Gang crime and its punishment in China

Abstract

Using data from an inmate survey in Tianjin, China this study examines selected characteristics of youth gangs, gang crime, and official punishment in contemporary China, and compares them to those commonly reported in the United States. The findings indicate that the organizational level of Chinese youth gangs is low, that the age distribution of offenders committing gang-related crime increases rapidly in the age-range of the mid-teens and then levels off through the early twenties, and that there is a significant association between prior offenses and involvement in gang crime. These findings are consistent with the U.S. research. The data also indicate some differences across nations as well. Fellow workers and “provincials” are, for instance, a relatively common source of gang members in China, which reflects the unique employment and life circumstances in Chinese society. There does not appear to be an association between the gang-related crime and the seriousness of the offense for which the inmate was incarcerated, which is contrary to U.S. research indicating such an association. Finally, gang-related crime increases the severity of official punishment. This finding is consistent with the official Chinese policy of severely cracking down on gangs and gang crime.