Social Changes and the Evolution of Crime Patterns: Taking China's "Digital Transformation" as an Example
Abstract
Against the backdrop of China's rapid "digital transformation," crime patterns have exhibited a distinct 特征 of "dual variation": traditional contact crimes such as theft, robbery, and fraud have continued to decline due to the popularization of mobile payments and the strengthening of technical prevention and control measures like the Skynet Project. Meanwhile, new types of crimes using the internet as a tool, platform, or target—such as telecom fraud, data theft, and online black industry—have grown rapidly, exposing problems including legislative lag, inadequate supervision, and the digital divide. This evolution stems from technology's reshaping of social structures and criminal opportunities, driving criminal activities toward remoteness, technicalization, and cross-regionalization. To address these challenges, it is necessary to construct a "resilient governance" system, promote legislative and regulatory innovation, strengthen smart law enforcement and platform responsibilities, deepen international cooperation, and enhance national digital literacy, thereby transforming crime governance from passive response to proactive early warning and systematic prevention and control.
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