THE INFLUENCE OF DEVIANT PEERS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOYS DISRUPTIVE AND DELINQUENT-BEHAVIOR - A TEMPORAL ANALYSIS

The concurrent and predictive influence of deviant peers on boys' disr uptive and delinquent behavior was examined in a community sample of f ourth- and seventh-grade boys, who were followed-up over six data wave s. Analyses were conducted separately for three different types of beh avior problems: authority conflict, covert, and overt disruptive behav ior. Consistent with the existing literature, concurrent relations bet ween peers' and boys' disruptive behavior were expected to be signific ant. A more informative test, however, was whether exposure to deviant peers resulted in boys' subsequent initiation of disruptive behavior. Although peer influences were expected in the predictive analyses, th e relations were hypothesized to differ by type of behavior. The poten tial moderating effects of hyperactivity and poor parenting practices were also examined to test the hypothesis that boys who are already at risk for behavior problems will be more susceptible to deviant peer i nfluence. Results supported the significant concurrent and predictive relation between exposure to deviant peers and boys' engagement in dis ruptive and delinquent behavior. There were no significant moderating effects of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or parentin g practices on peer influence.