Family, School, and Behavioral Antecedents to Early Adolescent Involvement With Antisocial Peers

This study focuses on the prediction of early adolescent involvement with antisocial peers from boys' experiences in school, family, and behavior at age 10. Two hundred and six boys and their families were assessed at school, interviewed, observed in the home, and then followed up at age 12. Poor parental discipline and monitoring practices, peer rejection, and academic failure at age 10 were prognostic of involvement with antisocial peers at age 12. We also found considerable continuity between the boys' antisocial behavior and contact with antisocial peers at age 10 and subsequent contact at age 12. After we controlled for such continuity, only academic failure and peer rejection remained as significant predictors. These data indicate a need to study the ecological context of deviant peer networks in middle childhood.