Why girls go delinquent.

• Position: Teenagers - Brief Article

Girls who go through puberty earlier than their peers are more likely to be involved in delinquency, but not for the reasons often suspected, according to an Ohio State University, Columbus, study. It has long been speculated that early-developing girls were nudged into misconduct because they had more older friends--and more male acquaintances. Instead, new research suggests that the key factors appear to be the fact that these girls are dating and that they have more peers--regardless of age--who already are involved in wrongdoing.

"Girls who develop early aren't any more likely to have male school friends, or older school friends, than their less-developed counterparts," maintains Dana Haynie, assistant professor of sociology. "But going through puberty early does expose these girls to other social factors that put them at risk for delinquency."

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