Moderation of the relationship between hostility and offending: is social support a protective factor?

ABSTRACT Hostility has been identified as a risk factor in predicting offending. Some research has conceptualized hostility as a facet of mental health. One factor that has been identified to be protective against the effects of mental health on behavioral outcomes is social support. Despite this, prior research has not considered social support in this manner in moderating the relationship between hostility and offending. This study utilized data from all 11 waves of the Pathways to Desistance study. Mixed-effects regression models were used to test for the direct effects of hostility on offending outcomes and determine whether social support moderated these relationships. Results indicated that greater hostility predicted increased offending variety for both outcomes. Lower levels of social support also predicted increased offending scores for both outcomes. No significant moderation effect was observed for either offending outcome. Implications are discussed.