Validation of Scales for Researching Stakeholders' Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence in China.

Domestic violence (DV) is a significant concern within China. Currently, there are few standardized measurement tools to gauge Chinese stakeholders' perceptions and beliefs concerning DV. This research sought to validate tools to be used with such stakeholders. Factor analyses were utilized on cross-sectional, survey data from a purposive sample of 683 Chinese DV professionals working in four institutions in Guangdong. Analyses developed three scales for measuring DV Definitions, DV Attitudes, and DV Policing. The development of these scales is beneficial to advance the already growing research related to DV in China in ways that are relevant to the Chinese context.

Exploring Perceived Legal and Organizational Support and Attitudes on the Decision to Mediate or Arrest in Domestic Violence Cases: A Study Among Community and Criminal Justice Professionals in China.

This study investigates factors related to the decision to (a) arrest or (b) mediate in domestic violence (DV) situations-nonmutually exclusive but highly differing decisions chosen a priori as being outcomes of interest. The sample included three types of professionals handling domestic violence cases in China: (a) Women's Federation (WF), (b) police, and (c) judicial personnel. The participants (n = 817) responded to a vignette describing a DV incident. Logistic regression revealed that legal, organizational, and attitudinal factors were associated with decision-making and varied by group. The findings suggest training and detailed instructions on handling DV.

Does Trauma Exacerbate Criminal Behavior? An Exploratory Study of Child Maltreatment and Chronic Offending in a Sample of Chinese Juvenile Offenders.

(1) Background: Maltreated children are at increased risk for juvenile delinquency. Extant research has explored the effect of child maltreatment on either the initial risk of juvenile delinquency or general juvenile recidivism. However, little is known regarding the effect of child maltreatment on chronic offending. (2) Methods: Using a sample of 695 male juvenile offenders incarcerated in a centralized juvenile reformatory of the province X located in Southwest China, this study investigates both the prevalence of child maltreatment and the effect of child maltreatment on chronic offending among the juvenile offenders. Descriptive statistical analyses and multinomial logistic regression were utilized to conduct the analyses. (3) Results: A vast majority of the juvenile offenders experienced at least one type of child maltreatment. Moreover, maltreatment was generally found to be more prevalent in chronic offenders than in one-time offenders and recidivists. Results from a series of logistic regression analyses revealed that among five specific maltreatment types, only physical abuse exerted a statistically significant and positive impact on chronic offending. (4) Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of providing early prevention and intervention programs to juvenile offenders who were physically abused in order to reduce general chronic offending as well as chronic violent offending.

Rational Choice Theory Applied to an Explanation of Juvenile Offender Decision Making in the Chinese Setting.

Rational choice theory (RCT) is a classical theory in criminology, with deep roots in the Enlightenment. It has secured a privileged place as a mainstream criminological theory in the United States. Ironically, RCT has not been applied to research on juvenile delinquency and related decision making in China. This study attempts to test the relative utility of RCT among adjudicated juvenile offenders incarcerated in an institution located in a southwestern province of China based on their responses to two hypothetical scenarios of offending. The results of the Tobit model analyses emerged from the two-wave longitudinal data lent strong support to the view that RCT can indeed serve as an important theory for explaining delinquent behaviors in China. More specifically, juvenile offenders used cost-benefit analysis to decide if they want to be involved either in the stealing scenario or in the fighting scenario. A discussion of findings and public policy implications are highlighted at the end of the paper.

A Scoping Review of 37 Years of Intimate Partner Violence Research in China.

So far, no Chinese- or English-language journal investigations have been carried out on the entirety of research published on intimate partner violence (IPV) in China. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study was to analyze the contents of the totality of published IPV research articles indexed in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the input and output factors relating to published articles concerned with IPV, including their authors and contents. The CNKI was selected for investigation and analysis because it is the largest and most consulted academic online library in China. The analysis was conducted on 3,595 peer-reviewed journal articles on IPV over a 37-year period covering 1982-2018. The findings revealed that only 68 (1.89%) of the articles were empirically and quantitatively based. Findings among these 68 articles show that total contribution of IPV research has increased significantly over time in China, with increasing growth in the past two decades especially. Results also present summaries concerned with the reviewed studies' inputs (i.e., researchers' organizational affiliations, funding sources, and geographic settings), outputs (i.e., authors, journals, classifications, pages, topics, key words, definitions, theoretical approaches, samples, and methods), and outcomes (i.e., citations, downloads, prevalence rates, and correlates of violence). To sum, this is the first exploratory study of the unique and diverse body of IPV research in the Chinese-language and scientific literature. Overall, the study's results both help to inform future IPV research in China and foster and inform communications concerning IPV research globally.

Empirical Research on Domestic Violence in Contemporary China: Continuity and Advances.

Domestic violence is not uncommon in China. Myths and misconceptions about it do exist, especially in the context of rapid social changes. Compared with its Western counterparts, the study on domestic violence in China is considered rudimentary and of low priority. Empirical studies, especially those measuring the correlates and/or risk factors related to domestic violence, are still lacking. This special issue aims to advance understanding on domestic violence through much-needed empirical research. It also demonstrates joint efforts by local Chinese scholars and their Western counterparts to strengthen collaboration in this important research area. Based on relatively large sample surveys, the articles incorporated in this special issue provide relatively accurate estimates of factors related to domestic violence and responses to it in mainland China and Taiwan. Future studies should give priority to developing indigenous theories and practices in addition to adapting and testing theories and models developed in the West.

The Tendency to Make Arrests in Domestic Violence: Perceptions From Police Officers in China.

The present study examines police officer attitudes and responses to domestic violence on a sample of 520 officers in a southern Chinese city. The police officers were asked to respond to two vignette scenarios depicting husbands assaulting their wives. The results show high correlations between officer responses to the two vignettes: Husbands are much more likely to be arrested than wives. The results of logistic regression analysis reveal that officers who view their profession as that of a law enforcer are more likely to arrest either husbands or wives. Officers who believe domestic violence to be a private matter are less inclined to arrest husbands, while those who hold profeminist attitudes are more inclined to do so. Finally, the implications are considered for further understanding of police responses to domestic violence in the Chinese context.

Testing For Measurement Invariance of Attachment Across Chinese and American Adolescent Samples.

Adolescent attachment to formal and informal institutions has emerged as a major focus of criminological theories since the publication of Hirschi's work in 1969. This study attempts to examine the psychometric equivalence of the factorial structure of attachment measures across nations reflecting Western and Eastern cultures. Twelve manifest variables are used tapping the concepts of adolescent attachment to parents, school, and neighborhood. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to conduct invariance test across approximately 3,000 Chinese and U.S. adolescents. Results provide strong support for a three-factor model; the multigroup invariance tests reveal mixed results. While the family attachment measure appears invariant between the two samples, significant differences in the coefficients of the factor loadings are detected in the school attachment and neighborhood attachment measures. The results of regression analyses lend support to the predictive validity of three types of attachment. Finally, the limitations of the study are discussed.

Chinese narcotics trafficking: a preliminary report.

Questions of existence of the "China Route" for drug smuggling and trafficking have been important in the literature. The profile of the offenders, particularly whether they are primarily members of traditional criminal organization, is a hotly debated issue. Much qualitative evidence has been collected and it provides important insights into these questions. However, little quantitative data has ever been collected and analyzed to provide a broader picture of these issues. The present study involves the systematical collection of data from court sentencing files from seven high courts whose jurisdictions cover the China Route. The findings provide valuable information that sheds light on the debated questions. Some evidence consistent with the China Route arguments is found. No evidence supports the idea that traditional organized criminal syndicates are behind most offenses. Logistic regression results reveal interesting associations between offender characteristics and types of offenses.