TY - JOUR
T1 - When does career strain reduce delinquency? Friendship concern in Hong Kong
AU - Ngai, Steven Sek-Yum
AU - Cheung, Chau-Kiu
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Strain does not necessarily lead to delinquency. Its impact depends on the value of the unachieved goal, according to the thesis of adaptation in strain theory. When alternative goals are salient, the strain may even reduce delinquency. For instance, a young person's concern for friendship diminishes the importance of strain in connection with career achievement. To test this, the present study employed longitudinal data collected from 137 Hong Kong Chinese youths identified as at risk of delinquency by the outreaching social work service. For these youths, earlier career strain had a minimal impact on delinquency later. Furthermore, when the youths reported high concern for friendship, earlier career strain reduced delinquency significantly. The findings thus uphold this important prediction of strain theory. © 2005 A B Academic Publishers.
AB - Strain does not necessarily lead to delinquency. Its impact depends on the value of the unachieved goal, according to the thesis of adaptation in strain theory. When alternative goals are salient, the strain may even reduce delinquency. For instance, a young person's concern for friendship diminishes the importance of strain in connection with career achievement. To test this, the present study employed longitudinal data collected from 137 Hong Kong Chinese youths identified as at risk of delinquency by the outreaching social work service. For these youths, earlier career strain had a minimal impact on delinquency later. Furthermore, when the youths reported high concern for friendship, earlier career strain reduced delinquency significantly. The findings thus uphold this important prediction of strain theory. © 2005 A B Academic Publishers.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=17444389713&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/02673843.2005.9747947
DO - 10.1080/02673843.2005.9747947
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
SN - 0267-3843
VL - 12
SP - 131
EP - 147
JO - International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
JF - International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
IS - 1-2
ER -