Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China
Abstract Although it is commonly believed that immigration leads to a high crime rate, this relationship is far from conclusive. This paper contributes to this line of research by exploring the case of China, a country undergoing rapid and profound urbanization. We collected and analyzed the arrest...
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doaj-67b3dd3f2ac4462f8b4bb9bcd8224d722020-11-24T20:55:58ZengSpringerOpenThe Journal of Chinese Sociology2198-26352017-05-014112110.1186/s40711-017-0056-3Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in ChinaJianxin Cheng0Junqiang Liu1Jun Wang2School of Government, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Government/Center for Chinese Public Administration Research, Sun Yat-sen UniversitySchool of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen UniversityAbstract Although it is commonly believed that immigration leads to a high crime rate, this relationship is far from conclusive. This paper contributes to this line of research by exploring the case of China, a country undergoing rapid and profound urbanization. We collected and analyzed the arrest and prosecution data from the procuratorates of 306 prefectures in China, combined with interviews with nine policemen and public procurators from five provinces. We found that domestic migration in different cities is significantly related to the prosecution rate, while home rentals provide a better predictor of the arrest rate. These findings imply that migration may introduce crime, but may partly through the rental-housing factor. Compared with prosecution cases that are broader in scope, arrest cases indicate graver crimes in China. This suggests that the rental factor may play an important role in the emergence and prevention of crime. The findings call for reflection on urbanization and its unintended consequences. Housing policies should not be considered merely in their economic sense; it should not be neglected as important social policy leverage in crime prevention and social inclusion.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40711-017-0056-3Domestic migrationHome rentalCrimeDefensible spaceCrime pattern |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jianxin Cheng Junqiang Liu Jun Wang |
spellingShingle |
Jianxin Cheng Junqiang Liu Jun Wang Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China The Journal of Chinese Sociology Domestic migration Home rental Crime Defensible space Crime pattern |
author_facet |
Jianxin Cheng Junqiang Liu Jun Wang |
author_sort |
Jianxin Cheng |
title |
Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China |
title_short |
Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China |
title_full |
Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China |
title_fullStr |
Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China |
title_full_unstemmed |
Domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in China |
title_sort |
domestic migration, home rentals, and crime rates in china |
publisher |
SpringerOpen |
series |
The Journal of Chinese Sociology |
issn |
2198-2635 |
publishDate |
2017-05-01 |
description |
Abstract Although it is commonly believed that immigration leads to a high crime rate, this relationship is far from conclusive. This paper contributes to this line of research by exploring the case of China, a country undergoing rapid and profound urbanization. We collected and analyzed the arrest and prosecution data from the procuratorates of 306 prefectures in China, combined with interviews with nine policemen and public procurators from five provinces. We found that domestic migration in different cities is significantly related to the prosecution rate, while home rentals provide a better predictor of the arrest rate. These findings imply that migration may introduce crime, but may partly through the rental-housing factor. Compared with prosecution cases that are broader in scope, arrest cases indicate graver crimes in China. This suggests that the rental factor may play an important role in the emergence and prevention of crime. The findings call for reflection on urbanization and its unintended consequences. Housing policies should not be considered merely in their economic sense; it should not be neglected as important social policy leverage in crime prevention and social inclusion. |
topic |
Domestic migration Home rental Crime Defensible space Crime pattern |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40711-017-0056-3 |
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