U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Victim-Offender Overlap: Specifying the Role of Peer Groups
NCJ Number
              205126

Author(s)
          Jennifer N. Shaffer
Date Published

December 2003
Length
              244 pages
Annotation
              This study examined the relationships among adolescents’ peers, involvement in delinquency, and adolescent risk of victimization.
Abstract
              Previous research has consistently linked adolescents’ delinquency to their peer group involvement. Although much is known about delinquency, a gap in the literature remains concerning risk of victimization. Since some adolescents alternate between offending and victimization, the same factors that influence delinquency may also influence victimization. This study examined three main research questions: (1) is there a casual connection between offending and victimization; (2) how do peers influence the risk of victimization and the relationship between offending and victimization; and (3) what is the influence of social context on the relationships among victimization, offending, and peers? Chapter 1 reviews the literature concerning adolescent delinquency and victimization, discusses the alternating relationship between adolescent offending and victimization, and presents the three research questions. Chapter 1 also introduces the social network perspective as the main theoretical underpinnings of the current research and reviews the literature concerning the school context and the victim-offender overlap. Chapter 2 discusses the data and methods; data were drawn from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which is a nationally representative sample of 90,118 juveniles in grades 7 through 12. The Add Health includes three data components: in-home interviews, in-school interviews, and school administrator interviews. Chapter 3 describes the sample selection criteria and the final sample used in this analysis, which included 2,000 adolescents who provided information on all variables under consideration. Chapter 4 presents the multivariate relationships between offending and victimization. Results of logistic regression analysis and non-linear two-stage least squares logistic regression indicate that adolescents who offend are at a significantly higher risk for victimization than are their non-offending peers. This relationship remained after controlling for potentially important variables. An understanding of adolescents’ involvement in crime as offenders is important to understanding their risk of victimization. Chapter 5 presents the results of bi-variate probit models that probed the victim-offender overlap and the role of the school context in the relationships between offending, victimization, and peers. Overall, it was discovered that school context does not significantly influence the victim-offender overlap. Chapter 6 presents conclusions and a summary of the major findings. Figures, tables, references, appendix
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2002-IJ-CX-0008


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Report (Study/Research)
    
  
  
Date Published: December 1, 2003
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Juvenile delinquency factors
        NIJ Grant-related Documents
        Peer influences on behavior
        Risk and protective factors
        School influences on crime



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Enhancing Response to Victims: A Formative Evaluation of OVC’s Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV) Program
                  Examining Officer Support for and Perceived Effects of Police Consolidation
                  Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Latent Fingerprints Using Titanium Oxide Development Powder as an Existing Matrix
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov