Comparative Study on Crime Prevention Between China and the World

Author: Feng Shuliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Crime is a major chronic ailment of human society. Humanity has paid a heavy price to combat crime. According to international statistics, the loss of life and property caused by crime far exceeds the damage from any war during the same period (including World War II). To reduce this devastating cost, countries around the world have increasingly focused on the word "prevention," making the greatest possible prevention and reduction of crime a unified strategic goal. However, how to prevent it? This has long been a focal point of concern for politicians, scholars, the United Nations, and governments worldwide, as well as a core issue studied by many disciplines such as criminology, criminal law, and sociology. In today's scientific era and information society, learning, exchange, and reference among countries are undoubtedly the necessary path to finding effective solutions for crime prevention. Therefore, the theme of this book is to conduct a comparative study of crime prevention between China and other countries, taking China's unique characteristics in crime prevention as a starting point and comparing them with the prevention models of some major countries to provide a foundation for mutual learning,,, and the emergence of new approaches. The focus of the comparative study is placed on the basic models, fundamental laws, basic theories, basic practices, and several major crime types of crime prevention, prioritizing emphasis over comprehensiveness, and incorporating some innovative attempts in the specific content. For example, regarding the "model" issue, this book is the first to categorize five global crime prevention models for comparison; for the "law" issue, it previously only mentioned the laws of crime occurrence and development, but now adds newly summarized guiding laws for crime prevention; for the "theory" issue, it previously mainly drew on Western theories but now adds Eastern traditional theories, dedicating significant space to exploring the philosophical origins of crime prevention theories to broaden the for theoretical innovation; for the "practice" issue, it categorizes and analyzes strategic, operational, and tactical practices, adding new practical chapters on "mastering warfare" to serve frontline command in actual combat; and for the prevention of several major crime types, it also tries to move beyond the "case-by-case" research approach to propose new insights. In this way, the structural framework also breaks away from the traditional approach of solely focusing on ", , " or a fragmented, all-encompassing study. The feasibility of the comparative study is objectively present. Because crime prevention in different countries cannot have a unified model, and these distinctive models are precisely the basis for valuable comparison and reference. Although crime prevention may not follow a fixed trajectory, there are still some similar or identical laws. While countries may not have identical theories of crime prevention, there are many common points in theoretical thinking. Additionally, the prevention of juvenile crime and organized crime are key types of crime prevention in all countries. This indicates not only that they are comparable but also that only through comparison can mutual learning and reference be achieved. In terms of content arrangement, this book adopts a writing philosophy that combines applied and foundational aspects, embedding applied aspects within the foundational ones. This is reflected in: on one hand, providing interpretations for some terms and concepts, such as what constitutes crime, what crime prevention entails, what a model is, what laws are, and what constitutes strategy, operations, and tactics, to avoid confusion or unclear concepts; on the other hand, offering readers ample and systematic knowledge and theoretical space to broaden their and perspectives, enhancing decision-making processes based on knowledge. This principle, as expressed in ancient wisdom, is that "teaching someone to fish is better than giving them a fish"; as stated by the renowned modern physicist Dr. Tsung-Dao Lee, the market needs fish, but without water, fish cannot be raised—foundational theoretical knowledge is the water. In terms of data and references, they are used only to support arguments, avoiding the accumulation of data that does not contribute significantly to the discussion. Moreover, with many materials readily available online, there is no need to excessively numbers. The academic community generally holds that reports from the media cannot serve as evidence for academic arguments. However, in today's information society, the media is a crucial channel for communication, and relying solely on criminological surveys is often insufficient and delayed. Therefore, one should not adhere to outdated conventions, though when using media reports, they must be critically analyzed and substantiated. This book is a ministerial-level project approved by the Ministry of Justice in 1998, independently undertaken by the author. To design a new writing framework and select relevant materials, it took five years, with the time spent on conceptualizing the framework far exceeding the time spent writing. This demonstrates on one hand that "one person's thoughts can vary greatly in speed" and on the other that any bit of innovative thinking requires painstaking effort. Here, I would like to express my gratitude to the leadership of the Crime Prevention Research Institute for their support and to the numerous middle-aged and young scholars who have translated and published a series of foreign monographs in recent years, making comparative studies possible. The views discussed in this book may vary among academics, and I sincerely welcome critiques and corrections from experts, scholars, and readers. At the same time, I recognize that the existence of differing opinions is what stimulates innovative thinking and drives the development of theoretical and practical innovation.
Author: July 2003