Assessing the Sources of Asian Versus Non-Asian Disparities in Delinquency

Abstract

Research on race/ethnicity and crime has often overlooked the patterns and predictors of Asian American offending, particularly compared to those of other racial/ethnic groups. The current study addresses this gap in the research using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to assess the degree to which social factors drawn from criminological theories are able to account for Asian versus non-Asian (White, Black, Latino, and Native American) levels of delinquency. This analysis also extends prior work by exploring the sources of these disparities in delinquency using (a) multiple offense types (violent, property, and drug offending), (b) multiple theoretical approaches (social bond, anomie/strain, and social learning perspectives), and (c) measures that capture the frequency and intensity of serious delinquency for a nationally representative sample of youth. Findings indicate that Asian American youth report lower levels of violence and drug use than other racial/ethnic groups, which are explained by a combination of protective factors, including lower levels of strain, strong bonds to school, and less exposure to delinquent peers.