Author
Mr ZHANG Xinyi
Organisation/Institution
Beijing University of Chemical Technology, College of Arts and Law
Country
CHINA
Panel
Law and Society
Title
From “Family absence” to “Digital Escape”: A Mixed-method Research about Parental Alienation, Digital Substitution and Juvenile Delinquency in China's Specialized Schools
Abstract
In the digital era, the internet has profoundly reshaped human social interaction and reconfigured the forms, means, and pathways of juvenile delinquency. Prevailing explanations of juvenile delinquency often emphasize individual moral failure or isolated risk factors, neglecting how structural deficits in family support interact with the digital environment to shape pathways into serious misconduct. Specialized schools (zhuan men xue xiao) in China nowadays play an increasingly vital role in the nation’s response to juvenile delinquency and misconduct. Data was collected from a specialized school in eastern China, yielding 419 questionnaire responses and 35 in-depth student interview transcripts. Combined with a mixed-method survey, this study reveals a troubling pathway: when emotional bonds with caregivers’ fracture, adolescents increasingly turn to digital spaces for validation, often encountering harmful content or peer networks that normalize delinquent behavior. Quantitative analysis shows that students reporting low family communication (≤2 on a 0–5 scale) are significantly more likely to engage in excessive screen use (76%) and access violent or pornographic material (55%). Qualitative narratives further illustrate how online interactions substitute for absent familial support Critically, 81% of those with poor family ties also exhibited high-risk digital behaviors, and many cited “peer influence” or “it looked fun” as motives for their offenses—tracing a clear arc from relational void to virtual entanglement to real-world harm. This dual vulnerability exposes gaps in China’s regulatory framework: a lack of enforcement mechanisms for emotional neglect and a high dependence on passive oversight rather than proactive algorithmic accountability. The paper argues that effective juvenile crime prevention requires dismantling the artificial divide between “family” and “digital” governance. It proposes integrating family-function and digital-behavior assessments into specialized school admissions, mandating targeted parental education for high-risk households, and imposing affirmative duties on platforms to shield minors from harmful algorithmic recommendations. By reframing delinquency as a systemic failure of care rather than an individual moral lapse, this research aims to promote a rights-based, systematically grounded vision for juvenile justice reform.
Biography
ZHANG Xinyi holds a dual bachelor's degree in Law and German from Beijing Normal University (2018-2022), followed by a Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Leiden University (2022-2023). He is now a PhD candidate in Criminal Law at Beijing Normal University (expected graduation 2027). His academic qualifications include the 2022 Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award from BNU Law School and multiple student leadership awards. With extensive leadership experience, he served as Vice President of the Law School Student Union (2019-2020). His practical experience includes leading multiple social practice projects. He has led teams multiple times in teaching assistance projects, with a focus on providing legal education to adolescents in rural areas of Western China. His research focuses on resolving rights violations against marginalized groups, particularly exploring the causes of and responses to sexual crime and juvenile delinquency. His work demonstrates strong empirical research skills and a commitment to practical criminal justice applications.
