Adolescent Romance Or Partners In Crime? The Influence Of Romantic Relationships And Peers On Criminal Behavior In Adolescence

Abstract

ABSTRACT The impact of romantic relationships in adulthood, specifically marriage, has received consistent attention in existing scholarship. However, the impact of romantic relationships during adolescence has received much less attention. As such, the current study uses two waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance study to examine how elements of romantic and peer relationships affect adolescent delinquent behaviors. Results indicated several important findings regarding the desistance effects of romantic relationship status, monitoring by romantic partners, and impulse control on adolescents’ self-reported nonviolent and violent offending. Limitations, future research, and policy recommendations are discussed.