Similar Mechanisms? A Comparative Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Violence and Victimization

This study analyzes the extent to which there are similar patterns of violent offending and victimization in a panel of adolescents. Three explanatory perspectives are assessed: population heterogeneity, state dependence, and a mixed model. Data are drawn from a four-wave panel study of 3,976 adolescents. The main study measures comprise self-report indices for victimization and delinquency. Theoretical perspectives are specified through three distinct statistical approaches—latent growth curve, autoregressive simplex, and autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models. The analysis then incorporates the effects of relevant time-stable and time-varying influences. A mixed perspective, represented by the ALT model, best fits the data for both violent victimization and offending. Covariates drawn from the two perspectives have similar effects as well. The findings provide some support for a similar mechanisms hypothesis.