ABSTRACT
As youth move through adolescence, they spend progressively more time away from home and away from the supervision and influence of their parents. They have considerable latitude to choose their leisure settings, and this is a source of concern for many parents. Studies show that welladjusted adolescents are more actively involved in structured leisure time activities and settings such as organized sports, hobbies, religious activities, music, theater, art, and politics, whereas less well-adjusted adolescents are more likely to hang out on the streets and at public drinking places (Cochran & Bo, 1987). These activities seem to facilitate the development of adjustment problems and antisocial behavior (e.g., Agnew & Peterson,
1989; Hirschi, 1969; McCord, 1978; Osgood, Wilson, O’Malley, Bachman, & Johnston, 1996; Shannahan & Flaherty, 2001).
