Timing of and Disparities in Initiation into Deviant Peer Groups Among Youth in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study: Do these Effects Vary Across the Life-Course?

This study sought to examine predictors of onset of deviant peer association during childhood and adolescence and determine whether the salience of predictors varied across time. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development data were analyzed. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to examine the relevance of gender, race, ethnicity, income, and traumatic stress variables for predicting differential timing of onset of deviant peer association. Models examined whether the salience of predictors for understanding onset varied across the life-course. Experiencing traumatic stress prior to baseline, gender, race/ethnicity, greater community deprivation, and lower income were associated significantly greater risk for and quicker time to deviant peer association onset. Several effects varied in salience for predicting deviant peer association onset depending on age.