Institute of Criminology Public Seminars: 'Adolescent Friendship Networks, Delinquency, and Substance Use: Findings from the PROSPER Peers Project'

Speaker: Professor D. Wayne Osgood, Pennsylvania State University.

Advances in the study of social networks have spurred a resurgence of interest in friends’ influence on one another’s delinquent behaviour, which is one of the oldest topics in criminology. Professor Osgood will provide an overview of findings about this topic from the PROSPER Peers Project. This study has followed the friendship networks, delinquency, and substance use of over 11,000 adolescents in 27 Iowa and Pennsylvania communities across ages 11 through 16. After providing an overview of the study, he will present findings concerning the level of similarity between friends for delinquency and substance use versus other attributes, prevention program effects on friendship networks, the structure of delinquent versus non-delinquent friendship groups, connections of popularity with delinquency and substance use, and the contribution of friends’ parents to reducing substance use.

D. Wayne Osgood is Professor of Crime, Law and Justice and Sociology at Pennsylvania State University. He received his BA in psychology from the University of California at Los Angeles and his M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead Editor of the journal Criminology, a fellow of the American Society of Criminology, and was a member of the National Consortium on Violence Research and the MacArthur Foundation sponsored Network on Transitions to Adulthood. In addition to the PROSPER Peers Project, he is currently involved in the national evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. gang prevention program and a study of situational influences on barroom violence. Professor Osgood has published substantive research on peer relations and delinquency, time use and problem behaviour, the transition to adulthood, criminal careers, and the effectiveness of programs addressing delinquency and substance use. His methodological articles have concerned multi-level models for program evaluation and longitudinal research, scaling self-reported delinquency, and nonlinear models for crime data.

All seminars start at 5.30pm,and are held in Seminar Room B3, Institute of Criminology, Sidgwick Ave, Cambridge, CB3 9DA. A drinks reception in the basement foyer will follow this seminar for attendees.

The IoC Public Seminar Series is open to all interested in attending, with no ticket required. If you wish to be added to the seminar mailing list, please contact: Joanne Garner, on: jf225@cam.ac.uk