Early adolescent delinquent behaviors: Associations with family and school domains

A number of studies have been conducted to examine the relation between ethnicity and delinquent behavior. Whereas some studies have found ethnically unique predictors, other research has demonstrated that the same process variables underlie adolescent delinquent behaviors independent of ethnic group membership. The current investigation examined the correlates of family processes and school variables with delinquent behavior for a sample of 1,021 sixth-and seventh-grade Caucasian and Hispanic early adolescents (mean age = 12.8 years). Findings revealed (a) a great similarity for the relations between individual predictor variables and delinquent behavior between the two ethnic groups, (b) that family processes and school variables as domains of influence had independent effects in predicting early adolescent delinquent behavior for Caucasian and Hispanic youth, and (c) that family processes and school variables accounted for about 40% of the total variance explained in early adolescent delinquent behavior.