Aggression differences among nonoffender, onset-offender, and recidivist migrant youth in China

We examined aggression differences among nonoffender, onset-offender, and recidivist migrant youth in China using explicit and implicit measures. From 2011 to 2015, data were collected via face-to-face surveys and the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Male migrant youth (N = 227; 106 nonoffenders, 78 onset-offenders, and 43 recidivists) completed the Chinese version of the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and 125 male migrant youth (68 nonoffenders, 31 onset-offenders, and 26 recidivists) performed two IATs assessing implicit attitudes and implicit self-concepts about aggression. The results showed that the IAT was reliable in an Asian context with offenders, and that the onset-offenders demonstrated greater aggression compared with those in the recidivist and nonoffender groups. Our findings suggest that onset-offenders may have more accurate self-awareness than do recidivists and incarceration may influence attitudes toward aggression in a positive way. Such knowledge is important for interventions that target juvenile delinquency.