PROMOTIVE AND RISK FACTORS RELATED TO DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN JAPANESE YOUTH JULIE ANNE LASER University of Denver
TOM LUSTER TOKO OSHIO Michigan State University
Although deviant behavior is on the rise in Japanese youth, the promotive (or protective) factors that deter this behavior and the risk factors that exacerbate it have not been studied. This study examined promotive and risk factors related to deviant behavior among 555 male and female Japanese youth attending postsecondary schools in the Sapporo area. Individual characteristics, family characteristics and processes, and extrafamilial factors were investigated. Results showed that many factors that had been linked to deviant behavior in Western samples (e.g., lack of parental monitoring) were also predictive of deviant behavior in Japanese youth. In addition, some factors that were of particular concern in Japan (e.g., father’s involvement in fuzuko) were also predictive of deviant behavior. Keywords:
deviance; deviant behavior; promotive factors; risk factors; Japanese youth; youth
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lthough most Japanese live in densely populated urban centers, civility and calm are maintained by the observance of rules and cultural mores. This sense of serenity is preserved by valuing the importance of the common good over the personal desires of the individual. To underscore this point, there is an old Japanese adage that states, “The nail that sticks out gets pounded down.” This maxim reflects many Japanese social rules and mores. Japanese corporations, businesses, universities, and public schools all promote the idea of interdependence whereby harmony and common good are valued over personal gain (Crocker, Loutanen, Blaine, & Broadnax, 1994; Kitayama & Markus, 1994; Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Morling, Kitayama, & Miyamoto, 2002; Reid & Deaux, 1996; Sugimura, 2001). However, the nation has been gripped by a recent concern that Japanese youth are becoming increasingly more aggressive and unruly. In fact, the rate of youth arrests has risen from 12.5 per 1,000 youth in 1994 to 17.5 per 1,000 youth in 2003 (Ministry of Justice, 2005). Although there is a substantial increase in youth crime, it is impossible to separate the increase in actual numbers from other factors or from an increase in focus on youth crime. For example, Nakanishi (2003) found that rates of juvenile deviance were tied to increased police spending. Perhaps more important, the popular media often highlight stories that describe a growing group of Japanese youth that dress outside of cultural norms, vandalize, AUTHORS’ NOTE: The authors would like to thank the Yasuda Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, for funding this research. Furthermore, the authors would like to acknowledge the important contributions of the Japanese team, including Dr. Yasuo Tanaka, Shinichi Ninomiya, Hidemi Shinbo, Narumi Tsukui, Dr. Murohashi Harumitsu, Dr. Satoshi Miura, Dr. Norihiro Ito, Teruko Ikehata, Reiko Morimura, Dr. Akio Ishimoto, Yoshimi Akino, Dr. Kazuo Suzuki, and Aoi Tamura. Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to Julie Anne Laser, MSW, PhD, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, 2148 High St., Denver, CO 80208; e-mail: julie.laser@du.edu. CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, Vol. 34 No. 11, November 2007 1463-1480 DOI: 10.1177/0093854807306127 © 2007 American Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology
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