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.

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

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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