Delinquent Subculture and Juvenile Offenders’ Attitudes Toward the Police in China

Abstract

This study made use of delinquent subculture theories developed in the United States to examine juvenile attitudes toward the police in China. The data were collected from face-to-face interviews conducted with 358 adjudicated youth offenders incarcerated in a province-run juvenile prison in an ethnic minority autonomous region of China. The analysis includes variables derived from delinquent subcultures theories as well as traditional models commonly employed in the U.S. literature. The findings suggest that juvenile offenders in the sample tend to rate the police positively and delinquent subculture theories have their utility in explaining juvenile offenders’ sentiments toward the police. Explanations were provided for findings that are distinctive for this Chinese sample. Study limitations and relevant policy implications were discussed.