Beyond deviancy-training: Deviant adolescent friendships and long-term social development.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Adolescent Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Adolescent peer associations are critical for development.
• Coercive parent-teen interactions may influence peer group selection.
• The long-term impact of deviant peer association requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the origins of adolescent association with deviant friends.
• To investigate the links between deviant peer association and functional difficulties into adulthood.
• To understand how coercive parenting influences these pathways.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study tracking 184 adolescents from age 13 to 27.
• Collateral data collected from friends, classmates, and parents.
• Statistical analyses controlled for adolescent delinquent behavior.

Main Results:

• Coercive parent-teen interactions predicted association with deviant friends.
• Deviant peer association was linked to declining peer functioning in adolescence.
• Association predicted greater adult internalizing/externalizing symptoms and poorer adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Deviant peer association, rooted in coercive parenting, disrupts peer relationship development.
• These disruptions have lasting implications beyond deviancy training.
• Interventions targeting parent-teen interactions may mitigate negative peer influences.