Research

Young People's Risk Behaviors Online and Offline

The Youth Profile Survey (YPS) in Denmark is one of the most comprehensive surveys of young people in the world. Based on YPS, my research team aims 1) to create an overall picture of both online and offline criminal and deviant behavior among young people, and 2) to identify the risk and protective factors that contribute to crime and deviance among young people in Denmark. The variables that we will focus on include online and offline crime and deviance (e.g. online fraud, offline drug use), digital use time, social support (online and offline support from family, peers and educational institutions), perceived crime and deviance with peers, and the respondents' socio-demographic information (gender, age, educational background). We adopt advanced quantitative analysis methods to ensure strong scientific results.

Control, differential association, and normalization: A gender-specific analysis of illicit drug use in China

Throughout my PhD studies, my efforts have centered on explaining the initiation and continuation of drug use among detainees in Chinese compulsory drug rehabilitation institutions. I successfully constructed one of the most comprehensive Chinese drug user datasets (1,027 surveys and 58 in-depth interviews). My PhD dissertation outlined an integrative theoretical framework incorporating self-control, social control, social learning, and normalization theories to explain respondents’ drug use patterns. The in-depth interview analysis further revealed how drug-use networks and permissive attitudes towards drugs exerted different influences on males’ and females’ drug use behaviors.