NCJ Number
181586
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: February 2000 Pages: 265-279
Editor(s)
Stanley Einstein Ph.D.
Date Published
2000
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examines patterns of alcohol involvement in violent and property crimes in China, with emphasis on cultural and biological differences between China and western countries concerning alcohol and features of Chinese culture concerning violence.
Abstract
Drawing on the disinhibition perspective in alcohol and crime, a specific hypothesis derived from the sociocultural context of Chinese society was that alcohol was more likely to be associated with violent crime than with property crime. Using data from a survey of inmates in China, this hypothesis was assessed, as well as possible variables that moderated the hypothesis. Data indicated disinhibition was applicable to the alcohol-violence relationship in Chinese culture. However, predicted patterns of alcohol use in violent and property crimes did not vary across offender groups, which was inconsistent with some U.S. research. A possible explanation of the findings was that Chinese culture was more homogeneous and strong cultural restraints were more consistent across different social groups; therefore, people's behavior was more uniform. 27 references, 9 notes, and 4 tables