Parent and Peer Effects on Delinquency‐related Violence and Dating Violence: A Test of Two Mediational Models

Abstract Drawing on two complementary process models of violence, i.e., social cognitive theory and rejection sensitivity theory, the goal of the present study was (1) to examine the unique effects of parents and peers on boys’ violent behavior in delinquency‐related contexts and in dating relationships, (2) to assess the mediating processes underlying these links, and (3) to test whether these processes operate in the same way for delinquency‐related violence and dating violence. Based on a sample of 336 boys, results showed that problematic experiences with parents and with peers each predicted subsequent violence, both in delinquency‐related and in dating‐related contexts. However, the contributions of the social cognitive model and the rejection sensitivity model in explaining these links varied somewhat depending on the situational context of the violent behavior. The implications of the similarities and specificities in the risk factors and pathways leading to delinquency‐related violence and dating violence are discussed.