Citation

Negriff S, Ji J, Trickett PK. Dev. Psychopathol. 2011; 23(1): 293-304.

Affiliation

University of Southern California.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0954579410000805

PMID

21262055

Abstract

This study examined exposure to peer delinquency as a mediator between pubertal timing and self-reported delinquency longitudinally and whether this mediational model was moderated by either gender or maltreatment experience. Data were obtained from Time 1, 2, and 3 of a longitudinal study of maltreatment and development. At Time 1 the sample comprised 454 children aged 9-13 years. Analyses via structural equation modeling supported full mediation. Gender did not moderate this mediational relationship, but maltreatment experience did. The results show that early maturing males and females are both at risk for being exposed to peers that may draw them into delinquent behavior. In addition, the mechanism linking early pubertal timing to delinquency differs depending on maltreatment experience.

Language: en