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Cited by 482Crime Patterns and InterventionsCrime, Deviance, and Social ControlBullying, Victimization, and Aggression

THE INFLUENCE OF DELINQUENT PEERS: WHAT THEY THINK OR WHAT THEY DO?*

WARR, MARK, STAFFORD, MARK·1991·Criminology
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1991.tb01090.x
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Abstract

Although the association between delinquent friends and delinquent behavior is well established, the mechanism by which delinquency is socially transmitted remains unclear. Sutherlands theory of differential association holds that delinquency is a consequence of attitudes favorable to the violation of the law, attitudes that are acquired through intimate social interaction with peers. An analysis of data from the National Youth Survey indicates that peer attitudes do affect delinquency. But the effect of peers'attitudes is small in comparison to that of peers behavior, and the effect of peers'behavior remains strong even when peers, attitudes and the adolescent's own attitude are controlled. Moreover, when the behavior and attitudes of peers are inconsistent, the behavior of peers appears to outweigh or override the attitudes of peers. These findings suggest that delinquency is not primarily a consequence of attitudes acquired from peers. Rather, it more likely stems from other social learning mechanisms, such as imitation or vicarious reinforcement, or from group pressures to conform.

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  • Behavior and attitudes are mutually reinforcing in general and for deviant behavior in particular.

    “To the extent that behavior and attitudes are mutually reinforcing in general (e.g., Bem 1970;Festinger 1964), and for deviant behavior in particular (e.g., Warr and Stafford 1991), a full picture of the role of religion in controlling crime and deviance needs to assess religion's affect on both attitudes and behavior.”

    From The Effect of Religiosity on Tax Fraud Acceptability: A Cross‐National Analysis (2006) · cites this paper as Warr and Stafford 1991

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Authors
WARR, M., & STAFFORD, M.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
  • Washington State University (US)
Venue
Criminology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
1991-11
Volume
29
Issue
4
Pages
851-866
ISSN
  • 0011-1384 (ISSN-L)
  • 1745-9125
DOI
10.1111/j.1745-9125.1991.tb01090.x
OpenAlex
W2101472231
Cited by
481
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 20
FWCI
19.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 5240 d)
Locations
Criminology (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
Keywords
juvenile delinquency, peer influence, differential association, peer attitudes, peer behavior, social learning, imitation, vicarious reinforcement, group conformity

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