U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Self-reported antisocial behaviour of 10-year-old boys in Zhuhai (China) versus Pittsburgh (USA)

NCJ Number
307870
Journal
Journal of Criminal Psychology Dated: 2023
Author(s)
David P. Farrington; Jianhong Liu
Date Published
2023
Annotation

This article desribes a cross-cultural research study aimed at comparing self-reported antisocial behavior (e.g., stealing) of 10-year-old boys in China and in the United States.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare self-reported antisocial (SRA) behaviour of 10-year-old boys in China (in Zhuhai) and the USA (in Pittsburgh). In Pittsburgh, 868 boys were given an SRA behaviour questionnaire in 1987-1988. In Zhuhai, 1,154 boys were given the same questionnaire in 2017. The prevalence of 23 acts in the two countries was significantly correlated (r = 0.69), showing that the acts that were admitted by most boys in one country also tended to be admitted by most boys in the other country. Also, the mean prevalence in the two countries was very similar, at about 13%. However, several acts (e.g., stealing) were more prevalent in Zhuhai, while violent acts were more prevalent in Pittsburgh. The frequencies of the acts in the two countries were also significantly correlated (r = 0.51), although frequency was usually greater in Pittsburgh. While most theories and research in criminology and psychology are based on Western industrialized countries, it is important to carry out more cross-cultural comparisons of antisocial behaviour in other countries. These results show encouraging generalizability and replicability, despite differences in time and place. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study presents the first comparison of age-matched Chinese and American children on the prevalence and frequency of specific antisocial acts. (Published Abstract Provided)