Family strains, negative emotions and juvenile delinquency

This article considers the intergenerational source of juvenile misbehaviour in present-day China. Drawing on insights from the sociology of emotions and criminological strain theory, it develops a strain–negative emotions–delinquency relationship, focusing on the mediating role of negative emotions. Based on semi-structured interviews, it explores four types of family strain: interparental conflict, parental rejection, harsh parental discipline and academic failure. These strains elicit negative emotions in children, such as anxiety, humiliation and frustration, which can result in bullying at school, addiction to online games and premature love. Interview data illustrate the emotional rewards associated with misbehaviour. Specifically, misbehaving helps children who experience intergenerational strains escape negative feelings, experience thrills and excitement, and gain peer recognition, emotional companionship, a sense of self-esteem and masculine pride. This research develops a criminology of emotions as well as understanding the strain–negative emotions–delinquency relationship, a neglected dimension of intergenerational relations in contemporary China.