Parents and Peers: The Social Context of Interpersonal Relationships that Predict Changes inDelinquent Behavior

Abstract: Delinquent behavior is often a consequence of complex interactions between social contexts. In this study, we examined if the quality of relationships with mothers or fathers and relationships with delinquent peers predicted change in adolescents’ delinquent behavior. We used a sample of 2024 Swedish adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years (M = 14.8, SD = .71). We analyzed the data using hierarchical regressions, testing interactions intended to determine if the relationships with peers moderated the association of peers’ delinquent behavior with changes in adolescents’ own delinquent behavior. We further tested if this interaction was moderated by the quality of relationships with parents. The results suggested that association with delinquent peers was moderated by the quality of the relationship with peers. We did not find, however, evidence that the relationships with mothers or fathers predicted change in delinquent behavior or moderated the association of peer variables with delinquent behavior. While having delinquent peers matters for predicting delinquent behavior, when the relationships are high-quality relationships there is a greater increase in delinquent behavior than when the relationships are lower quality. The results of this study have implications for practice and further research on delinquent behavior, particularly for creating and improving prevention and intervention programs.