A Comparison of Traditional Delinquency and Cyber-Delinquency: General Strain Theory and Community Protective Factors

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on forms of delinquency among South Korean adolescents. We investigate the risks and protective factors associated with traditional delinquency and cyber-delinquency to provide guidance for prevention. We employed the theoretical frameworks of general strain theory (GST) and the Communities That Care (CTC) model to analyze panel data from middle school students in South Korea (N = 2,384) surveyed in 2019 and 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Traditional delinquency and cyber-delinquency in 2020 were dependent variables, and general strain and CTC variables in 2019 were independent variables. We conducted a logistic regression analysis and found that only academic pressure had a significantly positive relationship with traditional delinquency. Moreover, participation in extracurricular activities was a risk factor for traditional delinquency and cyber-delinquency. Contrary to expectations, the protective functions of CTC factors were not identified, likely due to the effects of the pandemic. We conclude this paper by discussing the implications of our findings and the limitations of our research.