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It's not the time they spend, it's what they do: The interaction between delinquent friends and unstructured routine activity on delinquency: Findings from two countries

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  • Svensson, Robert
  • Oberwittler, Dietrich

Abstract

This study examines whether having delinquent friends interacts with other peer-related variables in the explanation of adolescent offending. We hypothesise that the relationship between delinquent friends and offending might be conditioned by the effect of (1) how much time they spend with their friends, (2) how much time they spend in unstructured routine activities and (3) their emotional relationship with their friends. To test these three hypotheses we use data from two independent samples of young adolescents in Halmstad, Sweden (N = 1,003) and in Cologne and Freiburg, Germany (N = 955). The results found strong support that the effect of delinquent friends on adolescent offending is conditional on the level of time they spend in unstructured routine activities. This indicates that delinquent friends have a stronger effect on offending for adolescents who often spend their free time in unstructured routine activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Svensson, Robert & Oberwittler, Dietrich, 2010. "It's not the time they spend, it's what they do: The interaction between delinquent friends and unstructured routine activity on delinquency: Findings from two countries," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 1006-1014, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:38:y::i:5:p:1006-1014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ai, Chunrong & Norton, Edward C., 2003. "Interaction terms in logit and probit models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 123-129, July.
    2. Edward C. Norton & Hua Wang & Chunrong Ai, 2004. "Computing interaction effects and standard errors in logit and probit models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 4(2), pages 154-167, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jaejin Ahn & Joan P. Yoo, 2022. "Patterns of Time Use among 12-Year-Old Children and Their Life Satisfaction: A Gender and Cross-Country Comparison," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(5), pages 1693-1717, October.
    2. Cho, Sujung & Rustu, Deryol, 2020. "Examining the impacts of low self-control and online lifestyles on cyberbullying perpetration among Korean adolescents: Using parallel process latent growth curve modeling," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    3. Hirtenlehner, Helmut & Pauwels, Lieven & Mesko, Gorazd, 2015. "Is the criminogenic effect of exposure to peer delinquency dependent on the ability to exercise self-control? Results from three countries," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 43(6), pages 532-543.
    4. E-L. Nilsson, 2017. "Analyzing Gender Differences in the Relationship between Family Influences and Adolescent Offending among Boys and Girls," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(4), pages 1079-1094, December.
    5. Petr Badura & Andrea Madarasova Geckova & Dagmar Sigmundova & Erik Sigmund & Jitse P. Dijk & Sijmen A. Reijneveld, 2018. "Can organized leisure-time activities buffer the negative outcomes of unstructured activities for adolescents’ health?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(6), pages 743-751, July.
    6. DeLisi, Matt & Piquero, Alex R., 2011. "New frontiers in criminal careers research, 2000-2011: A state-of-the-art review," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 289-301, July.
    7. Savolainen, Jukka & Brauer, Jonathan R. & Ellonen, Noora, 2020. "Beauty is in the eye of the offender: Physical attractiveness and adolescent victimization," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    8. Ward, Jeffrey T. & Forney, Megan, 2020. "Unpacking within- and between-person effects of unstructured socializing and differential association on solo- and co-offending," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    9. Hirtenlehner, Helmut & Kunz, Franziska, 2017. "Can self-control theory explain offending in late adulthood? Evidence from Germany," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 37-47.
    10. Vazsonyi, Alexander T. & Javakhishvili, Magda & Ksinan, Albert J., 2018. "Routine activities and adolescent deviance across 28 cultures," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 56-66.
    11. Hoeben, Evelien M. & Meldrum, Ryan C. & Walker, D'Andre & Young, Jacob T.N., 2016. "The role of peer delinquency and unstructured socializing in explaining delinquency and substance use: A state-of-the-art review," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 108-122.
    12. Hirtenlehner, Helmut & Baier, Dirk, 2019. "Self-control and offending in late adulthood. Investigating self-control's interaction with opportunities and criminal associations in advanced age," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 117-129.

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