The Characteristics of Chinese Women’s Victimization in Sex Offenses

• Author: Lening Zhang,Steven F. Messner
• Published date: 01 September 2013
• Date: 01 September 2013
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1057567713500791
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

The Characteristics

of Chinese Women’s

Victimization in Sex Offenses

Lening Zhang

1

and Steven F. Messner

2

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to conduct a preliminary assessment of the characteristics of

Chinese women’s victimization in sex offenses using data collected from two surveys of criminal

victimization in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin in 1992 and 2004, respectively. The assessment

analyzes the demographic characteristics of female victims in such offenses and the characteristics of

their victimization. The data from the Beijing and Tianjin surveys are compared in the analysis. The

results show a shift in the demographic pattern between the two surveys, which may be related to

the dramatic change in China’s transformation to a state-directed market economy during the time

period. However, the data from both surveys indicate some similar characteristics of sex offenses

against women in contemporary urban China. Some of these characteristics significantly differ from

those discovered in the United States.

Keywords

women’s victimization, sex offenses, China, violence against women

Introduction

Violence against women has become an increasingly important global concern (del Frate &

Patrignani, 1995). Scholars and practitioners in the international community have recognized that

various forms of violence against women such as rape and sexual assault have received inadequate

attention in the past. Until recently, women’s victimization in sex offenses has been largely

understudied, often due to the difficulty of data collection. The difficulty continues to persist in

developing counties such as China due to the long cultural tradition of discrimination against women

in sex offenses (Lu, Liu, & Crowther, 2006). Also, scholars often assume that women’s victimiza-

tion in sex offenses may have unique characteristics and patterning compared to their victimization

in other offenses (Franklin, Franklin, & Nobles, 2012; Kersten, 1996). The present study represents

an attempt to examine the characteristics of Chinese women’s victimization in sex offenses in

1

Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA, USA

2

Department of Sociology, University at Albany–SUNY, Albany, NY, USA

Corresponding Author:

Lening Zhang, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA 15940, USA.

Email: lzhang@francis.edu

International CriminalJustice Review

23(3) 295-306

ª2013 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/1057567713500791

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