Introduction : opposite sex relationships and delinquent behavior-- Precocious transitions and gender differences in offending -- An empirical investigation of the links between early dating and delinquent behavior-- Results : early relationships and delinquent behavior-- Conclusions : do early relationships lead to delinquent behavior
Summary
Kierkus examines the links between different types of opposite sex relationships and the development of delinquency. His hypothesis is that early dating and sexual activity should lead to delinquent behavior, particularly for young girls. The analysis partially confirmed the hypothesis: engaging in early sex was strongly criminogenic for young men, while "hanging out" in mixed sex peer groups was troubling for young women. Opposite sex relationships appear to lead to delinquency primarily because they expose young teens to increased levels of peer deviance (as suggested by the majority of deve
