The Life Course Effects of Informal Social Reactions:Testing the Interaction Effects
Qiang Xu, Ph.D.

Abstract
Based on the theoretical perspectives of symbolic interactions and labeling theory, this study explores the contemporaneous and longitudinal effects of informal reactions from parents and peers on delinquency. Multivariate testing of interaction effects indicates that different forms of informal reactions have differential effects on initial delinquency and delinquency in early adulthood. Results also suggest that the life course effects of informal reactions on delinquency depend on the extent to which one is associated with delinquent peers.

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