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Biological, Familial, and Peer Influences on Dating in Early Adolescence

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Abstract

The current study examined the joint contributions of pubertal maturation, parental monitoring, involvement in older peer groups, peer dating, and peer delinquency on dating in a sample of early adolescent boys and girls. The sample consisted of 784 adolescents (394 boys, 390 girls) enrolled in grades 5, 6, and 7 who were followed for one year. In addition to measures of pubertal maturation and parental monitoring, adolescents and their peer group members completed indices of dating and delinquency. Average dating and delinquency scores for each participant’s peer group network were computed. Results indicated that it was the combination of pubertal maturation, peer delinquency, and peer dating that explained increases in early dating. For boys only, parental monitoring was a significant predictor. The more knowledgeable parents were about their boys’ activities, the lower the number of dating activities reported. These results highlight the importance of considering the joint effects of these biological and social predictors in understanding early dating. When rapid changes occur in all three domains, early dating is most likely to ensue. The findings of this study have practical importance. Parents and professionals who work closely with youth should attend to the special vulnerability of early maturing adolescents in the face of peer pressure and to the important role of parental monitoring in regulating dating activities.

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Notes

  1. Complete surveys entailed participants who had no missing data and had listed at least one friend who had also participated in the study, as part of their peer network. Approximately, 10 percent of participants were excluded from the study based on not listing any peers. These adolescents did not differ on important demographic variables (i.e., gender, grade, ethnicity, and family composition) from those who listed at least one peer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Laura J. Friedlander, Jennifer A. Connolly & Debra J. Pepler

  2. Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    Wendy M. Craig

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  1. Laura J. Friedlander
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  2. Jennifer A. Connolly
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  3. Debra J. Pepler
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  4. Wendy M. Craig
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Correspondence to Laura J. Friedlander.

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Friedlander, L.J., Connolly, J.A., Pepler, D.J. et al. Biological, Familial, and Peer Influences on Dating in Early Adolescence. Arch Sex Behav 36, 821–830 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9130-7

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