Correlations between adolescents' own antisocial behavior and adolescents'
perceptions of the antisocial behavior of their best friends and friendship
groups were examined in this study. The strength of those correlations was
expected to vary as a function of the qualities of the dyadic friendships
and group relationships. Perceptions of peers' antisocial behavior and dyad
ic friendship and group relationship qualities were collected through inter
views with 431, 12- through 13-year-old adolescents. Measures of adolescent
s' concurrent and subsequent antisocial behaviors were obtained from the ad
olescents and their teachers. Adolescents who perceived their friends and g
roups as participating in antisocial behavior had higher self-reported and
teacher-reported antisocial behavior ratings. Perceptions of best friend an
tisocial behavior were correlated more strongly with adolescents' own concu
rrent but not subsequent, antisocial behavior when high levels of help, com
panionship, and security characterized dyadic friendships. The results are
discussed in terms of peer influence and friendship selection processes.