Delinquentie van adolescenten: De rol van delinquente vrienden en emotionele problemen

Abstract

The present paper proposes that delinquent reciprocal friends can affect subsequent individual delinquent behavior and that especially adolescents with emotional problems are vulnerable for peer pressure. A short term longitudinal study was conducted to examine the links between the influence of delinquent friends and emotional disturbance on delinquent behavior among 1258 Dutch early-adolescents. Results showed that delinquent behavior of reciprocal friends affect subsequent delinquent behavior of early-adolescents. In addition, social emotional problems (lack of sociability, loneliness and shyness) had a moderating effect on the relationship between delinquent friends and subsequent adolescent delinquent behavior. Non-social emotional problems (low self-esteem, stress and depression) did not have a direct moderating effect, but there was a direct correlation with delinquent behavior.