Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Discipline

Juvenile Justice

Abstract

This quantitative study explored whether involvement in adolescent romantic relationships among Black females influenced juvenile delinquency and later criminal behavior. While prior research has examined how peers, family, and romantic partners impact delinquency and substance use, the unique intersection of being both Black and female in this context remains underexplored. The study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), which follows U.S. adolescents from middle and high school into adulthood (ages 24–32). The dataset included variables related to peer and family relationships, romantic and sexual involvement, substance use, victimization, delinquency, and criminal behavior. Four research questions guided the analysis: (1) Does family conflict increase the likelihood of adolescent romantic relationship involvement for Black girls? (2) Are those in romantic relationships more likely to be delinquent, and if so, in what ways? (3) What forms of adult criminal activity are linked to prior romantic involvement? (4) Are predictors of romantic involvement more strongly linked to delinquency and crime than the relationships themselves?

Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Findings indicated that family conflict was not a significant predictor of romantic involvement. However, romantic involvement was significantly associated with marijuana use, alcohol use, and property offenses. Adolescent romantic relationships were also linked to increased binge drinking in adulthood. Those who engaged in delinquency as adolescents were more likely to continue criminal behavior into adulthood. Notably, Black girls who experienced high family conflict and were in romantic relationships were more likely to engage in adult property crime. Although romantic involvement was linked to certain delinquent behaviors, it was not significantly associated with adult substance-related criminality. These findings offer important insights for supporting the well-being of Black girls and may be useful for educators, counselors, parents, youth advocates, and the girls themselves.

Keywords: Pathways Theory, Black Feminist Criminology, adolescents, romantic relationships, property crime, substance use, family conflict

Committee Chair/Advisor

Camille Gibson

Committee Member

Robin Jackson

Committee Member

Tamika Baldwin-Clark

Committee Member

Myrna Cintron

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

© 2021 Prairie View A & M University

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Date of Digitization

12/04/2025

Contributing Institution

J. B . Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

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