73 had addiction relapse. Relapsed patients were younger, had relatively stable jobs, used multiple substances more frequently, and had a family history of addiction. Additionally, individual risk factors of impulsivity and environmental risk factors of association with deviant peers were prevalent. Qualitative analysis identified risk and protective factors under three major domains – individual, environmental and familial. In relapsed patients, the individual and psychological vulnerabilities were activated by social and familial triggers. Though the family was protective, the patient’s expectations from the family were dissimilar and vague, which would be clarified during the treatment process. Therefore, the research suggests developing a patient-centric and process-driven personal care plan to prevent the risk of addiction relapse.

Extreme Heat Exposure Is Associated with Higher Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Elevated Youth Delinquency.

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, a trend expected to continue. This poses significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations like children. While previous research has largely concentrated on the physical health impacts of extreme heat, less attention has been given to behavioral outcomes, such as delinquency. This study investigates the association between extreme heat exposure and delinquency among children, utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. It also explores the potential mediating roles of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES; measured by median home value), puberty, peer deviance, and financial difficulties. Data from the national ABCD study were analyzed to assess the relationship between extreme heat exposure (exposure) and delinquency (outcome). Covariates included race/ethnicity, sex, and age. Mediators examined were neighborhood SES, puberty, peer deviance, and financial difficulties. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. Overall, 11,878 children entered our analysis. The analysis revealed a significant association between extreme heat exposure and higher levels of delinquency among children. Children more exposed to extreme heat were more likely to be Black, reside in lower SES neighborhoods, experience greater financial difficulties, and have more advanced puberty status. The group facing the highest heat exposure was also economically disadvantaged. The findings suggest that children already disadvantaged by socio-economic factors are disproportionately affected by extreme heat, leading to increased delinquency. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to protect these vulnerable populations and address the mediators of extreme heat exposure. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies to address these disparities.

Deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression during early adolescence: within-person effects and between-person differences.

Abundant studies have explored the relations among deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression without separating within-person from between-person effects. Moreover, it is unclear whether self-control mediates the associations between deviant peer affiliation and aggression during early adolescence. This longitudinal study used Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model to examine the dynamic relations among deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression within individuals, including examining whether self-control mediated the relations between deviant peer affiliation and aggression. A total of 4078 early adolescents (54% boys, Mage=9.91, SD=0.73) completed questionnaires on four occasions across 2years. Results indicated: (a) Deviant peer affiliation and aggression positively predicted each other; (b) Self-control and aggression negatively predicted each other but were unstable; (c) Deviant peer affiliation and self-control negatively predicted each other; and (d) Self-control mediated the path from aggression to deviant peer affiliation, but not vice versa. The results more precisely identify the relations among deviant peer affiliation, self-control, and aggression within individuals, providing valuable information for prevention and intervention programs targeted at alleviating early adolescent aggression.

Effects of neighborhood disadvantage and peer deviance on adolescent antisocial behavior: Testing potential interactions with age-of-onset

Abstract Research has suggested that childhood-onset conduct problems (CPs) are more strongly related to individual predispositions, whereas adolescent-onset CP is more strongly associated with social factors, such as peer delinquency. Neighborhood disadvantage (ND) increases the risk for associating with deviant peers. Thus, peer delinquency could mediate the relationship between ND and adolescent-onset CP. This mediational hypothesis has not been tested previously. We tested this hypothesis in 1,127 justice-involved adolescent males using self-reported delinquency and official arrest records over 3 years after the youth’s first arrest as outcomes. Predictors were self-reported and census-derived indicators of ND and self-reported peer delinquency. Age of onset moderated the associations between self-reported ND and arrests and between self-report of peer delinquency and arrests. In both cases, the association was stronger for those with adolescent-onset CP. Peer delinquency mediated all relationships between ND and CP. Our results also showed some unexpected differences in associations depending on whether self-reported ND or census-derived indicators were used as predictors. Specifically, census-derived ND was negatively related to self-reported offending, which could be due to the use of an arrested sample and the need for youth in more advantaged neighborhoods to show a more severe pattern of antisocial behavior to be arrested.

A Multi-System Approach to Investigate Different Forms of Delinquency in Female Adolescents at Risk: Family, School, and Peers.

The delinquency of female adolescents at risk has increased conspicuously, much to the concern of human service and public health practitioners. Nevertheless, prior findings of pertinent research have commonly been based on samples of male or gender-mixed participants, especially general youths in the community. These cannot adequately explicate the impacts of different contextual systems on at-risk female adolescents, who are, in fact, more vulnerable to developing delinquency. Based on cross-sectional data collected from a sample of 236 at-risk female adolescents with the help of a large social work organization, the present study investigated and compared the effects of family, school, and peer systems on different forms of delinquency among at-risk female adolescents. The results show that positive family functioning, constructive school experiences, and deviant peer influence were predictive of both self-destructive and other-destructive delinquency in at-risk adolescent girls, respectively, but the effects were significantly different depending on which contextual systems influenced what forms of delinquency. Furthermore, the relationships between positive family functioning and both forms of delinquency were significantly mediated by the effects of constructive school experiences and deviant peer influence, giving support to the distal role of family and the proximal functions of school and peers in adolescence. Implications for policy prevention and interventions to strengthen the contextual supports in different social systems to help female adolescents at risk are discussed.

The Symptomatology and Psychosocial Risk Factors in Developing Callous-Unemotional Trait During Childhood and Adolescence

This paper reviews the current literature on the symptomatology and underlying psychosocial mechanisms for developing callous-unemotional (CU) traits across childhood and adolescence. CU traits include a lack of empathy, interpersonal callousness, and restricted affection. As much research has posited its crucial relatedness to multiple psychopathologies, including antisocial personality disorder, there is a pressing need for a more sophisticated understanding of the etiology, enabling the development of early interventions for CU traits. The current paper considers three aspects in its contribution to the etiology of CU traits: traumatic life events, parental influences, and interpersonal relationships. Current knowledge suggests that although the direct association between childhood maltreatment and CU traits is evident, many underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Additionally, parent influences may exert influence via insecure attachment relationships between infant and caregiver, affecting the internal working model, and via low childhood anxiety and harsh corporal punishment. The symptomatology of CU traits may also be consolidated by actively seeking to affiliate with deviant peers in school. These actions further reinforce their problematic belief in the social acceptance of aggressive behaviours to solve problems. This paper provides some reference for research in related fields. Future research should further elaborate on the potential implication of gender differences in literature; the psychosocial findings should incorporate the genetic-biological perspective in forming an integrated and coherent understanding of CU traits; and research should continue to address the potentiality in the clinical implication of research findings to develop valuable interventions for relevant psychopathologies.

A systematic narrative review of pathways into, desistance from, and risk factors of financial-economic cyber-enabled crime

Financial-economic cyber-enabled crime (hereinafter: financial cybercrime) has increased dramatically over the past years. However, research on financial cybercrime is still underdeveloped and highly heterogeneous, especially regarding the processes of initiation to and desistance from crime. This paper synthesizes existing knowledge on pathways into, desistance from, and risk factors related to financial cybercrime, and identifies research gaps. Adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we executed a systematic search and identified 37 eligible documents published as of February 2022, indicating two initiation points into financial cybercrime: involvement in traditional crime, and experiencing strain. Through social learning, individuals then learn the necessary skills and knowledge and engage in financial cybercrime, after which the decision to desist is influenced by a cost-benefit analysis, the use of neutralization techniques, and maturing. As for risk factors, we identified 33, with being male, unemployed, having low self-control and deviant peers, and wanting to earn money quickly being of potential importance. Regarding research gaps, there is a dearth of research related to the initiation and desistance processes of financial cybercrime, and the identified studies lacked a robust research designs, with 76 percent being of low or medium quality. More quality research is needed to address these issues.

Understanding the Impact of Deviant Peer Association on Dual Systems Model Development: Testing the Moderating Role of ADHD.

Recent research has indicated that deviant peers may play a role in cognitive development. This is particularly the case for the dual systems model, a key framework for understanding engagement in antisocial behavior during adolescence and emerging adulthood. However, limited research has examined how preexisting mental health concerns may moderate these relationships. This study used the Pathways to Desistance data to examine attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a moderator of the relationships between deviant peer association and dual systems model constructs. Generalized estimating equations were used to test these relationships. Results indicated that deviant peer association and the presence of ADHD both predicted increased sensation-seeking and lower impulse control. ADHD significantly moderated the relationship between deviant peer association and impulse control, indicating a weaker impact of deviant peer association on impulse control among participants with ADHD. No significant interaction was observed for the relationship between deviant peer association and sensation-seeking.

Does the Worst of Both Worlds Effect Run Through Cognition? Testing Perceived Peer Delinquency/Drug Use and Moral Neutralization as Mediating Mechanisms

In an effort to understand the mechanisms responsible for the worst of both worlds (WBW) effect wherein drug-crime comorbidity leads to significantly more future adjustment problems than either crime or drug use alone, a multiple-mediator path analysis was performed. This study consisted of a multivariate analysis of four waves of data from the Gang Reduction and Education Training (GREAT) study provided by 2900 (1412 boys, 1488 girls) respondents. There was approximately one year between each adjacent wave. It was determined that the WBW effect was the result of linkages between two first-stage mediators (perceived peer delinquency and perceived peer drug use) and one second-stage mediator (moral neutralization). From these results it was surmised that drug-crime comorbidity led to increased perceived and actual peer deviance which then fueled a rise in moral neutralization beliefs through social learning and cognitive channels. The rise in neutralization beliefs, in turn, enhanced the child’s odds of becoming involved in future delinquency. Given that the perceived peer delinquency and peer drug use main effects and their interaction predicted a rise in moral neutralization, the effect of perceived peer deviance on antisocial cognition appears to be both cumulative and interactive.

Peer Influence on Youth Delinquency: How Does School-Level Teacher Quality Matter?

This study contributes to the literature on peer influence and delinquency by examining the moderating role of school-level teacher quality in contemporary China. Based on social control theory and taking an ecological perspective, our multilevel analysis of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) data found that among Chinese middle school students, affiliation with deviant peers correlated with delinquent behaviors; this peer effect was moderated by the proportion of accredited senior teachers at school. With high school-level teacher quality, youth delinquency can be suppressed despite deviant peers; in the absence of qualified personnel, delinquency will emerge with deviant peer affiliation. Our findings suggest China’s educational disparities could lead to diverging behavioral risks among youth, potentially reinforcing existing social inequalities in China.

Navigating the Social Maze: An Integrative Review on the Social Network Properties of Deviant Peer Influence in Adolescent Networks

ABSTRACT Social network analysis (SNA) holds great potential for examining the influence of peers and group dynamics on the development of criminal behavior among adolescents as it offers a robust framework for studying complex social interactions. However, there needs to be more knowledge regarding key research findings on deviant adolescent influence using a social network approach. In this integrative literature review, we examine what type of information is used to construct adolescents’ social networks, how network compositions affect deviant influence, and how deviant influence is transmitted. For this review, we selected 39 articles by searching Scopus and Web of Science. The results demonstrate that SNA offers valuable insights into the dynamics of deviant peer influence among adolescents. However, there are also conflicting findings that need further exploration. Future research could focus on these discrepancies and continue to leverage the power of SNA in studying the development of criminal behavior in adolescents. This review highlights the importance of SNA in better understanding the mechanisms behind peer influence and provides a roadmap for future research in this field.

Patterns of smartphone addiction in adolescents and their association with multiple ecological factors: A latent profile analysis

Smartphones are a ubiquitous means of communication and entertainment, and adolescents are at risk of becoming addicted to their use. The purpose of the current study was to identify latent profiles of adolescent smartphone addiction and to test whether these profiles could be predicted by factors in the multiple contexts of family (parent-adolescent attachment, parental monitoring), peers (deviant peer affiliation, peer relationships), and school (teacher-adolescent relationships, school bonding). Participants were 554 students (45.8 % girls, aged 11–17 years) from two middle schools in Changsha, China. The latent profile analysis revealed three smartphone addiction patterns: “low smartphone addiction group” (52.1%), “moderate smartphone addiction group” (35.7%), and “high smartphone addiction group” (12.2%). Members of the three profiles differed in parent-adolescent attachment and deviant peer affiliation. Specifically, compared to the low smartphone addiction group, adolescents who perceived low parent-adolescent attachment were more likely to be in the high smartphone addiction group, while adolescents who perceived higher deviant peer affiliation were more likely to belong to the moderate and high smartphone addiction group. The current study is the first to identify patterns of adolescent smartphone addiction in relation to multiple ecological factors, and the results may inform targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

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.

Learning Disabilities and Delinquency: The (Non-)mediating and (Non-)moderating Role of Peer Deviance

This study assesses the role of peer deviance in the relationship between learning disabilities and violence and property crime. Two possibilities are explored: (a) that youths with a learning disability tend to have more deviant peers which in turn increases delinquent involvement (a mediating effect) and (b) that youths with a learning disability are more strongly influenced by the deviance of their peers (a moderating effect). We draw on the causality literature and employ a causal directed acyclic graph. Using data from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health ( N = 6,391), we find results that are not in line with either possibility. While adolescents with learning disabilities are shown to exhibit higher levels of violence (but not property crime), peer deviance is not found to play either a mediating or a moderating role. We recommend future work test alternative mediating pathways, such as through victimization and self-control.

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.

A study of deviant behaviour among China's left‐behind children: The impact of strain, social control and learning

AbstractThis study aims to examine the effects of strain, social control and learning variables on the likelihood of deviant behaviour among left‐behind children (thereafter LBC) and non‐left‐behind children (thereafter NLBC) in China. A cross‐sectional survey study was conducted among 380 LBC and 656 NLBC in elementary and middle schools in three cities of Hubei Province, China. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess whether LBC and NLBC differ in deviant behaviour and three main groups of correlates of deviance that reflect strain, social control and learning. LBC were less likely than NLBC to commit deviant behaviour. LBC with greater family attachment and school bond were less likely to engage in deviance, whereas NLBC with more academic difficulty and bullying victimization were more inclined to conduct deviant acts. Having deviant peers increased both LBC's and NLBC's probability of committing deviant behaviour. A combination of factors related to strain, social control and learning theories explains Chinese children's deviance. It is important to promote the healthy development of LBC by enhancing family and school bonds and reducing deviant associations.

Do Peers, Neighborhood Disorder, Religiosity, Spirituality, and Family Support Influence Polysubstance Use Among Older Youth Transitioning from Foster Care?

ABSTRACT Purpose Few studies have explored polysubstance use among youths aging out of foster care, despite higher rates of substance misuse for youths exiting foster care than those in the general population. Polysubstance use has been linked to substance use disorders, health problems, cognitive impairment, suicide, and overdose. Method This study investigates understudied risk and protective factors associated with polysubstance use with data from 384 youth who turned 17 years old between December 1, 2001, and June 30, 2003, and were transitioning out of foster care from the Missouri Children’s Division. We conducted bivariate analyses with chi-square tests for categorical variables and Analysis of Variance with continuous independent variables. Then we conducted a multinomial logistic regression to explore differences between individuals who used 1 or no substances, individuals who used only alcohol and marijuana, and individuals who used 2 or more substances. Results Bivariate analyses found that being white, having deviant peers, and living in a more disordered neighborhood were risk factors for polysubstance use. Multinomial logistic regression results found that being white (RR = 6.89, p < .001), having deviant peers (RR = 1.15, p < .001), and living in a more disordered neighborhood (RR = 1.13, p < .05), increased the risk engaging in polysubstance use. Discussion Similar to findings in other studies, we found that deviant peers and neighborhood disorder increase the risk of polysubstance use, but family support, church attendance, and spirituality were not protective against polysubstance use. Conclusion Interventions should work to reduce deviant peer relationships among foster youth.