Lay Definition of Delinquency: An Integration of Constructivism and Social-structural Perspective

Abstract

Youth, as laypeople to science, have their definitions of delinquency that shape their behavior. Extensive studies have emphasized the definition of delinquency as a determinant for delinquent behavior. However, such a definition has neglected its constructivist and social-structural grounds. The current thesis adds an integrated framework based on constructivism and the social-structural perspective to understand the lay definition of delinquency (LDD) among youths.
With an integrated theoretical framework, the current thesis is built on two studies with both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In Study 1, LDD measurements were developed and validated, and cognitive projection processes within LDDs and the construction process of LDD with peer delinquency were explored by using social network data sampled from youths (N = 930, Mage= 18.83). In the first step of scale development, both the compositional (LDD-C) and qualitative (LDD-Q) definitions of delinquency applied. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability tests suggested a two-dimensional structure for both scales, and confirmatory factor analysis further revealed a good fit. Validity tests manifested concurrent, predictive, and content validity.
In the second step, social-structural influences were incorporated with LDD via a social network approach (SNA). SNA data enabled access to: 1) actual peer delinquency with peer self-reports; and 2) the influence of an individual’s entire social network, as illustrated by personal anchored social-structural properties (e.g., popularity). With SNA, Study 1 further tested: 1) the occurrence of projection and cognitive bias for LDD perceptions; and 2) the mechanism of peer delinquent influence on personal LDD construction, moderated by social network properties, and the outcomes of personal subsequent delinquency, net of self-selection. Regarding LDD perceptions, the youths tended to regard their peers as holding more delinquency-oriented LDD-C based on hurting others and LDD-Q based on perversity when compared with themselves and their friends’ actual LDDs. Moreover, those who hold delinquency-oriented LDDs tended to overestimate the delinquent level of peer LDDs to validate themselves. Furthermore, with incorporation of social network properties, it revealed that youths with higher centrality significantly learn from their best friends’ smoking and regular friends’ drinking behaviors in constructing their LDD-Q based on perversity with a delinquent proclivity. When considering the risky behavior of smoking and drinking as delinquent consequences, personal LDD-Q based on perversity, moderated by social network properties, negatively mediated the positive influence of peer delinquency on personal delinquency. The unexpected results in hypotheses testing are discussed and further explored in Study 2.
In Study 2, a qualitative approach was adopted and eighteen youths with delinquent experiences were interviewed to complement Study 1. Consistent with Study 1, the interviews revealed the dimensionality of LDDs (i.e., LDD-C hurting others and self-indulgence, and LDD-Q perversity and deficiency) and the influences of micro-level social structures on LDDs. Complementary to Study 1, the themes of Study 2 revealed: 1) specific cognitive distortions that underlie LDD projection; 2) group cohesion as a micro-level structural condition for peer delinquent effect on personal LDDs and subsequent delinquency; and 3) the time sequence of micro-social structures, peer delinquency, LDDs, and personal delinquency. In addition, Study 2 preliminarily explored the influence of macro-social structures and the family as an additional micro-social structure in their influences of peer delinquency on LDDs.
The current thesis has several contributions and implications. Theoretically, it speaks to a theoretical integration of constructivism and the social-structural perspective in understanding peer similarity in delinquency. On the one hand, based on constructivism, it proposes a prominent concept (i.e., LDD) to capture laypeople’s intersubjective knowledge regarding the descriptive, explicit, and nominal definition of delinquency through a bottom-up approach. Unlike existing definitions of delinquent and their measurements, LDD implies that laypeople hold multidimensional and distinguishable criteria, such as cruel hurting and evilness, for defining delinquency. Such LDDs include intersubjective construction processes regarding peer delinquent socialization. On the other hand, this thesis has incorporated the spirit of positivism. The social-structural perspective adds the objective influences of social structures and networks— namely, personally achieved social properties and peer actual delinquent influence— to personal LDD construction and subsequent delinquency. The theoretical integration with quantitative and qualitative evidence implies that social structures at the micro and macro levels influence the individuals’ intersubjective construction of common knowledge regarding delinquency through peers, schools, neighborhood, and regional cultures. This integration thus highlights the lay construction process at the individual level as a product of an intersubjective constructivist process and social-structural influence, whereby it comprehensively elaborates existing criminological research. The current thesis further contributes to the practical domain of social work by providing the insights of laypeople and the importance of social-structural factors.

Date of Award	29 Aug 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Chau Kiu Jacky CHEUNG (Supervisor)