Peer Relationships and Violence Among Female Juvenile Offenders

Abstract

The present study examined the relationships among various aspects of peer relationships to violence in 128 female juvenile offenders representing four racial/ethnic groups (i.e., Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and biracial/multiracial). Results revealed that high levels of peer association and extrinsic rewards from peer relationships best predicted violence among all groups. Furthermore, among Hispanics, positive peer attitudes toward delinquency significantly contributed to violence. Among Caucasians, greater time spent with peers was associated with higher levels of violence. For African Americans, tangible rewards from peer relationships significantly contributed to violence. No significant results were found among biracial/multiracial female offenders. The findings from this study highlight the significant influence of peer relationships on violence among juvenile offenders and suggest the need for further research on racial and ethnic differences.

Exploration of the Pathways to Delinquency for Female Adolescents With Depression: Implications for Cross‐Systems Collaboration and Counseling

“…Although the Beyers and Loeber study made significant contributions to understanding the link between depression and peer relationships, its sole focus on male adolescents limits the ability to extend the findings to female adolescents, who are historically more relationally oriented than their male counterparts (Guimond, Chatard, Martinot, Crisp, & Redersdorff, 2006). In Silverman and Caldwell's (2008) study of 128 female juvenile offenders, peer relationships were significantly related to delinquency. Although research has separately observed the links between depression and peer group affiliation and between delinquency and peer group affiliation, the links between all three variables do not seem to have been established for justice-involved female adolescents.…”