Unselfish Motivations and Deviance: An Empirical Examination of Social Concern Theory among South Korean Adolescents

The study tested the mediating role of social concern - or intrinsic unselfish motivations - in the relationship among teacher bonds, deviant peer association, and youth delinquency in Korea, a cultural setting that promotes social concern. Multi-group path analysis with nationally representative da...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Deviant behavior 2020-06, Vol.41 (6), p.705-717
Main Authors: Hong, Hyunhee, Han, Yoonsun, Lee, Dong Hun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Deviance
Juvenile delinquency
Norms
Punishment
Teachers
Teenagers
Youth
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Summary:The study tested the mediating role of social concern - or intrinsic unselfish motivations - in the relationship among teacher bonds, deviant peer association, and youth delinquency in Korea, a cultural setting that promotes social concern. Multi-group path analysis with nationally representative data of Korean adolescents (N = 2,089) indicated that teacher bonds predicted lower levels of delinquency, whereas deviant peer association predicted higher levels. Bonding with teachers was significantly related to social concern; however, social concern predicted less deviant behavior for boys only. Prevention policies that improve the quality of teacher-youth relationships may more effectively restrain self-interested behavior than intensified punishment.
ISSN:0163-9625
1521-0456
DOI:10.1080/01639625.2019.1594318