CORRELATES OF CRIME IN TAIWAN - A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS FROM 1964 TO 1990

Taiwan is known for rapid economic growth, but in 1988, the government ended 40 years of martial law, resulting in greater political and soc ial freedoms. This paper explores the influence of economic, social, a nd political structures on crime in the Republic of China on Taiwan. A time series analysis examines the structural correlates of crime in T aiwan from 1964 to 1990. Both total crime and burglary/larceny rates a re regressed on seven independent variables derived from various theor etical perspectives. The results support Hagan's power-control and Chr istie's crime-industry perspectives for total crime, while measures as sessing lack of economic means and the economic deprivation were signi ficant for burglary/larceny.