TESTS OF 3 HYPOTHESES REGARDING THE PREDICTORS OF DELINQUENCY

Three hypotheses regarding the predictors of criminal activity in chil dren and adolescents were assessed. These dealt with family, peer, and attitudinal variables, and they were explored in relation to indices based on seriousness of criminal activity and reoffending. The data we re based on a sample of 338 youths who had been convicted of crimes an d received probation or custody dispositions. The results provided gen eral support for a model implicating family, peer, and attitudinal var iables in youthful criminal activity. They did not, however, provide s upport for hypothesized interactions between family relationship and f amily structuring dimensions or between family relationship and peer a ssociation variables. The results did support an hypothesis regarding the independent contribution of an antisocial attitudes variable to th e prediction of criminal activity.