NCJ Number
220611
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 44 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2007 Pages: 406-426
Date Published
2007
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The study explored the social and legal aspects of bicycle theft victimization in China.
Abstract
The study discusses the social and legal aspects that make bicycles attractive and vulnerable crime targets in the context of contemporary urban China. These aspects include the availability, utility, and monetary value of bicycles as well as the difficulty in securing bicycles, given the Chinese social and legal setting. The study also applied the lifestyle exposure and routine activities theories to assess the risks and protective factors for the Chinese experience of bicycle theft victimization. Data showed that house type (row houses) and number of adult household members were significant protective factors for the risk of bicycle theft, whereas neighborhood poverty level was a significant risk factor. Exposure to potential offenders, which was measured in terms of neighborhood deviances and/or crime level, was also a risk factor for bicycle theft victimization. One anomalous finding was observed; household income was negatively related to victimization risk in bicycle theft, contrary to the premise that high incomes associated with target attractiveness. An explanation for the finding might be that high income households have security options to protect their bicycles not captured in the model. Bicycle theft was quite prevalent in contemporary urban China; 67.2 percent of respondents reported a bicycle theft from any location within the past 5 years. Data for the study came from a household survey administered to approximately 2,500 respondents who were 18 and over in the city of Tianjin, China in 2004. Tables, notes, references