An empirical investigation of mediating role of criminal friends in relationship between criminal attitudes and criminal behaviour within a prison violent sample

Background: Previous studies suggested a significant interaction between criminal attitudes, associations with criminal friends, and criminal behaviour.

Aims: The purpose of current investigation was to provide the possible mediating role of associations with criminal friends between criminal attitudes, and criminal behaviour.

Method: The Measure of Criminal Attitudes & Associates and Recidivistic Scale were administrated to 133 violent offenders from high security prison.

Results: The proposed path model tested was found to be a good fit of the observed data, with each of the respective fit indices exceeding the criteria for a good fitting model. Thus results suggest that presence and influence of criminal friends has a significant meditating effect on interaction between criminal attitudes and recidivistic behaviour.

Conclusions: Our findings add to better understanding of the factors involved in the development of criminal behaviour and possible targets of intervention to reduce levels of criminality.