Juvenile Delinquency: Psychological Risk Factors and Municipal Policy Frameworks for Graded Rehabilitation Programs

Authors

  • Yingyin Shen School of Marxism, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, China
  • Xuanting Liu Kenneth Wang School of Law, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52152/800123

Keywords:

Juvenile Delinquency; Psychological Risk Factors; Local Government Policy; Rehabilitation Strategies; Youth Mental Health

Abstract

This study investigates juvenile delinquency in China by identifying key psychological risk factors and examining the policies implemented by local governments. Using case studies of Shanghai and Henan, the research highlights various contributing factors to juvenile delinquency, including academic pressure, mental health challenges, family instability, inadequate emotional support, and broader socioeconomic issues. The findings reveal that local governments in China adopt a hybrid approach to address juvenile delinquency: they align with central government guidelines while tailoring their interventions to local contexts. Shanghai, in particular, demonstrates a more effective model, combining psychological rehabilitation with vocational training programmes that significantly reduce the risk of future delinquency. In contrast, Henan’s approach appears less effective, largely due to limited resources that hinder the implementation of comprehensive rehabilitation strategies. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the central government enhance financial and institutional support for under-resourced regions. Strengthening such support would enable local governments like Henan to develop and execute more robust and effective rehabilitation programmes for at-risk youth.

References

Bashir-udden, M., & Tang, Y. (2023). Influence of Childhood Adversity on Students’ Delinquent Activities: Interplay with Neighbourhood Context and Delinquent Peer Association. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 6677530, 1.

Chan, H. C., & Wong, D. S. (2015). Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying in Chinese societies: Prevalence and a review of the whole-school intervention approach. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 23, 98-108.

Chen, W. (2021). Prevention of juvenile delinquency and revision of minimum age of criminal responsibility. China Youth Study, 02, 52-57.

Chui, W. H., & Chan, H. C. (2011). Social bonds and male juvenile delinquency while on probation: An exploratory test in Hong Kong. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(11), 2329-2334.

Chui, W. H., & Khiatani, P. V. (2021). Mediating the maltreatment-delinquency relationship: The role of triad gang membership. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(5/6), 2140-2165.

Chui, W. H., Khiatani, P. V., & Kiconco, M. (2022). An examination of the differential impacts of social bonds and organized crime affiliation on male and female youth street gang members’ delinquency. Deviant Behaviour, 43(1), 102-122.

Chui, W. H., Khiatani, P. V., She, M. H., & Chan, B. P. (2023). A latent profile analysis of child maltreatment among at-risk youth gang members: Associations with violent delinquency, non-violent delinquency, and gang organizational structures. Child Abuse & Neglect, 105989, 135.

Farrington, D. P., Gaffney, H., Losel, F., & Ttofi, M. M. (2017). Systematic reviews of the effectiveness of developmental prevention programs in reducing delinquency, aggression, and bullying. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 33, 91-106.

Henan Social Work Association. (2023). Annual report on rural mentorship networks in Henan Province. Retrieved from http://www.henanswa.org/reports/2023

Li, S., Wang, S., Gao, X., Jiang, Z., Xu, H., Zhang, Y., . . . Wan, C. (2021). Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and suicidal behaviours in adolescents: A four-province study in China. Journal of Affective Disorders, 285, 69-76.

Li, X. (2023). Rural rehabilitation challenges in Henan Province. Journal of Chinese Local Governance, 12(1), 45-60.

Liu, D., Tan, M. Y., Lim, A. Y., Chu, C., Tan, L., & Quah, S. H. (2014). Profiles of needs of children in out-of-home care in Singapore: School performance, behavioural and emotional needs as well as risk behaviours. Children and Youth Services Review, 44, 225-232.

Liu, F., Yin, X., & Jaing, W. (2025). Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis of Psychological and Pharmacological Treatment for Intermittent Explosive Disorder: Insights From Both Case Studies and Randomized Controlled Trials. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, e70016, 32(1).

Milojevic, S., Dimitrijevic, A., Marjanovic, Z. J., & Dmitrijevic, A. (2016). Bad past, gloomy future: The trait emotional intelligence profile of juvenile offenders. Personality and Individual Differences, 94, 295-298.

Mohr-Jensen, C., & Steinhausen, H. C. (2016). A meta-analysis and systematic review of the risks associated with childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder on long-term outcome of arrests, convictions, and incarcerations. Clinical Psychology Review, 48, 32-42.

National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2023). Urban-rural spending on youth welfare programs (2018–2023). Retrieved from http://www.stats.gov.cn/2023youth

Oei, O., Li, D., Chu, C., Ng, I., Hoo, E., & Ruby, K. (2023). Disruptive behaviours, antisocial attitudes, and aggression in young offenders: Comparison of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) typologies. Child Abuse & Neglect, 106191, 141.

Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. G., & Farrington, D. P. (2022). Self-control interventions for children under age 10 for improving self-control and delinquency and problem behaviours. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 6(1), 111-117.

Pozuelo, J. R., Desborough, L., Stein, A., & Cipraini, A. (2022). Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Depressive Symptoms and Risky Behaviours Among Adolescents in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(2), 255-276.

Qian, T. D. (2025). Snares of Youth: Juvenile Offenders and Popular Criminology in the Early Reform Era. Modern China, 323476.

Qu, J., Huagn, W., & Chen, X. (2025). Virtual Socializing, Peers, and Juvenile Delinquency: A Study of Incarcerated Male Youths in China. Crime & Delinquency, 331597.

Ramakulkusha, T. O., Babalola, S. S., & Mashau, N. S. (2022). Interventions to Promote Rehabilitation Programmes for Youth with Violent Behaviours in Limpopo Province: A Systematic Literature Review. The Open Public Health Journal, 15.

Ribera, O. S., Trajtenberg, N., Shendervoich, Y., & Murray, J. (2019). Correlates of youth violence in low- and middle-income countries: A meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 1010306, 49.

Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. (2022). Happy Heart” initiative: Mental health outcomes in schools. Retrieved from http://www.shanghai-edu.gov.cn/reports/2021

Shao, Y., Qiao, Y., Xie, B., & Zhou, M. (2019). Intermittent Explosive Disorder in Male Juvenile Delinquents in China. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10.

Shen, Y., & Zhong, H. (2018). Rural-to-Urban migration and juvenile delinquency in urban China: A social control perspective. Asian Journal of Criminology, 13, 207-229.

State Council of the People’s Republic of China. (2023). Protection of Minors Law. Retrieved from http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2021-xx/xx/content_xxxx.htm

Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) of China. (2023). 2022 Annual report on juvenile crime statistics. Retrieved from http://www.spp.gov.cn/2023report

UNICEF. (2021). Left-behind children in rural China: A call for action. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.cn/reports/left-behind-children-2021

Wang, M. (2025). Overview of graded correction policies for juvenile. Highlights in Business, Economics and Management, 47, 358-363.

Wang, S., Ma, S., Jiang, L., Chen, Q., Guo, J., He, H., . . . Wang, X. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and deviant behaviours among Chinese rural emerging adults: The role of social support. BMC Public Health, 2404, 22(1).

Wong, D. F., Lap, P. S., Chan, M. H., & Zhuang, X. Y. (2016, 96). A Preliminary Study on Cognitive–Behaviour Interventions for Hong Kong Chinese Delinquent Youth. Research on Social Work Practice, 82, 28(7).

Xie, Q., Bi, T., Li, X., Yoang, B., & Kou, H. (2024). The prevalence and risk factors of conduct disorder among juvenile delinquents in China. Humanities and Social Science Communications,11, 278.

Yu, C., Zhang, X. S., Zuo, Q., Lain, X., Tu, X., & Lou, C. (2021). Correlations of Impulsivity and Aggressive Behaviours Among Adolescents in Shanghai, China Using Bioecological Model: Cross-Sectional Data From Global Early Adolescent Study. BMJ Open, e043785, 11(7).

Zhao, J., Zhang, X. W., & Zhao, R. (2021). Rational choice theory applied to an explanation of juvenile offender decision making in the Chinese setting. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 65(4), 434-457.

Zhao, R. (2023). Implementing China’s Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Law: Challenges and opportunities. Asian Journal of Criminology, 16(2), 145-162.

Zhao, Y., Mesner, S. F., Liu, J., & Jin, C. (2019). Prisons as Schools: Inmates’ Participation in Vocational and Academic Programs in Chinese Prisons. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 861051, 63(15/16).

Zhuang, y., Lau, Y. Y., Huang, Y. T., Tam, C. H., Chan, W. M., Yeung, M., & Ng, Y. K. (2021). Efficacy of Low-Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Intervention for Chinese Delinquent Youth. Research on Social Work Practice, 1013897, 32(2).

Published

2025-08-01

Issue

Section

Article

How to Cite

Juvenile Delinquency: Psychological Risk Factors and Municipal Policy Frameworks for Graded Rehabilitation Programs. (2025). Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 23(6). https://doi.org/10.52152/800123