The Parent–Peer Interface

• Author: Glenn D. Walters
• DOI: 10.1177/1541204015581058
• Published date: 01 October 2016
• Date: 01 October 2016
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

The Parent–Peer Interface:

Does Inductive Parenting

Reduce the Criminogenic

Effect of Delinquent Peers?

Glenn D. Walters

1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether inductive parenting is capable of reducing

delinquent peer influence. This hypothesis was tested using the first four waves (1976–1979) and all

1,725 (918 boys and 807 girls) members of the National Youth Survey (NYS). Inductive parenting

was scored from 6 dichotomous items completed by a parent at Wave 1. Peer influence and

selection were based on measures of peer and own delinquency completed by adolescent members

of the NYS. As predicted, the pathway from inductive parenting to peer influence was significant and

the pathway from inductive parenting to peer selection was not, although the two pathways were

not significantly different from one another. These results suggest that inductive parenting exerts a

small but potentially important effect on peer influence and may be one way of preventing the

proactive or instrumental criminality believed to be transmitted through the peer influence process.

Keywords

peer selection, peer influence, inductive discipline, delinquency

The relationship between parenting and peers is central to the social development of children and

adolescents. Research indicates that both are important in the evolution of juvenile delinquency and

adult crime, although their relative contributions to antisocial behavior depend largely on the child’s

age and developmental needs (Brown, 2004; Pardini, Loeber, & Stouthamer-Loevber, 2005; Tilton-

Weaver, Burk, Kerry, & Stattin, 2013). Although parental factors predominate over peer factors in

the socialization of children, peers become increasingly more important sources of socialization as a

child transitions into adolescence. Even before this, children are spending more time with their

friends than they are with their parents (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). Rather than viewing

parents and peers as independent social influences, it may be more fruitful to examine their interface,

particularly as it occurs during early adolescence when peers are beginning to transplant parents as

the primary agents of youth socialization. This does not mean that parents have no influence over

1

Department of Criminal Justice, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Glenn D. Walters, Department of Criminal Justice, Kutztown University, 361 Old Main, Kutztown, PA 19530, USA.

Email: walters@kutztown.edu

Youth Violence and JuvenileJustice

2016, Vol. 14(4) 411-425

ªThe Author(s) 2015

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DOI: 10.1177/1541204015581058

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