Sex Differences in Deviant Peer Association: Examining Mediation Effects of Dual Systems Imbalance

Abstract Criminological research has identified a robust sex gap in offending and this gap extends to affiliation with peers involved in antisocial behavior. Despite this, there is a dearth of research which has identified mediating mechanisms underlying these sex differences in deviant peer association. With prior research identifying sex variation in cognitive development, differential development pertaining to the dual systems model may have relevance here. This study examined sex differences