NCJ Number
199661
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2003 Pages: 99-105
Date Published
March 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the relationship between official offense status and self-esteem among Chinese youths.
Abstract
One focus of the labeling theory has been on the negative consequences of being labeled as deviant in the other areas of a person’s life such as self-esteem and interpersonal relations. This hypothesis was tested in the United States and the results seemed to provide clear support for it. Sociocultural contexts may be important for testing of the hypothesized relationship between official labeling and self-esteem. The present study tested the hypothesis that an official label of deviance was likely to lead to low self-esteem for those labeled deviant in Chinese society. The data came from a survey conducted in Tianjin, a large city in China, in 1989. The age range of respondents was 15 to 25 years old. There were two distinct subsamples: one of official delinquents and one of the general population. There were three items that were used to measure self-esteem: (1) whether the respondents felt people looked down upon them; (2) whether they were satisfied with themselves; and (3) whether they often felt worthless of themselves. Results show that official offense status or official labeling is likely to negatively affect self-esteem of the labeled youths in China. The data also revealed an effect of friend deviance on self-esteem. Parental status and age had significant effects on self-esteem among Chinese youth. The findings demonstrate the importance of social and cultural context in assessing the effect of official labeling of deviance on people’s lives. 4 tables, 5 notes, 38 references