Who leads who astray? Causes of anti‐social behaviour in adolescence

This paper is concerned with the role of the peer group in the genesis of anti‐social behaviour in adolescence. Increasing age segregation has meant that teenagers spend more and more time with others of their own age, and it appears to be generally assumed that more harm than good is likely to stem from this. However, it is essential to distinguish between the assumption that the peer group exercises influence in some respects, and the assumption that it is sufficiently influential to lead young people into anti‐social activity. Four issues are discussed which are relevant: the different types of influence, factors associated with vulnerability to peer group pressure, differences between various forms of anti‐social behaviour, and the distinction between initiation into and maintenance of these behaviours. The major conclusion is that peer group pressure towards anti‐social behaviour cannot operate in isolation, and is highly unlikely to have any effect unless other factors are already present in the young person's background.