The influence of personal and socio-environmental factors on juvenile delinquency in Korea

This study examines the personal and socio-environmental factors that might influence juvenile delinquency in Korea. Data were gathered from 2,280 students in their second year of middle school (the second panel, 2011) and 2,259 students in their third year of middle school (the third panel, 2012), surveyed through the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (hereafter referred to as "KCYPS"). It was found that juvenile delinquency showed statistically significant differences according to age, but not in regards to the degree of physical development. In addition, the main effects of gender, depression, and the number of delinquent peers were found in both the second and the third panel surveys. While there was no interaction effect present in the second panel survey, interaction effects between depression & the number of delinquent peers and the gender & number of delinquent peers were found in the third panel survey. Both surveys showed significant differences in delinquency according to gender, depression, and the number of delinquent peers. The explanatory power was most powerful in the number of delinquent peers, followed by gender and depression in both surveys.