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Family Strain and Adolescent Delinquency in Two Chinese Cities, Guangzhou and Hong Kong

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Abstract

Elucidating the conditions in which family strain takes effect in adolescent delinquency is one avenue along which to substantiate general strain theory. These conditions include family relationship and the type of delinquency. In the context of Chinese societies, the conditions also include the differences between socialist, collectivist Mainland China and capitalist, more individualist Hong Kong. We collected survey data from 1,026 secondary school students in Guangzhou in Mainland China, and from 1,116 in Hong Kong, to demonstrate these conditions. The results, which indicate the intimate relationship between parents and adolescents, verify that family strain has a very strong impact on adolescent delinquency. In this connection, family strain comprised parental support as a negative indicator. However, the effect of parental support on adolescent strain was only weakly negative in Guangzhou and even positive in the case of nonworking mothers. The differentials in parental influence between Guangzhou and Hong Kong are attributable to the different family policies and structures in the two cities. On the other hand, family strain exhibited similar effects on two types of delinquency, violence and status offense.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Social Science and Educational Panel of the Faculty of Social Science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong to support this research by grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Chau-Kiu Cheung

  2. Department of Social Work, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong, P. R. China

    Ngan-Pun Ngai & Steven Sek-Yum Ngai

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  1. Chau-Kiu Cheung
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  2. Ngan-Pun Ngai
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Correspondence to Chau-Kiu Cheung or Ngan-Pun Ngai.

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Cheung, CK., Ngai, NP. & Ngai, S.SY. Family Strain and Adolescent Delinquency in Two Chinese Cities, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. J Child Fam Stud 16, 626–641 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9112-3

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