DATA and METHOD
Our research uses survey data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study (TARS).
The TARS data set is a longitudinal survey collected over three waves (a fourth wave is
currently being collected). Our analytic sample is based on respondents who gave valid
responses to delinquency and heterosexual items. Our final sample is 1021.
MEASURES
The traditional delinquency predictors, socio-demographic characteristics and the
majority of the focal dating and sexuality variables are assessed at wave one, along with
initial self-reported delinquency. Self-reported delinquency at wave 3 is the primary
dependent variable, but we also investigate models that predict friends’ and romantic
partner delinquency as well as partier identification based on reports at the time of the
wave 3 interview.3
RESULTS
Analyses document that adolescent attitudes about and experiences in connection with
dating and sexuality are significant predictors of later delinquency, even after introducing
controls for initial delinquency level, friends’ delinquency and other traditional predictors
(see Table 3). These indices of heterosexual involvement also predicted the level of
delinquency of later friends and romantic partners, as well as likelihood of endorsing the
‘partier’ identity.
REFERENCES
Browning, C., T. Leventhal, J. Brooks-Gunn. 2005. “Sexual Initiation in Early
Adolescence: The Nexus of Parental and Community Control.” American Sociological
Review 70: 758-78.
Caspi, A., D.R. Lynam T.E. Moffitt, P.A. Silva. 1993. Unraveling girls' delinquency:
Biological, dispositional, and contextual contributions to adolescent misbehavior.
Developmental Psychology, 29:19-30.
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Convention