Adult Role Models: Violent and Deviant Sexual Behavior among Juvenile Migrant Workers in China

• In Event: ACCCJ China, Young People and the State

Abstract

According to official statistics from Chinese criminal justice agencies, among serious incidents of juvenile violent and deviant sexual behavior, 90% involved teenager migrant workers. The existing literature focused on the effects of psychological and biological factors as well as family, school and neighborhood characteristics on such behavior. Yet, the patterns and mechanisms linking individual and environmental influences to teenager workers’ violence and sexual deviance remain largely unclear. Using data collected from a southern city in China, this study explored the connection between violent and deviant behavior and adult role models. The adult role models identified by youth migrant workers are quite different from those of their non-worker counterparts, leading to high rates of violent and deviant sexual behavior among juvenile migrant workers.

Authors

• Jie Dai, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

• Ivan Sun, University of Delaware