A new look at teen friendship and delinquency using panel data from the Rochester Youth Development Study

McGloin et al. used rich panel data from the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS) to challenge foundational theories in criminology about the impact of strong teen friendships on delinquent behavior. These theories place importance on the role of friendship quality. In their investigation, McGloin et al. tested whether changes in friendship quality relate to changes in delinquency within individual teens over time. They relied on deidentified panel data from Phase I (1988-1992) of the RYDS, which are available via NACJD. The RYDS collected data from 1,000 seventh and eighth grade students in public schools in Rochester, NY, in 1987-1988. The same young people were interviewed on six-month intervals (waves) from age 14 to 18. McGloin et al. focused on respondents who had provided information about the nature of their relationships with up to three of their closest friends, as well as information about their participation in a variety of offenses. McGloin et al. found that intimate and long-lasting friendships did not predict offending and did not moderate the effect of deviant peers, thereby failing to support the role of friendship quality. Instead, the findings suggest that peers might lead teens toward trouble through immediate opportunities or situational pressure. More publications analyzing RYDS data are collected here.

December 4, 2025