A RECONSIDERATION OF PARENTAL AND PEER INFLUENCES ON ADOLESCENT DEVIANCE

The role of peers in fostering deviant behavior in adolescence is well -documented in the sociological literature, while support for parental influence or ''control'' theories of deviance is more equivocal. This paper examines the relative influences of parents and peers on adoles cent delinquency and marijuana use, wing data from a three-wave panel study of youths who were paired with a best friend. (N = 435). Covaria nce structure models based upon polychoric correlations among study va riables reveal that friends are indeed the primary source of influence on youths' behavior, bur that estimates of influence are grossly, ove rstated in analyses relying upon respondents' perceptions of their fri ends' behavior. Parental supervision and attachment are weakly related to subsequent delinquency and marijuana use, lending little support t o control theories of deviance. Findings reveal that different process es account for the similarities among members of delinquent and drug-u sing peer groups. Although youths are socialized into delinquent behav ior by peers, both selection and socialization influences play importa nt roles in the formation of drug-using peer groups.