Peer Status Among Incarcerated Female Offenders: Associations With Social Behavior and Adjustment

Abstract

Peers are a powerful socializing force, especially during adolescence. Whether peer status holds the same meaning, correlates, and consequences for female offenders remains unknown. Using a peer nomination technique in a sample of incarcerated females (N = 86, age 15-24 years), our study is the first to examine the association between peer status and psychopathology in a correctional facility. Results indicated that a key indicator of likeability was prosocial behavior; popularity was related to leadership; and social impact was associated with aggression. Popularity might serve as a buffer against, and social impact as a risk factor for, psychosocial problems. Findings shed light on peer status as a mechanism underpinning female offenders’ problem behaviors and an entry point for targeted interventions.

Friends in locked places: An investigation of prison inmate network structure

“…Nearly all surveyed inmates (98%) indicated getting along with at least one of their fellow inmates, with 92% naming alters (10 inmates reported they got along with others but were reluctant to provide names). On average, inmates nominated 3.9 alters in the get along with network, which falls in the range of prior estimates of friends within correctional settings (1.8, Gallagher 1990; 2.7, MacRae 1960; 6.3, Colsher et al 1992; and 7, Killworth and Bernard 1974) and is close to estimates of the number of inmates liked (4.8, Goldweber et al 2014). In comparison, Hughes (2013) reports an average degree of 3.8 across the 11 gangs she studied; and the Add Health schools had a mean friendship degree of 4.3 (sd = 1.1) with a minimum of 1.6.…”

Types of Relational Aggression in Girls Are Differentiated by Callous-Unemotional Traits, Peers and Parental Overcontrol

“…In prior research, physically-aggressive girls have been shown to be rejected by their female peers due to their deviation from the gender norm, and they gravitate more towards male-dominated peer groups [ 61 ]. However, higher peer status and popularity have been shown to be related to girls’ use of relational aggression [ 62 ], indicating a possible divergence from prior research based on the form of aggression. Thus, it may be that female peers are accepting and possibly attracted toward associating with highly relationally-aggressive and more proactive aggressive girls.…”

“…Thus, it may be that female peers are accepting and possibly attracted toward associating with highly relationally-aggressive and more proactive aggressive girls. Although these girls may not be liked, they may still attract high peer status [ 62 ]. Alternatively, it may be that this combined group was lower in reporting many more male peers because this group was younger.…”

A Test of the Bistrategic Control Hypothesis of Adolescent Popularity

“…Variable‐oriented research ties popularity to both aggression and prosocial behavior (see Cillessen, , for review). Longitudinal studies link popularity with relational aggression (reciprocally) and physical aggression (e.g., Cillessen & Mayeux, ), along with increasing delinquent behavior (Goldweber, Cauffman, & Cillessen, ) and deteriorating academic performance (Schwartz, Gorman, Nakamoto, & McKay, ). One longitudinal study describes reciprocal associations between popularity and prosocial behavior (Lu, Li, Niu, Jin, & French, ) among Eastern cultures, findings consistent with well‐established concurrent links between popularity and self‐esteem, prosociality, and emotional stability (van der Linden, Scholte, Cillessen, te Nijenhuis, & Segers, ; Litwack, Aikins, & Cillessen, ), among Western cultures.…”