Puberty and Girls' Delinquency: A Test of Competing Models Explaining the Relationship between Pubertal Development...

A substantial amount of research indicates precocious pubertal development is associated with delinquent behavior in girls. However, no clear consensus on theoretical mechanisms underlying this association has been established. Using a prospective panel study of 480 African American girls, the current study uses latent growth curve analysis to compare two competing models-context of risk (CR) and life history (LH) theory-offering potential explanations of this phenomenon. The CR model suggests that early pubertal development substantially shapes girls' social worlds such that they are exposed to more risk factors for delinquency; whereas, LH theory argues environmental unpredictability and harshness in childhood cause accelerated physical development, which predicts risky behavior. Results indicate that girls with precocious pubertal timing have more deviant peers and are exposed to harsher parenting, and that risk factors do not predict pubertal timing, providing more support for the CR model. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.