Some Reflections on Reported Crime Rates in the Chinese and Vietnamese Communities in Australia

Some Reflections on Reported Crime Rates in the Chinese and Vietnamese Communities in Australia

  The primary aim of this paper is to provide an overview of some literature and research on crime in the Chinese and Vietnamese communities in Australia. This paper intends to challenge one of the common？held perceptions within the greater Australian community that Asian communities in general have a higher than average crime rate. It will explain why there are generally lower crime rates in the Chinese and Vietnamese communities with reference to some possible cultural factors such as close family ties and the dominant Confucianism. Finally, this paper argues that data on ethnicity and crime in Australia should have been made available to examine the potential of having differential crime rates across different ethnic communities. These data can be made available as part of a national crime mapping project and will inform on how police resources can be directed to the areas and communities with the greatest need.