Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 5, 1994 Tests of Three Hypotheses Regarding the Predictors of Delinquency Robert D. Hoge, 1,4 D. A. Andrews, 2 Alan W. Leschied 3 Three hypotheses regarding the predictors of criminal activity in children and adolescents were assessed. These dealt with family, peer, and attitudinal variables, and they were explored in relation to indices based on seriousness of criminal activity and reoffending. The data were based on a sample of 338 youths who had been convicted of crimes and received probation or custody dispositions. The results provided general support for a model implicating family, peer, and attitudinal variables in youthful criminal activity. They did not, however, provide support for hypothesized interactions between family relationship and family structuring dimensions or between family relationship and peer association variables. The results did support an hypothesis regarding the independent contribution of an antisocial attitudes variable to the prediction of criminal activity. Uncovering the predictors of delinquency in young people is relevant to the development of an understanding of youthful offending, which, in turn, has a direct bearing on the accurate assessment of risks and needs in these young people and the quality of intervention decisions (Andrews & Bonta, 1994; Henggeler, 1989, 1991; Kazdin, 1987, 1993). The present study was designed to explore some hypotheses regarding links between criminal ac- tivity in young people and family, peer, and attitudinal variables. Manuscript received in final form February 1, 1994. Funding to support this research was provided by the Children's Services Branch of the Ministry of Community and Social Services (Ontario), Carleton University, and the London Family Court Clinic. Thanks are extended to Penny Faulkner, Mary Ann Robblee, Suzanne Bell, and Natalie Gabora for their assistance on the project. Members of the Ministry Research Advisory Committee are also thanked for their contribution. 1Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada. 2Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario KIS 5B6, Canada. 3London Family Court Clinic, London, Ontario N6A 5P6, Canada. 4Address all correspondence to Robert D. Hoge, Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada. 547 0091--0627/94/1000-0547507.0010 O 1994 Plenum Publishing Corporation