Friendships and Delinquency

Major delinquency theories differ significantly in the ways in which they have portrayed the friendship patterns of male and, more recently, female delinquents. Psychological studies and control theory have depicted delinquents' peer relationships as inadequate or exploitive and cold, whereas subcultural theories generally emphasize the intimacy and solidarity of the delinquent gang. In spite of its pivotal theoretical role, few studies have actually examined delinquents' friendships and the ways in which they differ from those of more conforming adolescents. Multiple dimensions of friendship are identified that allow examination of adolescents' perceptions of the rewards and vicissitudes of their relationships and the patterns of interaction and influence that characterize them. The data reveal many similarities in the friendship patterns of adolescents with significant differences in their levels of self-reported delinquency involvement and challenge the conception of female delinquents as socially disabled. These data suggest that both the "cold and brittle" and "intimate fraternity" images may have oversimplified the nature of of delinquents' friendship relations. Similarities and differences in the friendship styles of black and white respondents are also examined.