The Sibling Effect for Delinquency: Mediation by Proactive Criminal Thinking and Moderation by Age

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Criminology

Background:

• The influence of siblings on adolescent behavior is a significant area of research.
• Peer influence is a well-established factor in adolescent delinquency.
• The role of proactive criminal thinking as a mediator in these influences requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether the sibling delinquency effect is mediated by proactive criminal thinking.
• To examine the moderating role of age on the relationship between sibling delinquency, criminal thinking, and offending.
• To compare the sibling influence effect with the peer influence effect in relation to criminal thinking.

Main Methods:

• Causal mediation analysis was employed to test the hypothesized pathways.
• Data were drawn from the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey (OCJS).
• Participants were divided into early adolescent (n=795) and mid-adolescent (n=532) subsamples.

Main Results:

• A significant pathway from sibling delinquency to proactive criminal thinking to serious offending was found.
• This pathway was significant only in the early adolescent subsample, indicating age moderation.
• Proactive criminal thinking significantly mediated the effect of sibling delinquency on serious offending in early adolescence.

Conclusions:

• Sibling delinquency may foster serious offending in early adolescents through the learning of proactive criminal thinking.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering sibling influence during early adolescence.
• Interventions targeting proactive criminal thinking may be effective in mitigating sibling delinquency effects.