A Multilevel Assessment of Social Disorganization Theory in Taipei, Taiwan
Keywords
social disorganization, crime, criminology, delinquency, adolescents, Taiwan
Abstract
Recent interest in community-level studies of crime has generated substantial evidence that Shaw and McKay's social disorganization model continues to be a notable explanation of crime and delinquency. However, the plausibility of social disorganization theory in a Chinese cultural setting has not been well investigated. This article develops a multilevel social disorganization model and tests it using data from a representative sample of 1,704 in-school adolescents from Taipei, Taiwan. The results offer general support for the social disorganization model: Higher community income and lower population density in the community are related to lower delinquency, while family disorganization and associations with deviant peers are related to greater involvement in delinquency. These results show the promise of social disorganization as an explanation of delinquency in a rapidly changing Chinese cultural system.
Original Publication Citation
Yang, Shu-Lung, and John P. Hoffmann. 1998. “A Multilevel Assessment of Social Disorganization Theory in Taipei, Taiwan.” Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 14(3):222-247.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Yang, Shu-Lung and Hoffmann, John P., "A Multilevel Assessment of Social Disorganization Theory in Taipei, Taiwan" (1998). Faculty Publications. 3947.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/3947
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
1998
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6757
Publisher
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Sociology
Copyright Status
© 1998 Sage Publications, Inc.
Copyright Use Information
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/