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Bicycle-Theft Victimization in Contemporary Urban China

A Multilevel Assessment of Risk and Protective Factors

Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA, lzhang{at}francis.edu

Steven F. Messner

University at Albany, NY

Jianhong Liu

University of Macao

China has been characterized as a "bicycle nation." Since the economic reform was initiated in the early 1980s, bicycles have become a major target of criminal activities because of their availability, utility, and monetary value, and because of the difficulty of securing them. The present study discusses the Chinese concern with bicycle theft and explores the social and legal aspects of bicycle-theft victimization in China. Drawing upon the lifestyle-exposure and routine-activities perspectives, the present study specifies a number of important household- and neighborhood-level variables as indicators of target attractiveness, guardianship, and exposure to potential offenders to explore the risk of bicycle theft in urban China. Using data collected from a recent survey in the city of Tianjin, the study conducts multilevel analyses of the risk and protective factors for bicycle-theft victimization. The data show that house type (row houses) and number of adult household members are significant protective factors for the risk of bicycle theft, whereas neighborhood poverty level is a significant risk factor. Exposure to potential offenders, which is measured in terms of neighborhood deviance and/or crime level, is also a risk factor for bicycle-theft victimization.

Key Words: bicycle-theft victimization • multilevel analysis • China.

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