Deviant Peer Affiliations, Crime and Substance Use: A Fixed Effects Regression Analysis
Abstract
The present study was designed to assess the influence of deviant peer affiliations on crime and substance use in adolescence/young adulthood. Data were used from a 21-year longitudinal study of health, development, and adjustment of a birth cohort of 1,265 New Zealand children. Annual assessments of deviant peer affiliations were obtained for the period from age 14-21 years, together with measures of psychosocial outcomes including, violent crime, property crime, alcohol abuse, cannabis abuse, and nicotine dependence. Affiliating with deviant peers was found to be significantly associated with each of these outcomes (p < .0001). Statistical control for confounding by both fixed and time dynamic factors reduced the strength of association between deviant peer affiliations and outcome measures. Nevertheless, deviant peer affiliations remained significantly associated (p < .0001) with all outcomes. For violent/property crime, cannabis and alcohol abuse there was significant evidence of age-related variation in the strength of association with deviant peer affiliations, with deviant peer affiliations having greater influence on younger participants (14-15 years) than older participants (20-21 years). These results suggest that deviant peer affiliations are associated with increased rates of a range of adjustment problems in adolescence/young adulthood with deviant peer affiliations being most influential at younger ages.
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Early-life violent behavior increases the risk of subsequent alcohol misuse.
“early-life violent behavior increases the risk of subsequent alcohol misuse (White et al. 1999; Fergusson et al. 2002; Herrenkohl et al. 2007)”
From Decoding the bidirectional links between alcohol misuse and aggression: toward a unified translational framework (2026) · cites this paper as Fergusson et al. 2002
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- Authors
- Fergusson, D. M., Swain-Campbell, N. R., & Horwood, L. J.
- Corresponding author
- Fergusson, David M.
- Venue
- Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Published
- 2002-08
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 419-430
- ISSN
- 0091-0627 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2835
- OpenAlex
- W1578266362
- Cited by
- 365
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 35.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Research Foundation
- Canterbury Medical Research Foundation
- Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale
- Lotto New Zealand
- Health Research Council of New Zealand
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- deviant peer affiliation, peer influence, juvenile delinquency, violent crime, property crime, alcohol abuse, cannabis use disorder, nicotine dependence, substance use, age effects, developmental trajectories
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Crime, Female, Humans, Juvenile Delinquency, Longitudinal Studies, Male, New Zealand, Peer Group, Personality Assessment, Psychometrics, Regression Analysis, Risk Factors, Social Facilitation, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Substance-Related Disorders
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