On the Problems of the Family in Open Cities and Delinquency Among Middle School Students

Abstract

Since the policy of opening up to the outside world has been implemented, social life in all its aspects has felt a very powerful and violent impact. As a fundamental unit of life in society, the family naturally has also, in the wake of the tremendous social change, experienced a chain reaction. The "open cities" serve as the primary windows for our country's implementation of the open-door policy as well as the frontline battle positions. At a time when various major achievements and successes have been attained in these cities, new social problems have popped up. Under the influence of pernicious elements, delinquency among middle school students has become a serious issue in a number of the open cities. If we look at the statistics of criminals incarcerated in juvenile correction institutes, we find that in 1979, 47.15 percent of the inmates were juvenile delinquents from middle schools, whereas the figure for 1985 was 47.51 percent. Of these, 25.8 percent of all the juvenile delinquents in middle schools were from the open cities. These figures represent a very high ratio which has remained so for several years without declining. In that case, we may well ask: Is there any relationship between the family as a basic environment for middle school students and the phenomenon of middle school student juvenile delinquency? If there is, what is it? In particular, there are new family problems emerging in the open cities, such as the increase in the number of broken families, the acceleration of the pace of family life, the drift toward material concerns and needs, and the weakening of the function of family education. Do these problems have any relation to the phenomenon of middle school student delinquency? If so, what? A study of these problems may be helpful in formulating a comprehensive method of handling middle school student delinquency and help to guarantee a healthy growth for the younger generation as well as happiness and fulfillment for the lives of every family and to promote the stability and unity of the open cities and their modern construction.