Predicting early adolescent offending with criminal victimization and delinquent peer associations by way of negative attitudes toward the police

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effect of victimization experiences and peer influence on delinquency via one's attitude toward the police. It was hypothesized that negative attitudes toward the police would mediate the prospective relationships between victimization and offending and between peer delinquency and offending. Participants were 2,623 early adolescents from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) study, a 6-wave longitudinal survey conducted between 1995 and 1999. The research design consisted of 2 independent variables (victimization and peer delinquency) measured at Wave 2, 1 mediator variable (negative attitudes toward the police) measured at Wave 3, and 1 dependent variable (participant delinquency) measured at Wave 4. Multiple regression and negative binomial path analyses revealed significant indirect effects running from violent victimization to negative attitudes toward the police to participant delinquency and from peer delinquency to negative attitudes toward the police to participant delinquency. The results of this study indicate that both violent victimization and peer delinquency contribute to participant delinquency, in part, by encouraging the formation of negative attitudes toward the police. It is speculated that violent victimization may increase negative attitudes toward the police by arousing distress and feelings of vulnerability, whereas peer delinquency may increase negative attitudes through instruction, observation, and other forms of social learning.