Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Procedural Justice in Family Conflict Resolution and Deviant Peer Group Involvement Among Adolescents: The Mediating Influence of Peer Conflict

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The involvement of adolescents with deviant peer groups is one of the strongest proximal correlates to juvenile delinquency and stems from a variety of causes. Past research has linked ineffective parenting with peer variables, including deviant peer group involvement and peer conflict during adolescence. In this study, adolescents’ appraisals of procedural justice within the family (adolescents’ appraisals of how fairly they are treated by parents in the process of resolving family conflict) were examined as one aspect of effective parenting that may relate to deviant peer group involvement in early adolescence. Data from 1660 middle school students (ages 11–14, mean = 12.6) indicated that higher appraisals by adolescents of procedural justice during family conflict resolution were related to lower levels of both peer conflict and deviant peer group involvement. A structural model was tested in which the relationship between adolescents’ appraisals of procedural justice in the family and deviant peer group involvement was partially mediated by measures of peer conflict. This model was found to have adequate fit to the data, indicating that part of the relationship between procedural justice appraisals and deviant peer group involvement can be explained by levels of peer conflict. Implications of these findings are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The original LISRES-Y subscale contained six items, one of which was highly collinear with the dependent variable. Analyses were also conducted using the full measure and results were stronger and in the same direction. Full results of these analyses are available upon request.

References

  • Agnew, R. (1991). The interactive effects of peer variables on delinquency. Criminology, 29, 47–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. B., & Lohr, M. J. (1987). Peer group affiliation and adolescent self-esteem: An integration of ego-identity and symbolic interaction theories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 47–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cairns, R. B., & Cairns, B. D. (1991). Social cognition and social networks: A developmental perspective. In D. J. Pepler & K. H. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 249–178). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, A. (2003). Linking procedural and distributive justice in family decision-making to adolescent family functioning. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Florida.

  • Diamond, A., Luescher, J., Fondacaro, M. R. (2000). Procedural and distributive justice in family decision making: A psychosocial analysis of individual and family functioning during adolescence. Poster presented at the Biennial Conference of the American Psychology-Law Society, New Orleans, Louisiana.

  • Dilalla, L. F. (2000). Structural equation modeling: Uses and issues. In H. E. A. Tinsley & S. D. Brown (Eds.), Handbook of applied multivariate statistics and mathematical modeling (pp. 439–464). New York: Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J. (1990). The family ecology of boys’ peer relations in middle childhood. Child Development, 61, 874–892.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., & Owen, L. D. (2002). A longitudinal analysis of friendships and substance use: Bidirectional influence from adolescence to adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 38, 480–491.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., & Patterson, G. R. (1997). The timing of severity on antisocial behaviour: Three hypotheses within an ecological framework. In D. M. Stoff & J. Breiling (Eds.), Handbook of antisocial behavior (pp. 205–217). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., Patterson, G. R., & Griesler, P. C. (1994). Peer adaptations in the development of antisocial behavior: A confluence model. In L. R. Huesmann (Ed), Aggressive behavior: Current perspectives. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., Patterson, G. R., Stoolmiller, M., & Skinner, M. L. (1991). Family, school, and behavioral antecedents to early adolescent involvement with antisocial peers. Developmental Psychology, 27, 172–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, D. S., Huizinga, D., & Ageton, S. S. (1985). Explaining delinquency and drug use. Beverly Hills, CA: SAGE Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, D. S., Huizinga, D., & Menard, S. (1989). Multiple-problem youth: Delinquency, substance use, and mental health problems. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, D. S., & Menard, S. (1996). Delinquent friends and delinquent behavior: Temporal and developmental patterns. In J. D. Hawkins (Ed), Delinquency and crime (pp. 28–67). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrington, D. P. (1991). Childhood aggression and adult violence: Early precursors and later life outcomes. In D. J. Pepler & K. H. Rubin (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 5–30). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finkbeiner, C. (1979). Estimation for the multiple factor model when data are missing. Psychometrika, 44, 409–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fondacaro, M. R., Dunkle, M. E., & Pathak, M. K. (1998). Procedural justice in resolving family disputes: A psychosocial analysis of individual and family functioning in late adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 27, 101–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fondacaro, M. R., Jackson, S. L., & Luescher, J. (2002). Toward the assessment of procedural and distributive justice in resolving family disputes. Social Justice Research, 15, 341–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, P.A., Tix, A.P., & Barron, K. E. (2004). Testing moderator and mediator effects in counseling psychology research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 115–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuligni, A. J., Eccles, J. S., Barber, B. L., & Clements, P. (2001). Early adolescent peer orientation and adjustment during high school. Developmental Psychology, 37, 28–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Granic, I., Hollenstein, T., Dishion, T. J., & Patterson, G. R. (2003). Longitudinal analysis of flexibility and reorganization in early adolescence: A dynamic systems study of family interactions. Developmental Psychology, 39, 606–617.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, K. W., Botvin, G. J., Scheier, L. M., Diaz, T., & Miller, N. L. (2000). Parenting practices as predictors of substance use, delinquency, and aggression among urban minority youth: Moderating effects of family structure and gender. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 14, 174–184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Herrenkohl, T. I., Farrington, D. P., Brewer, D., Catalano, R. F., Harachi, T. W., et al. (2000). Predictors of youth violence. Juvenile Justice Bulletin of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved October 1, 2004, from http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/jjbul2000_04_5/contents.html.

  • Jackson, S., & Fondacaro, M. (1999). Procedural justice in resolving family conflict: Implications for youth violence prevention. Law & Policy, 21, 101–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaycox, L. H., & Repetti, R. L. (1993). Conflict in families and the psychological adjustment of preadolescent children. Journal of Family Psychology, 7, 344–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, R. F., Schmutte, P. S., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Campbell, K., & Silva, P. A. (1994). Personality traits are linked to crime among men and women: Evidence from a birth cohort. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 328–338.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, G. S. (1980). What should be done with equity theory? In K.J. Gergen, M. S. Greenberg, & R. H. Weiss (Eds), Social exchange: Advances in theory and research. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linden, E., & Hackler, J. C. (1973). Affective ties and delinquency. Pacific Sociological Review, 16, 27–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, S. A., Fondacaro, M. F., Woolard, J. L., Boggs, S., Brank, E., Cliett, W., Lucas, M., & Smith, S. W. (2003). National middle school survey: School violence and beliefs about self, others, and the future. Final report to US Department of Education.

  • Moffitt, T. E. (1993a). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674–701.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moffitt, T. E. (1993b). The neuropsychology of conduct disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 135–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moos, R. H., & Moos, B. S. (1992). Life stressors and social resources inventory-youth form manual. Palo Alto, CA: Center for Health Care Evaluation, Stanford University and Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R., DeBaryshe, B. D., & Ramsey, E. (1989). A developmental perspective on antisocial behavior. American Psychologist, 44, 329–335.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R., Dishion, T. J., & Yoerger, K. (2000). Adolescent growth in new forms of problem behavior: Macro- and micro-peer dynamics. Prevention Science, 1, 3–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R., Forgatch, M. S., Yoerger, K. L., & Stoolmiller, M. (1998). Variables that initiate and maintain an early-onset trajectory for juvenile offending. Development and Psychopathology, 10, 531–547.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quinsey, V. L., Skilling, T. A., Lalumiere, M. L., & Craig, W. M. (2004). Juvenile delinquency: Understanding the origins of individual differences. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russel, D. W., Kahn, J. H., Spoth, R., & Altmaier, E. M. (1998). Analyzing data from experimental studies: A latent variable structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 18–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrout, P. E., & Bolger, N. (2002). Mediation in experimental and non-experimental studies: New procedures and recommendations. Psychological Methods, 7, 422–445.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smetana, J. G. (1995). Parenting styles and conceptions of parental authority during adolescence. Child Development, 66, 299–316.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stouthamer-Loeber, M., Loeber, R., Wei, E., Farrington, D. P., Wikstrom, P. H. (2002). Risk and promotive effects in the explanation of persistent serious delinquency in boys. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79, 111–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuart, J. (2006). Family justice appraisals and involvement with deviant peers among adolescents. Unpublished masters thesis, University of Florida.

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics (4th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut, J. W., & Walker, L. (1975). Procedural justice: A psychological analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R. (1989). The psychology of procedural justice: A test of the group-value model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 830–838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R. (1994). Psychological models of the justice motive: Antecedents of distributive and procedural justice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 850–863.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R., & Degoey, P. (1995). Trust in organizational authorities: The influence of motive attributions on willingness to accept decisions. In R. M. Kramer & T. R. Tyler (Eds.), Trust in organizations (pp. 331–336). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R., Degoey, P., & Smith, H. (1996). Understanding why the justice of group procedures matters: A test of the psychological dynamics of the group value model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 913–930.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. R., & Lind, E. (1992). A relational model of authority in groups. In M.P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, 25 San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vuchinich, S., Bank, L., & Patterson, G. R. (1992). Parenting, peers, and the stability of antisocial behavior in preadolescent boys. Developmental Psychology, 28, 510–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warr, M. (1998). Life-course transitions and desistance from crime. Criminology, 36, 183–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warr, M. (2005). Making delinquent friends: Adult supervision and children’s affiliations. Criminology, 43, 77–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education: Fund for the Improvement of Education Program PR/Award Number R215U010016. We would like to acknowledge Jennifer Woolard, Steven Boggs, William Cliett, Mel Lucas, Stephen Smith, Imicuk Loyuk, Anca Mirsu-Paun, Jennifer Luescher, and Ramona Chinn for their work on this project. A final report on the grant research was provided to the U.S. Department of Education in December 2003. Preliminary findings from this study were presented at the 2006 meeting of the American Psychology - Law Society, St. Petersburg, FL. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jennifer L. Stuart, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 112250, Gainesville, FL 32611-5950; e-mail: jlstuart@ufl.edu.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

    Jennifer Stuart, Scott A. Miller & Eve M. Brank

  2. John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, USA

    Mark Fondacaro

  3. Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, USA

    Veda Brown

Authors
  1. Jennifer Stuart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark Fondacaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott A. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Veda Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Eve M. Brank
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Fondacaro.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stuart, J., Fondacaro, M., Miller, S.A. et al. Procedural Justice in Family Conflict Resolution and Deviant Peer Group Involvement Among Adolescents: The Mediating Influence of Peer Conflict. J Youth Adolescence 37, 674–684 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-007-9194-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-007-9194-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation