title: Cognitive and social influences on gang involvement among delinquents in three Chinese cities.
abstract: Inasmuch as research has held the increase in youth gang activities responsi ble for the escalating level of crime and delinquency in Chinese societies, ascertaining risk or protective factors of gang involvement among Chinese youths is crucial. The factors include those associated with social control, social learning, and cognitive development. To investigate these factors across different sociocultural contexts, we surveyed delinquents in three diverse Chinese cities-Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. Because of the sociocultural differences among the three cities, social control by parents and cognitive development are likely to be greater protective factors in terms of youths' gang involvement in Hong Kong, while social control by teachers is likely to be a greater protective factor in mainland cities. Results bear out these hypotheses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ngan-Pun
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Ngai
authors.forename: Chau-Kiu
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Steven Sek-Yum
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ngai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D003071:Cognition; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012919:Social Behavior; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D012945:Social Values; D014505:Urban Population