Stressful Life Events and Negative Emotions on Delinquency Among Korean Youth: An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory Assessing Longitudinal Mediation Analysis

The current study examines the extent to which the argument of Agnew's general strain theory extends to a sample of South Korean youth to be able to explain the hypothesized direct and indirect/mediated effects of negative emotions derived from various negative life experiences of strain on del...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Authors: Cho, Sujung (Author) ; Galehan, Jordan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2020
In: International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology
Year: 2020, Volume: 64, Issue: 1, Pages: 38-62
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Volltext (doi)
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Longitudinal mediation models
negative affective states
delinquent behaviors
poor friendship quality
parental abuse
bullying victimization
Bullying victimization
Parental abuse
Poor friendship quality
Delinquent behaviors
Negative affective states
Description
Summary:The current study examines the extent to which the argument of Agnew's general strain theory extends to a sample of South Korean youth to be able to explain the hypothesized direct and indirect/mediated effects of negative emotions derived from various negative life experiences of strain on delinquent behaviors. These experiences can include bullying victimization, parental abuse, poor friend quality, and poor physical functioning. Data for this study were compiled from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS), which is a longitudinal study among 7,027 Korean households surveyed from 2006 through 2012. This study utilizes the longitudinal mediation models for temporal precedence. Results reveal that adolescents with poor-quality friends during the previous year are more likely to engage in later delinquency, and adolescents who experience bullying victimization, child abuse, and poor friendship quality during the previous year are more likely to later feel negative emotions. Furthermore, early feelings of negative emotions are significantly related to later delinquent behaviors and partially mediate the link between poor friend quality and later delinquent behaviors. Finally, bullying victimization, child abuse, and poor friend quality generated negative emotions, which led to a greater likelihood of delinquent behavior later.
ISSN:1552-6933
DOI:10.1177/0306624X19873079