Research on School-aged Victims: With the Theory of Criminal Development

Author: Wang Dawei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: Chinese Abstract
1. This paper proposes a new research field in the realm of politics and education—victimization studies of primary and secondary school students. This is a significant theoretical and practical issue in the field of education. It is both a focal point of attention for schools, parents, and society, and a blind spot in educational research and a virgin territory for theory. Education must reflect on its traditional functions, accurately define its role, and, from the perspectives of education, society, public security, and daily life, create a better living environment for primary and secondary school students and equip them with self-protection skills.
2. This paper takes the holistic analysis theory, the causation condition theory, and the prevention and control theory as its theoretical starting point. The holistic analysis theory, centered on the Tai Chi theory of victimization, serves as the theoretical framework for the study of victimization among primary and secondary school students. The essence of Chinese civilization is harmony, which is embodied in the Tai Chi theory of ancient philosophy. Yin and Yang represent the fundamental laws of movement in the universe: opposition and unity, movement and inclusion, and transformation and permeation. In victimization studies of primary and secondary school students, countless contradictions intertwine: crime and non-crime, victims and perpetrators, and offense and prevention. Countless transformations occur: the role reversal between victims and perpetrators, and the intermingling of conventional culture with criminal subculture. Observing these contradictions and transformations through the lens of dynamic harmony reveals the underlying patterns clearly. The Tai Chi theory of victimization is the central theoretical pillar of this paper.
3. The theoretical model for victimization studies of secondary school students serves as the framework for this paper. This model consists of five elements: (1) the victim of criminal harm; (2) the act of criminal harm; (3) the perpetrator of criminal harm; (4) the patterns of criminal harm; and (5) the prevention of criminal harm. Understanding the patterns of criminal harm and establishing a prevention and assistance system require the participation of society, schools, parents, and students. Student involvement and self-help are particularly important.
4. The hierarchical theory of criminal causation (the theory of the Eight Trigrams of crime). The hierarchical model of criminal causation for adolescents systematizes, structures, and hierarchizes various causes of crime, ensuring that each theory occupies its rightful place in the causation system. The hierarchical model consists of two subsystems: social shock and personal imbalance. Social shock includes three levels: the source of social shock disrupting social balance (balance and imbalance); social ecology (balance and imbalance); and social moral norms (balance and imbalance). The personal imbalance theory also includes three levels: the micro-social environment of the individual (balance and imbalance). Together, the two subsystems form six levels, which constitute the hierarchical model. Inspired by Chinese Confucian philosophy, this model is also known as the theory of the Eight Trigrams of crime.
5. Prevention and control theory: Macro-level infeasibility and micro-level feasibility. Macro-level infeasibility theory: At a certain historical stage, a country will produce a certain number of crimes, and the quantity of crime is constant. Crime peaks are the result of social shock. From a macro perspective, prevention efforts cannot change the broader political and economic context, and thus the macro trend of crime fluctuations cannot be fundamentally altered. Micro-level feasibility theory: Individual students and local units can prevent crime by controlling conditions that lead to it. Theoretically, any micro-level crime can be controlled and prevented.
6. Through large-sample questionnaire surveys, the alarming of victimization among primary and secondary school students is revealed. Nearly half of the students have experienced threats, beatings, and other forms of harm, while one-third have been victims of extortion. However, most students dare not report these incidents to their parents, leading to the rampant yet hidden spread of crimes on campus. The patterns of victimization show gender clustering, regional escalation, and household differences. The reactions of Chinese primary and secondary school students to victimization are concerning. Most students choose to violently resist and scream for help, which easily angers perpetrators and may provoke them to kill. Primary and secondary school teachers have limited knowledge of relevant laws, with only 1% of them knowing the Criminal Code.
7. Focus on criminals within schools. Be vigilant about teacher criminals and the clustering of crime in classrooms and campuses. Vigilance decreases with familiarity and trust. Teacher criminals exhibit characteristics of concealment, longevity, neutrality, severity, and widespread prevalence. The desertification of legal knowledge, the diversification of crime scenarios on campus, and the rationalization of traditional concepts are the main reasons for the rise of teacher criminals. Adolescent crime is the primary cause of victimization among primary and secondary school students. People often believe that the roles of criminals and victims are fixed, but this paper argues that in many minor illegal acts, primary and secondary school students frequently drift into criminal behavior.
8. Prevention model. The shift from passive external rescue and technical prevention to active self-rescue and conceptual prevention. Passive external rescue and technical prevention model: The traditional view holds that the police are the main force in combating crime, and primary and secondary school students are in a passive position in crime prevention. Students cannot self-rescue or defend themselves when harmed and are left to wait helplessly. Over-reliance on technical prevention and neglect of conceptual prevention. Active self-rescue and conceptual prevention model: The new view holds that the root of crime lies in society, and the main force in curbing crime is the public. In preventing victimization among primary and secondary school students, schools and students themselves are the main force in crime prevention. Establish the concept of self-rescue and self-protection, critically reflect on traditional notions, and adopt new ideas such as "learning to say no to strangers" and "life first, property second."
9. The helplessness and incorrect responses of primary and secondary school students in the face of criminal harm stem from their lack of understanding of the of crime. School education should incorporate crime prevention knowledge and skills that are practical and actionable into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools. Establish various forms of publicity mechanisms. These mechanisms include free promotional materials and the writing of "Ten Thousand Whys About Preventing Criminal Harm"; a series of child safety charms, including crime prevention toys, warning phrases, and alarm devices; television and radio programs and a primary and secondary school rights protection website; and the organization of school safety activities for primary and secondary school students, including off-campus and on-campus safety activities. Establish victim assistance institutions for primary and secondary school students, such as centers for sexual crime victims and homes for runaway students; strengthen legal assistance and protection for victimized primary and secondary school students by enacting the "Protection Law for Children and Adolescents Who Have Been Victimized by Crime"; and revise laws such as the "Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency Law" to include provisions for protecting and assisting victimized primary and secondary school students.
10. Crime development theory and crime immunity. In modern society, the scale and quantity of crime are the result of the interplay of factors that produce and curb crime, forming a dynamically stable outcome. The emergence, development, and movement of crime follow their own laws and principles. In developed Western countries, the crime rate is 800 per 10,000 people, with no signs of decline. Crime is determined by the broader political and economic context of society and is not subject to the will of the police. Although crime exists in society, the entire society must continue to develop—it is impossible to wait for crime to be eradicated before progress can be made. Society must develop "with crime." Primary and secondary school students cannot retreat into a utopia to avoid crime or victimization and must face it head-on. One of the main reasons for victimization among primary and secondary school students is their lack of crime immunity. Under controlled conditions, allowing students to learn about campus violence to some extent can promote the development of crime immunity. Understanding prevention knowledge and mastering prevention strategies is like inoculating with smallpox—exposing oneself to a small amount of virus activates the entire immune system, fostering the awareness of active self-rescue and conceptual prevention.