The majority of adolescent risk taking occurs in the presence of peers, and recent research suggests that the presence of peers may alter how the potential rewards and costs of a decision are valuated or perceived. The current study further explores this notion by investigating how peer observation affects adolescent risk taking when the…

While research suggests that working more than 20 hr weekly is associated with greater antisocial behavior among middle- and upper-class youth, some have argued that employment benefits at-risk youth and leads to desistance from crime among youthful offenders. This study investigates the relation between hours worked, school attendance, and…

Ethnic identity development can play a role in youths' perceptions and attitudes concerning police, but this process has not been explored in delinquent samples. In this article, we examine how youths' perceptions of police legitimacy and levels of legal cynicism are related to processes of ethnic identity development. Participants were 561 black…

Examined homophilic mechanisms by which adolescents affect, and are affected by, levels of internalized distress within their immediate peer groups. Found that adolescents tend to associate with peers who report similar levels of internalized distress and that internalizers are no less successful than others at establishing friendships. Selection,…

Examined interactive effects of peer behavior and adolescents' perceptions of authoritative parenting on grade point average and drug use among adolescents. Found that changes in GPA and drug use were predicted by friends' grades and drug use, although this effect was moderated by perceptions of authoritative parenting. (HTH)

Examined effects of three different aspects of heterosocial activity--mixed-sex activities, dating, and physical involvement with boys--on the diet patterns of adolescent girls. Found interaction between dating and menarcheal status in the prediction of dieting and disordered eating, with dating more strongly linked to dieting and disordered…

Parents' relationship with a child will change when the child becomes an adolescent, but the relationship does not necessarily have to change for the worse. On the premise that knowing what to expect of this change is half the task of successfully parenting an adolescent, this book describes the "normal" developmental changes young people undergo…