Which of the following is an example of an early indicator in integration theories of crime?

• A. Genetics
• B. Environment rich in opportunities to offend
• C. Peer pressure
• D. Childhood aggression

Answer: (C)

In integration theories of crime, an early indicator is a social signal that a youth is on a path toward delinquency, showing how interactions with their environment help steer behavior. Peer pressure fits this best because, during adolescence, the pull to conform to a deviant peer group becomes a primary driver of actions early on, signaling movement into criminal activity before more entrenched patterns form. It embodies the dynamic where social context and individual tendencies merge to shape trajectories. By contrast, genetics describes a predisposition, not a signaling moment; an environment rich in opportunities describes the surrounding conditions that enable crime but not the early cue of a developing path; and while childhood aggression is a risk factor, the specific early indicator emphasized by these integration frameworks is the influential role of peers in accelerating delinquency.