Patterns of spending leisure time and contact with delinquent friends as an important predictor of juvenile delinquency: results of the ISRD research
Abstract
One of the most consistently documented features of juvenile delinquency is its group character. Moreover, delinquent friends are considered as the strongest predictor of criminal behaviour despite the widespread debate about the problem of causality.
The paper discusses how different ways of spending leisure time and delinquent friends may associate with delinquency rates in Central European countries. The main source of data is the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD) which second sweep took place in 2006/7 and the third sweep during spring 2013.
First, patterns of spending leisure time, its changes in the last decade, gender differences in number of delinquent friends and the role of low self-control in group offending are examined. Second, multivariate analysis is conducted to explore the relationship between delinquent friends and individual delinquency with regard to other factors such as family, school or neighbourhood conditions.
Finally, implications for research are discussed.