Cyber Delinquency across Cultures: A Comparative Study of Ghana and China using ISRD-4 Data

• In Event: Cross-Cultural Studies on Crime and Criminal Justice

Abstract

The rising prevalence of cyber delinquency is a growing global concern among adolescents. Yet, predictors of cyber delinquency across diverse cultural and socio-economic contexts remain poorly understood. This study addresses this gap by examining cyber delinquency through the lenses of Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST) and Hirschi’s Social Bonding Theory (SBT) in two contrasting nations: Ghana, experiencing rapid but uneven digital expansion, and China, a technologically advanced society with stringent internet governance. Utilizing quantitative data from the fourth wave of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD4) with Ghanaian and Chinese adolescents, we investigate (1) how socio-cultural strains (e.g., economic deprivation, academic pressure) and eroded social bonds (e.g., family detachment, school alienation) differentially predict cyber delinquency in these contexts, and (2) whether GST and SBT provide universal or context-specific explanations for cyber delinquency. By systematically contrasting Ghana and China, this study advances culturally informed models of cyber delinquency, offering evidence to help policymakers tailor screen-time guidelines, mental health resources, and school interventions to local realities.

Authors

• Zariatu lbrahim, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Hua Zhong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Kofi E. Boakye, University of Leicester