RT Article
T1 Mixed-sex peer groups and violent delinquency: understanding the separate and combined influence of mixed-sex peer groups, sex, and romance on violent delinquency
JF Journal of crime and justice
VO 46
IS 5
SP 607
OP 626
A1 O’Neill, Kate K.
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1869084829
AB Prior studies suggest peer group sex composition is an important correlate of delinquency, but these studies often conflate the influence of other-sex peers with that of romantic and intimate partners. This research seeks to understand the influence of other-sex peers as separate from, but related to, romantic activity and sexual debut. I find that while sexual and romantic activity predict mixed-sex peer group (MSPG) membership, they do not fully explain the positive relationship between MSPG membership and violent delinquency. Guided by literature on gender socialization and the institutionalization of heteronormativity, I argue this result can be explained as the result of a heteronormative culture that problematizes platonic, other-sex interactions and forces adolescents to maintain other-sex friendships in non-surveilled spaces.
K1 Violence
K1 Peers
K1 Gender
K1 Juvenile Delinquency
DO 10.1080/0735648X.2023.2205161