17th Annual Student Research Conference
Education
How Family Functioning Perpetuates Adolescent Peer Selection and Subsequent Deviant Behavior
Kelly G. Metcalf♦
Dr. Christopher Maglio, Dr. Marie Orton, and Mr. Sal Costa, Faculty Mentors
The developmental stage of adolescence is filled with significant physical, emotional, biological and intellectual changes. Because of the increased need for adolescents to feel accepted among peers, the influence an adolescent’s peers have over behavior is extremely strong. Yet, the question of how much an adolescent’s family plays in this developmental period still remains. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of how family functioning perpetuates adolescent peer selection and subsequent deviant behavior. First, it was hypothesized that family cohesion would be negatively correlated with adolescent delinquent behavior and deviant peer involvement. Second, it was hypothesized that family adaptability would be negatively correlated with adolescent delinquent behavior and deviant peer involvement. Data was collected via surveys from approximately 300 high school students (grades 9-12) in towns with a population under 5,000. Results, implications for counseling and future research are explored.
Keywords: adolescent, peer, family, adaptability, cohesion
Topic(s):Counseling
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 1-5
Location: OP 2115
Time: 9:30