The Longitudinal Associations Between Music Clusters and Delinquency among Dutch Adolescents: Popularity, Peer Acceptance and Peer Rejection as Mediators

Abstract

Delinquency among adolescents is a current societal problem in the Netherlands. In order to decrease delinquency rates, it is important to gain knowledge on predictors and underlying mechanisms of delinquency. The aims of this longitudinal research were to investigate (1) the relationship between music cluster preference and delinquency among adolescents, and (2) if this relationship was mediated by three different social positions: popularity, acceptance, and rejection. As part of the Social Network Analysis of Risk behavior in Early adolescence study (SNARE), a seven-wave sample of 11 to 14-year-old adolescents (N = 1,124, Mage = 12.5, 50.2% boys) was utilized. With K-means cluster analysis 6 different music preference clusters were distinguished: ‘Pop’, ‘Rock’, ‘Anti’s’, ‘Afro-American’, ‘Dance’, and ‘Omnivores’. However, after adding the control variables ‘sex’ and ‘previous delinquency’ to the analysis, the music clusters did not significantly predict delinquency over time. Despite that no mediation effect has been found, the results showed an association between music cluster preference and the three different social positions. The three social position were, however, not significantly related to later delinquent behavior. This research highlights that it seems less important among early adolescents to focus on prevention and intervention in the relationship between music and delinquency.