NCJ Number
218877
Journal
International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2007 Pages: 108-124
Date Published
June 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This preliminary study investigated gender differences regarding attitudes toward crime and punishment among college students in China.
Abstract
Contrary to findings from studies in the United States, the results from the Chinese sample indicated gender differences on attitudes toward crime and punishment on only 3 of the 16 measures. Chinese men were more likely than Chinese women to perceive (1) that courts were not harsh enough on criminals; (2) that Chinese society should pay less attention to rehabilitation for criminals and instead pay more attention to the victims; and (3) that society has a right to seek revenge on violent criminals. No significant gender differences emerged for the other 13 measures of attitudes on crime and punishment. The findings are explained in terms of China’s patriarchal society and the importance of collectivism over individualism in this country. Legal education efforts by the government may also play a role in the close agreement of attitudes concerning crime and punishment in China. Future research should focus on why gender variations in attitudes toward crime and punishment exist in the United States and other Western nations but not in China. Participants were 524 Chinese college students recruited using various methods from a comprehensive university in the central part of China. Participants completed questionnaires that measured demographic characteristics, views on crime, views on punishment, opinions about offender treatment, views on offenders, and support for the death penalty. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, and logistic regression models. Tables, notes, appendix, references