Beyond the Schoolyard: The Influence of High School Friendships on Turning Points and Crime in Adulthood

• In Event: Friendship Networks and Delinquency in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood, Session 1: Peers and Persistence

Abstract

During adolescence, some youth become invested in delinquent behavior, particularly those who associate with antisocial peers, making it challenging for them to desist from criminal behavior during adulthood. However, previous research shows that turning points, such as getting married
or joining the military, allow young adults the opportunity to counteract previous negative behaviors. It is theorized that this is partly caused by people restructuring their friendship networks and cutting off old ties to delinquent friends to make room for new, prosocial connections. This study investigates whether dissolved and persistent high school friendships can
clarify the link between early adulthood turning points and desistance from criminal behavior. I utilize data from 1,913 respondents who participated in the PROSPER study from 6th grade to
young adulthood to better understand whether dissolving delinquent high school friendships mediates the connection between turning points and criminal behavior. More specifically, I focus
on whether these friendship patterns help explain the connection between four positive turning points (marriage, joining the military, starting a full-time job, and having children) and self-
reported involvement in violent and property crime. This research will give insight into how friendships in early adulthood influence desistance processes through positive turning points.

Author

• Kaley A. Jones, Northeastern University