Soft violence: how organized crime groups survive in authoritarian China

How do organized crime groups survive in authoritarian China? In response to the Chinese government’s zero-tolerance approach to street and violent crime, organized crime groups have increasingly resorted to soft violence, which uses psychological coercion and relational repression to force victims to comply. Drawing on interview data and published materials, this article introduces the concept of soft violence and offers detailed narratives of how gangs use it in contexts such as forced demolition and debt collection, as well as in online settings. It also discusses how the government’s latest anti-crime campaign has led to the reduced use of soft violence. Through a conceptual and empirical examination of soft violence in China, this article contributes to the broader study of gangs and organized crime.