Criminal Acting of Rural Migrants

Abstract

This chapter examines the criminal acting of rural migrant offenders. It first presents data that shows the crimes involving the rural migrant workers, and then seeks to explain it by examining migrant offenders who were engaged in gang participation, drug-related offences, and fraud. Accordingly, the chapter has three Section “Crimes involving Rural Migrants: The empirical data” explores rural migrants’ participation in gangs and gang activities; Section “Migrant ‘Gangsters’: Rural Migrants’ Involvement in Gangs” looks into peasant-workers’ involvement in drug-related deviance and crimes; and, Section “Definitional Issue of Gangs and ‘the Gang’ in the Context of Migrant Offending in China” discusses rural migrant workers’ engagement in fraudulent activities. In each section, it starts with the context to situate the relevant findings presented. Next, it reveals the socio-demographic profile of the migrant offenders who were involved in the category of crime and details their criminal engagement. Furthermore, it pays particular attention to how the individuals turned to criminality and their motivations for participation in the crime. The chapter concludes with a short summary to forge a link between internal migration, inequality, social exclusion, deviance and crime.