Perceived friendship quality may be another important
factor in the development of adolescent delinquency (e.g.,
Haynie and Osgood 2005; e.g., Poulin et al. 1999). Social
control theory posits that variations in the strength of social
bonds produce variations in rates of deviance. Weakly
bonded individuals are more likely to engage in law
violation if the course of action appears beneficial (Hirschi
1969). By increasing the anticipated costs of deviance,
social bonds reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. Thus,
according to the basic premise of social control theory, the
greater an individual’s social attachments to significant
others, such as family, friends, and teachers, the lower the
probability of engaging in deviance.