Promotive and Risk Factors Related To Deviant Behavior in Japanese Youth

Although deviant behavior is on the rise in Japanese youth, the promotive (or protective) factors that deter this behavior and the risk factors that exacerbate it have not been studied. This study examined promotive and risk factors related to deviant behavior among 555 male and female Japanese youth attending postsecondary schools in the Sapporo area. Individual characteristics, family characteristics and processes, and extrafamilial factors were investigated. Results showed that many factors that had been linked to deviant behavior in Western samples (e.g., lack of parental monitoring) were also predictive of deviant behavior in Japanese youth. In addition, some factors that were of particular concern in Japan (e.g., father's involvement in fuzuko) were also predictive of deviant behavior.