Family Influences on Adolescent Delinquent Behaviors: Applying the Social Development Model to A Chinese Sample

Abstract

The current study applied the Social Development Model (SDM) to improve understanding of the mediation processes through which the family environment was related to Chinese adolescent delinquent behavior. We tested the hypothesized model using structural equation modeling with questionnaire data collected from 736 Chinese 7th and 9th graders, their parents, and their teachers from two middle schools in Beijing, China. Testing the model separately for boys and girls yielded adequate fit indices for both although the hypothesized model was not invariant across gender and several gender differences were identified. The SDM appeared to be a valuable tool in studying the development of Chinese adolescent delinquency.

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“…Children living in families characterized by high levels of conflict, poor parental management and monitoring, and weak bonds among families members have been shown to be at increased risk for engaging in antisocial behavior and substance use (Deng and Roosa 2007; Kosterman et al 2004). The SDM hypothesizes that family social development processes are most salient during childhood and may lose some of this salience as children develop stronger bonds with peers and schools throughout adolescence.…”

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“…Qualitative evidence of this isolation is found in a study of 32 Chinese immigrant adolescents; findings suggest that experiences of racist encounters alienated adolescents from both their peers and parents (Yeh, Kim, Pituc, & Atkins, 2008). Alienation and detachment from parents, in turn, has been linked to greater problem behaviors (Choi, He, & Harachi, 2008), more deviant beliefs (Deng & Roosa, 2007), and greater depressive symptoms (Ying, Lee, & Tsai, 2007) in both Asian American and Chinese adolescent samples. The influential nature of alienation from parents for Chinese samples in particular may stem from cultural values of filial piety and family obligation which are deeply rooted in Confucian values for Chinese families both in the U.S. and abroad (Chao & Tseng, 2002; Hsu, 1953; Qin, 2006).…”

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