Chinese delinquent and non-delinquent juveniles: An exploration of the relations among interparental intimacy, interparental conflict, filial piety and interpersonal adjustment

Juvenile delinquency is affected by family interpersonal relationships and interpersonal adjustment. Filial piety refers to how children treat their parents in Chinese family interpersonal relationships and is one of the most important codes of conduct for Chinese people. Exploring the relationship among family interpersonal relationships (e.g., interparental intimacy, interparental conflict and filial piety) and interpersonal adjustment in delinquent juveniles would help to expand the understanding of findings that show how the interaction between different family variables and adjustments affect delinquency. This study examined the differences in the relationships among interparental intimacy, interparental conflict, filial piety and interpersonal adjustment between delinquent juveniles and non-delinquent juveniles. The participants included 554 juvenile delinquents from juvenile criminal prisons in China and 344 non-delinquent peers from local middle and high schools and completed a survey that included items measuring interparental intimacy, interparental conflict, filial piety and interpersonal adjustment. The results indicated that delinquent juveniles had lower interparental intimacy, reciprocal filial piety and interpersonal adjustment and higher interparental conflict than non-delinquents. Interparental intimacy, interparental conflict and filial piety were generally associated with interpersonal adjustment. Filial piety mediated the effect of interparental intimacy and interparental conflict on interpersonal adjustment; however, there were some significant differences between delinquents and non-delinquents in terms of the mediating effect. The results supported the findings that family variables, particularly interparental relations and filial piety, which constitute a theoretically important aspect of Chinese values and beliefs, are uniquely associated with the interpersonal adjustment of delinquent juveniles in China.