The social networks, family involvement, and pro- and antisocial behavior of adolescent males in Norway

Abstract

The focus of this study is on the ecology of pro- and antisocial behavior. The study was conducted in Stavanger, Norway, with a representative sample of ninety-two 16-year-old boys. Data collected included socioeconomic background, neighborhood risk level, amount of time spent with parents and peers, maps of social network relations, self-reports of alcohol use and criminal activity, and school reports of academic performance, truancy, school motivation, and social behavior. Analysis of results produced two models linking background and process with outcome variables: (A) higher neighborhood risk and less time spent by the boys with their parents were linked with greater propensity for self-reported alcohol use and illegal activity, and (B) more educated parents and larger numbers of nonkin adults in the boy's network were related to better school performance, less absenteeism, and more positively evaluated social behavior. Discussion of these findings centers on the neighborhood and family processes involved in social control, and on adult network members in their roles as positive models, norm reinforcers, and sources of information for adolescent boys.