The Role of Adolescent Friendship Group Integration and Cohesion in Weapon-Related Violent Crime as a Young Adult

Abstract

Weapon-related violent crime is a serious, complex, and multifaceted public health problem. The present study uses data from Waves I and III of Add Health (n=10,482, 54% female) to examine how friendship group integration and cohesion in adolescence (ages 12–19) is associated with weapon-related criminal activity as a young adult (ages 18–26). Results indicate that greater cohesion in friendship groups is associated with significantly lower weapon-related criminal activity in young adulthood. In addition, for adolescent girls, a greater number of close friendship ties—an indicator of friendship group integration—is associated with less weapon-related criminal activity in young adulthood. These findings suggest that school-based initiatives to facilitate inclusive and cohesive adolescent peer communities may be an effective strategy to curb weapon-related criminal activity in young adulthood.

Peer Group Embeddedness and Academic Motivation: A Developmental Perspective

“…The feeling of being connected to other students may cause positive emotions, allowing students to deal with subject-specific tasks more enthusiastically. Additionally, highly connected peer groups may provide a more supportive—and less competitive—environment ( Mundt et al, 2017 ). Thus, highly embedded students receive more emotional and instrumental support from their peers than less embedded students.…”

Diane Marano: Juvenile Offenders and Guns: Voices Behind Gun Violence

“…Had this been the case, it could have offered more useful data. Still, the study of gun use by juveniles remains surprisingly understudied (see Mundt et al 2017), which makes the book's conclusions particularly important ones.…”