Liberation Daily: Crime Rate Among Migrant Youth Continues to Rise

May 9, 2005

The crime rate among migrant youth in one central Shanghai district rose 144 percent from 2003 to 2004, according to an April 25 article in the Liberation Daily. The author alleges that migrant youth were responsible for 66.3 percent of all crimes by adolescents in the district between 2000 to 2004. Another district posted similar percentages between 2002 and 2005. According to the article, experts explain that migrants lack the three protections against juvenile delinquency: family, school, and society. The article proposes three solutions to the problem: setting up a temporary guardian system for migrant youth, with a gathering place for recreational and educational activities; cracking down on the adult criminals who often draw migrant youth into criminal behavior; and enforcing the rule that employing units must control their workforces.