THE IMPACT OF FAMILY-STRUCTURE DURING ADOLESCENCE ON DEVIANCE IN EARLY ADULTHOOD

Using three waves of panel data (N = 2,931), the authors estimated a s tructural equation model to test the direct and indirect effect of fam ily structure during early adolescence on forestalling deviance in ear ly adulthood. Family structure is hypothesized to affect young adult d eviance through four intervening processes during adolescence: parent- child relationship, commitment to conventional values, association wit h deviant peers, and subjective distress. The direct effect from famil y structure on deviance in early adulthood was found to persist after the significant mediating processes during adolescence were taken into account. The results are consistent with the view that considers fami ly disruption as a gradual disintegration process as opposed to a fata l accident with an immediate impact.