INVESTIGATING THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF SCHOOL CLIMATE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEER DEVIANCE AND DELINQUENCY

Abstract

Peer deviance is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of delinquency. However, social interactions among adolescents and their peers do not happen in a vacuum. In particular, school is a critical social context for peer interactions. It is possible that school climate may alter the strength of the link between peer deviance and personal delinquency. The current project investigated the potential moderating effects of two dimensions/sub-categories of school climate, school communal social organization and discipline management, on the association between peer deviance and personal delinquency using Add Health data. Results indicated students who were more committed to school were more vulnerable to peer influence, and school-level factors did not have any impact on the peer deviance-delinquency relationship.