Factors Associated with Victimization Experiences Among Juveniles Detained in a Chinese Correctional Facility: A Longitudinal Study

• Author: Jihong Solomon Zhao,Hongwei Zhang,Xinting Wang
• DOI: 10.1177/00938548211013564
• Date: 01 November 2021
• Published date: 01 November 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2021, Vol. 48, No. 11, November 2021, 1596 –1615.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548211013564

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2021 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

1596

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH VICTIMIZATION

EXPERIENCES AMONG JUVENILES DETAINED

IN A CHINESE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

A Longitudinal Study

XINTING WANG

Ball State University

JIHONG SOLOMON ZHAO

Sam Houston State University

HONGWEI ZHANG

Jinan University

Prison victimization constitutes a serious problem for organizations and individuals. It disrupts order in an institutional envi-

ronment, and the experience of victimization can have a long-lasting psychological effect on incarcerated population, par-

ticularly juveniles. Relevant research suggests that the deprivation model and the importation model can help explain the

occurrence of prison victimization. Using longitudinal data collected from a youth custodial facility in China, the current

study examines factors that are believed to be predictors of prison victimization. Negative binomial regression, a commonly

used tool for the analysis of prison victimization research using count data, is employed in the current study. The findings

suggest that prior victimization experiences, reported record of violent delinquency, prison visitation, and demographics have

significant impacts on in-prison victimization. The public policy implications of the findings are discussed at the end of the

study.

Keywords: preprison victimization; in-prison victimization; importation and deprivation; juvenile justice; longitudinal

research

Prison has been well documented as an isolated and hazardous place from its inception in

the United States. Recorded incidents, such as assaults, rule violation, and suicide, are

common problems associated with prison management (Lahm, 2009; Ricciardelli, 2014;

Wooldredge, 1998). Relevant studies have consistently found that adverse incidents have

their roots in institutional victimization and associated revenge (Hochstetler et al., 2004;

AUTHORS’ NOTE: The authors would like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful

comments. This paper has no funding information. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed

to Hongwei Zhang, Juvenile & Family Law Research Center, School of Humanities, Jinan University, 206

Qingshan Road, Guangzhou 519070, Guangdong, China; e-mail: Hongwei_zhang888@hotmail.com.

1013564CJBXXX10.1177/00938548211013564Criminal Justice and BehaviorWang et al. /

research-article2021

Wang et al. / VICTIMIZATION AMONG DETAINED JUVENILES 1597

Kerley et al., 2009; Toman, 2019). Unfortunately, research is limited regarding institutional

victimization in comparison with other topics, such as incarcerated person’s misconduct

and offending (Lahm, 2009; Perez et al., 2010).

The dearth in literature also extends to international studies. More specifically, a cur-

sory review of the prior literature in both English and Chinese reveals that research is

scant regarding prison victimization under the Chinese setting. This research trend nar-

rows again with respect to juveniles in confinement (Kuo et al., 2014). The absent litera-

ture is an issue as detained youth can be particularly vulnerable to in-prison victimization

because they are both physically and psychologically underdeveloped (Ahlin, 2018;

DeLisi et al., 2010). A meta-analysis of 25 previous studies, for example, indicated that

detained juveniles were more likely to have mental disorders and associated behavioral

problems than their at-risk counterparts in the general population (Fazel et al., 2008). In

addition, relevant research strongly suggests that victimization can be a catalyst for both

maladjustment upon release and for recidivism (X. Chen, 2016; Rima et al., 2019; Yoder

et al., 2019).

Therefore, the experiences encountered by incarcerated adults and detained juveniles can

have a lasting impact on the individual. Due to the complexities associated prison-related

interactions, two conventional perspectives are commonly employed to explain incarcer-

ated population behaviors in prison environments—namely, importation and deprivation.

Empirical studies have consistently reported evidence that both prior experiences (i.e.,

importation) and facility-based practices (i.e., deprivation) exert significant influence on

the likelihood of victimization in prison (Steiner et al., 2017). Most of the reported studies,

however, center on adults in custody instead of detained juveniles. The focus of the study

here is upon detained juveniles in China, a country with the largest juvenile population in

the world (H. Zhang et al., 2014). Specifically, we examine the factors hypothesized to be

associated with in-prison victimization among juveniles held in a correctional institution.

Longitudinal data used in this study were collected from the lone juvenile custodial facility

located in an autonomous region of the country, which contains an ethnically diverse popu-

lation of 48.38 million citizens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical

study to deploy a relatively comprehensive analytical model on detained juvenile victimiza-

tion within China. This study aims to fill the research gap on detained Chinese juveniles and

to provide a better understanding of victimization experiences in an institutional setting, for

the following reasons.

Available literature reveals that the integration of the deprivation and importation models

has come to characterize prison behavior research (Dhami et al., 2007; Lahm, 2009;

Ricciardelli, 2014; Sparks et al., 1996; Sykes, 1958; Thomas, 1977; Toch, 1977). Scholars

have argued convincingly that incarcerated population’s institutional behaviors are influ-

enced by a combination of the physical/relational environment encountered in prison and

the past/present biographical experiences (Sparks et al., 1996; Thomas, 1977). Importation

approach and deprivation approach are commonly used to explain an incarcerated popula-

tion’s behaviors in prison. There is no exception for detained juveniles when the research

focus is their personal adjustment (Gover et al., 2000; Tasca et al., 2010). Similarly, this

study utilizes the two approaches to offer a broader conceptualization of in-prison victim-

ization among detained juveniles. It is a useful way to put predictors derived from different

theories into the two broadly conceptualized perspectives.