Perceiving teachers as procedurally just limits the negative effects of delinquent peer associations: An analysis of Australian adolescent boys’ and girls’ perceptions of school authority

Abstract

This research addressed whether perceptions of antisocial peers play a role in shaping individual perceptions of the legitimacy of school authority figures in young people. Using data from a sample of 102 young people from Brisbane, Australia, who participated in the Ability School Engagement Program, we examined whether associating with peers who engage in antisocial behavior was related to perceptions of the legitimacy of school authority over time. Mixed-effects linear regression analyses indicated that associations with antisocial peers were related to poorer perceptions of school authority over a 2-year period. We also found that antisocial peer associations had a bigger impact on perceptions of school legitimacy for girls compared to boys. These relationships, however, were not statistically significant when perceptions of school procedural justice were controlled for, suggesting the important role of school procedural justice in shaping perceptions of school legitimacy, even among young people who associate with more antisocial peers.