Juvenile Delinquency in Hong Kong: Causes and Solutions

Introduction

The increase in juvenile delinquency has become a worldwide phenomenon, especially in many developed countries. This trend is also evident in cities like Hong Kong, as shown in a report asserting that the age of juvenile offenders in the city is getting younger. A study by Pang (2008) states that "some juvenile delinquents are now as young as 10 and 11."

According to the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, another disturbing indication of the increase in youth crime was the number of crimes committed by young females, which rose in 2006. "The young girls, mostly aged 13 to 14, usually like to commit crimes with their friends, like stealing accessories or cosmetics" (Pang, 2008). Furthermore, the same study notes a thirteen percent increase in crimes committed by children between the ages of twelve and thirteen during 2008. This trend is supported by the fact that "the overall number of cases handled by its teenage crime counseling service, or its youth-support scheme, in the three areas rose to 790 — up 4% from 2006" (Pang, 2008).

In general terms, however, Hong Kong has comparatively low levels of crime. Broadhurst (2000) states that "the general consensus is that Hong Kong has a comparatively low level of crime and indeed this fact is frequently stressed in tourism and other promotions of the city." One reason for this is that the fifth United Nations Criminal Justice System (UNCJS) survey ranked Hong Kong sixth highest in police-to-population ratio, at 640 police per 100,000 people (Broadhurst, 2000). There is also a comparatively large private security industry in the city (Broadhurst, 2000). In spite of these positive aspects, the increase in juvenile offences warrants closer examination of the theoretical interpretations and underlying causes.

Causative Factors and Differential Association Theory

One reason given for the relatively high rate of juvenile offences in Hong Kong is that these offences are often linked to patterns of socialization and experience at an early age. This has in turn been connected to social phenomena such as the relatively high incidence of bullying in schools (Wong, 2004, p. 537). Studies indicate that school conflicts that remain unresolved, and school bullying in particular, often act as a precursor to juvenile offences and violent behavior later in an adolescent's life (Wong, 2004, p. 537).

This phenomenon has been positively linked to the increase in violent crime among juvenile offenders in Hong Kong. Wong (2004) found that in 2001, violent crimes in Hong Kong accounted for 26.7% of the total juvenile crimes in the seven-to-fifteen age group — a higher figure than that recorded for the sixteen-to-twenty age group, where the percentage of violent crimes was considerably lower (Wong, 2004, p. 538). This disparity has in turn been linked to the high incidence of bullying in schools.

These findings coincide with various criminological theories, including differential association theory, which is associated with Edwin Sutherland. This theory characterizes criminal behavior as something that is learned by the individual, and holds that deviant forms of behavior are not essentially intrinsic to human nature. The emphasis is on learned patterns and justifications for certain types of behavior.

Sutherland argues that criminal behavior is learned in exactly the same way that other forms of behavior are taught (Walters, 2010). Fundamental to this theory is that learning occurs through interaction between groups and individuals via symbols and ideas. Deviant behavior occurs when these ideas and symbols frame criminal or delinquent behavior in a favorable rather than an unfavorable light (Wong, 2004, p. 538).

In essence, the theory rests on the premise that the main causes of crime are social — that crime results from the way in which the social context impacts and influences the individual. This distinguishes differential association theory from more conventional psychological and biological theories of criminal behavior. Sutherland rejects causative views of crime based on biological determinism and individual psychological theories, as well as purely economic explanations of the causes of crime (Edwin H. Sutherland: Differential Association Theory).

The theory is founded on two fundamental assumptions: that "deviance occurs when people define a certain human situation as an appropriate occasion for violating social norms or criminal laws," and that "definitions of the situation are acquired through an individual's history of past experience" (Edwin H. Sutherland: Differential Association Theory). As such, the theory emphasizes the social-psychological dimensions of criminal behavior and the way that people perceive themselves subjectively (Walters, 2010). Two cardinal aspects are emphasized: juvenile crime as a product of social learning, and the association of delinquent behavior with positive peer and social perceptions.

Conclusion

The relatively high rate of juvenile crime and delinquency in Hong Kong is a source of concern for social workers and crime prevention authorities. A number of studies argue that this phenomenon is essentially social in nature and that the social dimension is a crucial aspect in understanding and combating criminal behavior patterns among young people.

This view coincides with several criminological and sociological theories pertaining to deviant behavior. Differential association theory is particularly useful in explaining the causative factors in delinquent behavior, as it focuses specifically on the social dimensions of offending. It also provides a framework for understanding how social associations and the acceptance of certain norms promote delinquent behavior. Furthermore, differential association theory can be used to suggest methods and strategies to prevent and address this form of negative behavior among young people in Hong Kong.