Chapter 113 Case Study: Categorized Processing and Multi-Party Collaboration

Professor Ying Xuanji stood up and walked to the projection screen.

“Team Leader Zhao, comrades,” her voice was clear and steady, carrying an undeniable insight, “we may have been misled by the appearances of ‘masked’ and ‘malicious.’ Let’s re-examine the ‘language’ left at the scene.”

She pointed to the few graffiti pieces with crooked lines, bright colors, and childish content: "This style of graffiti is full of childish venting and imitation, lacking the gang symbols, specific marks, or more complex patterns commonly found in adult thug graffiti. It conveys the emotions of anger and destruction, but the technique is clumsy, or even a 'fun' attempt."

Then, she pointed to a photo showing the spray paint height: "The technician mentioned that the spray paint height is generally too low. Measurement data shows that the main contaminated area is concentrated between 0.8 meters and 1.5 meters above the ground. What kind of people's height range does this correspond to?"

"Teenagers!" Jiang Ling already knew the answer in her heart.

“That’s right.” Professor Ying Xuanji gave Jiang Ling an approving look and continued her analysis, “Look at this crushed lighter. It has a raccoon design, is cheap, and is commonly found in small shops around schools. It’s something that many middle school students would buy if they wanted to smoke or just thought it was fun. And those torn pieces of colorful stickers, when pieced together, look like fragments of some anime character or popular school stickers.”

Her gaze sharpened: "The masked appearance precisely demonstrates the perpetrators' concern and fear regarding their identity—they are afraid of being recognized! Combined with the childishness of the spray paint, the height restrictions, the typical teenage items left behind, and this purely destructive, venting, and highly imitative motive rather than profit-driven..."

She paused, then presented her comprehensive analysis conclusion, word by word:

“Analyzing from a criminal psychology perspective, the perpetrators of this heinous crime are most likely not delinquents, but a group of school-aged teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, some of whom may have dropped out of school. They come from the same or neighboring schools, are closely related, and form a small group.”

"As Captain Zhao just mentioned, their masked behavior is similar to that of robbers in Hong Kong and Taiwan police and gangster movies. Perhaps stimulated by violent movies, their crimes have a strong emotional catharsis and imitative nature, and the group behavior amplifies the destructive power. Judging from the content of the spray paint and the act of seriously injuring Old Zhang, the members of the small group have different personalities. Some are more repressed, some are more direct, and some are more aggressive and inciting."

The conference room fell silent instantly.

Teenagers? Middle school students? This completely contradicts their previous judgment.

Destroying cultural relics and seriously injuring an elderly person! Are today's kids really capable of forming criminal gangs and committing violent crimes?

Although some people were skeptical, Professor Ying Xuanji's analysis was clear and logical, leaving no room for argument.

After a long pause, Captain Zhao Gang's eyes widened, and he slapped his thigh: "That's right, how come I didn't think of that! Those graffiti, that lighter, that height, it's unbelievable, it's a student! No wonder we couldn't find the suspect after searching all over the place."

As a frontline criminal investigator, Zhao Gang grasped the concept immediately and assigned tasks: "Change direction immediately! Focus on investigating the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Middle Schools in the city, as well as the nearby vocational high schools. Check if any students have exhibited abnormal behavior recently, have been frequently involved in small group activities, or have been exposed to a large number of Hong Kong and Taiwan violent films. Pay special attention to the nearby video arcades. Also, check the convenience stores near the schools that sell spray paint and Little Raccoon lighters!"

With a clear direction for their investigation, the police were revitalized, shifting their focus from the chaotic social sphere to the middle school campus.

The Qingyuan City police are quite efficient in their investigations.

In just two days, five suspects were identified and quickly apprehended, and the list was presented to Jiang Ling.

The main culprit, Chen Dong, is 17 years old and a second-year high school student at Qingyuan No. 3 Middle School. He usually seems quite honest and his grades are average, but he is the most ruthless.

Zhou Xiaoyang, 16 years old, is in the same class as Chen Dong and is a top student in the grade, ranking among the top ten. He and Chen Dong have a very good relationship.

Wang Qiang, 16 years old, was a student at the No. 3 Middle School in the city. After dropping out of school, he drifted into society and frequented the streets, where petty theft was commonplace.

Li Wei, 15 years old, is a junior high school student at No. 3 Middle School. He is known for being timid and introverted.

Zhao Xiaopeng, 15 years old, was a student at No. 3 Middle School, but has now dropped out and is hanging out with Wang Qiang in the underworld.

According to their confession, that night, the five men watched a Hong Kong movie at a video arcade near Wang Qiang's house. The movie was about gangsters fighting, killing, and settling scores.

After they came out, the five of them were in high spirits. They drank some beer, and Chen Dong suggested going to White Pagoda Park for some excitement. They climbed over the wall and initially just wandered around, urinating and spitting on the statues. Later, someone suggested smashing something, and Wang Qiang immediately agreed, picking up a stone from the ground and smashing it against the statue. The others saw this and joined in the commotion. Chen Dong and Zhou Xiaoyang took out spray paint cans they had prepared beforehand and started spraying everywhere.

Old Zhang, the park's security guard, heard the noise and came out to stop them, scolding them. Chen Dong was in the middle of his rant when he was scolded and became enraged. He was the first to grab a nearby wooden stick and rush forward, followed by the others... Afterwards, they hurriedly climbed over the wall and ran away.

Chen Dong, Zhou Xiaoyang, Wang Qiang, Li Wei, and Zhao Xiaopeng—this group confirms the accuracy of Ying Xuanji's profile—they are indeed a small group of teenagers who have crossed the boundaries between being in school and dropping out.

However, this combination is really strange: a top student, a fringe delinquent, an introverted "invisible person"... How did they end up together and do such a thing?

With this question in mind, Jiang Ling and Ying Xuanji participated in the entire interrogation process to assess the criminal psychology of the five teenagers.

In the interrogation room, the five teenagers removed their masks, revealing their youthful faces filled with different emotions. Being children and first-time offenders, they lacked counter-surveillance skills and quickly confessed everything.

Chen Dong was the main culprit. He was very tall, with a build close to that of an adult, but his eyes were like those of a trapped beast, a mixture of exhaustion, ferocity, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

His father was a mechanic at an old state-owned enterprise in Qingyuan City, a strict and rigid man; his mother was a housewife, gentle but weak, and Chen Dong was the only son in the family.

When asked about his parents, Chen Dong gave a sarcastic smile: "My dad only cares about the machines in the factory and my report card. If I don't do well on a test? Being beaten with a belt is a common occurrence. In his eyes, nothing I do is right, nothing I do is good enough. My mom? All she does is cry and secretly slip me some money."

He lowered his head, his fingers digging into the table: "That day, after watching 'Young and Dangerous,' I felt really stifled, so I wanted to smash something and make a big fuss. Why should I have to do whatever they want me to do? That old man in the park came out and yelled at me, just like my dad yells at me, and I just couldn't control myself."

Jiang Ling wrote two lines in her notebook.

—Motive for the crime: The anger accumulated from long-term high-pressure family life and emotional neglect erupted completely under the catalysis of group activities, alcohol, and violent films and television programs.

—Risk factors: high-pressure authoritarian families, long-term emotional neglect, and accumulated anger and frustration.

Zhou Xiaoyang wore glasses, his face was pale, his school uniform was wrinkled, and his eyes behind the glasses were filled with confusion and fear.

His parents, both professors at Qingyuan University, had extremely high expectations for him. He also had an older sister who entered Kyoto University with the highest score in the city. His parents adhered to a strict, demanding parenting style, often using his sister as an example to motivate Zhou Xiaoyang. No matter what rank he achieved, his parents would always say, "Your sister always gets first place, what are your grades compared to that!"

When questioned by the police, Zhou Xiaoyang's voice trembled and his body shook involuntarily.

"I... I don't know how things got to this point. My parents only care about whether I can get first place in the next exam and whether I can get into Tsinghua or Peking University. All I do every day is study, study, study. Going to the movies is a luxury."

My older sister is really amazing, but I can't compare to her. No matter how hard I try, I can't be as good as her. I really tried my best, I really tried! But I just can't do it. I'm terrified of seeing my mom's disappointed expression, and even more terrified of seeing my dad's serious expression. Honestly, I feel breathless whenever I see them.

Only Chen Dong praised me, saying he envied my high score. He said if he could be like me, his dad wouldn't beat him, and his mom wouldn't cry all the time.

That day, I went to the video arcade with Chen Dong and his friends. Chen Dong didn't invite me; I insisted on going. I didn't do my homework or review my studies. I secretly watched videos, and it felt like I was finally rebelling. It was incredibly exciting and liberating. The people in the movies weren't forced to study by their parents at all. They did whatever they wanted, living so freely and happily.

When I was smashing things, especially the "White Deer Gazing at the Moon" statue that my dad said was a historical landmark and a symbol of the city, I felt incredibly relieved! It was like I had finally been brave enough to smash all those endless test papers and my parents' incessant nagging!

Jiang Ling understood.

Despite being a top student, Zhou Xiaoyang's "excellence" is not recognized by his parents, which is why he becomes friends with Chen Dong, who always praises and envies him.

He was a follower and participant in this violent incident because he had long lived under elitist pressure and desperately craved release and recognition. Group behavior gave him an outlet to pursue "freedom".

Wang Qiang had a roguish air about him, and even when questioned by the police, he shook his leg, looking completely unconcerned.

His father died early, and his mother ignored him after remarrying. He lived with his elderly and frail grandmother and dropped out of school before finishing junior high to drift into society.

"What's there to say? I was just killing time anyway, and Chen Dong said we should go out, so I went. Why am I so close to Chen Dong? We're neighbors, we've known each other since we were kids. Others look down on me because my family is poor, because I don't have parents, but Chen Dong doesn't care. He's still my friend and secretly gives me money, so of course I consider him my older brother. Smashing things? That's awesome! Watching that rock smash down with a loud bang, and seeing all that paint spray out, it's way more exciting than stealing two packs of cigarettes! As for that old man? He's just unlucky. Who told him to meddle?"

Throughout the entire case, he was the main executor of the violence and the direct expresser of destructive desires.

Seeing Wang Qiang's nonchalant attitude, Jiang Ling wrote a line heavily on her notebook.

—Risk factors: broken families, early school dropout, lack of guardianship and guidance, long-term social marginalization, and the formation of antisocial behavior patterns.

Li Wei was a nobody, always timid and shrinking away, as if he wanted to hide himself. His parents were ordinary workers, busy making a living, and paid little attention to him. He was usually introverted and had few friends, so he longed to fit in.

“I ran into them on my way home from school. Chen Dong and Wang Qiang are my neighbors. When they saw me, they casually asked me to watch the video together. They are older than me and usually don't pay much attention to me. That day they asked me to join them, and I... I was very happy.”

Li Wei's voice was barely audible: "I was actually quite scared of them smashing things. But they all did it, and if I didn't, I was afraid they wouldn't want to play with me anymore. Hitting people? I didn't dare to hit anyone; I just followed behind and pretended to."

He was a dependent and passive participant in the implementation of the case, desperately wanting to integrate into the group and gain recognition, and losing his judgment under group pressure.

Jiang Ling sighed inwardly as a new line appeared in her notebook.

—Risk factors: introverted and self-conscious personality, lack of assertiveness, weak family emotional support, and susceptibility to group influence.

The last person was Zhao Xiaopeng. He was the youngest, only 15 years old, with a bewildered look in his eyes, tinged with lingering fear.

His father was an alcoholic and violent maniac, and his mother ran away. He was often beaten and starved. He dropped out of school and stayed at home, relying on Wang Qiang just to get a meal.

“My dad was a factory worker. He was fired from his job because he was drunk and messed things up. He took out all his anger on me. I was beaten every day, and the worst part was that I was always hungry. What was the point of going to school? I was hungry every day and couldn't concentrate in class at all. My grades were terrible. My dad wouldn't even pay for my books. When the teacher came to visit, he yelled at the teacher and drove her away. After that, the teacher stopped caring about me. I felt that staying in school was too shameful, so I stopped going.”

"Why did I hang out with Wang Qiang? Because Brother Qiang could give me food. My family rented a place near Wang Qiang's house, and Brother Qiang took pity on me, so he took me along. I could eat my fill and even smoke, which was pretty good. That day, Brother Qiang asked me to come, so I went. The video was quite interesting. Smashing things? If Brother Qiang smashed things, I'd smash things too. Spray paint? Spraying swear words on statues and walls, how exciting! When that old man rushed out, Brother Qiang and Brother Chen Dong rushed up to beat him up. I also picked up a stick and swung it around a few times, but I didn't hit anyone."

Jiang Ling sighed inwardly. He was only 15 years old and hadn't even finished nine years of compulsory education. How could they let him drop out of school?

In this case, Li Wei was a blind follower. Faced with a survival crisis, he had no choice but to rely on a powerful companion, and his behavior lacked autonomy.

—Risk factors: domestic violence, survival difficulties, inadequate school supervision, and dependence on bad peers.

Jiang Ling sat in the makeshift office, with five people's files, interview records, and family background investigation forms spread out in front of her.

Professor Ying Xuanji walked in and handed her a glass of warm water: "How is it, Jiang Ling? What did you see?"

Jiang Ling raised her head, her eyes flashing with complex emotions: "The differences are too great. But there are some commonalities that connect them. It's the lack, the longing, the pressure of not being able to find a way out."

Looking at the interview transcript and the five teenagers' vastly different backgrounds, Ying Xuanji said to Jiang Ling, "Let's use the risk factor superposition theory to build a crime correlation model."

“Okay!” Jiang Ling began her analysis.

Chen Dong and Zhou Xiaoyang's personalities were suppressed by their parents' excessive strictness, and they longed for freedom and liberation.

Wang Qiang and Zhao Xiaopeng dropped out of school early due to the pressure of survival, lacked guidance and supervision, and embarked on a path of crime;

Li Wei, on the other hand, was forced to participate because he longed for group recognition.

They were like five fragments of different shapes and scars, who got to know each other because of the same school and the same neighborhood. Under the influence of the sound and light of the video arcade, the numbing effect of alcohol, and the fanaticism of the group, they came together and caused a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Jiang Ling first scored the five people according to the severity of their crimes.

Chen Dong directly caused serious injury to another person, 5 points.

Wang Qiang possesses antisocial personality disorder and is also the main executor of the case, 5 points.

Zhou Xiaoyang participated in the sabotage and beating, 4 points.

Zhao Xiaopeng blindly followed, exhibiting aggressive behavior but not causing serious injury, 3 points;

Li Wei participated in the sabotage but did not directly injure anyone, 2 points.

Next, Jiang Ling extracted factors such as the degree of family breakdown, early problematic behaviors, academic setbacks and stress, and roles in the community from these five individuals, and conducted a correlation analysis with the severity of their crimes. Jiang Ling quickly obtained the results.

—The more serious the family problems, the more serious the crime.

—The more obvious early problem behaviors such as truancy, fighting, and theft, the higher the severity of the crime.

Academic pressure or frustration is a major contributing factor.

—Group role is an important motivator.

Jiang Ling quickly scribbled and drew on the paper.

Looking at these rough but clearly directional charts, Jiang Ling felt a strong sense of awe.

Behind the cold numbers and lines are five living teenagers and their families and social environments riddled with problems.

Jiang Ling looked at Ying Xuanji: "This is not simply a matter of going astray or acting on impulse. Behind each of them who has reached this point is a clear, scarred path. Family problems, school neglect, lack of social guidance and supervision... these risk factors snowballed together, and under the influence of the group atmosphere, they gave rise to juvenile violent crimes."

Ying Xuanji nodded with satisfaction: "Well done, Jiang Ling. So, the case is solved, the people are caught, what's next? Can punishment stop the next 'Chen Dong,' 'Zhou Xiaoyang,' or 'Wang Qiang'?"

Jiang Ling shook his head, his heart heavy: "If we don't address the root of the problem, crime will continue. In fact, when they discover that those under 18 will receive lenient sentences and their crimes won't warrant the death penalty, the violence will only escalate."

Ying Xuanji sighed softly.

As a teacher and a mother, it is truly heartbreaking to see teenagers commit crimes.

Especially with juvenile delinquency, if intervention is not early and if parents, schools, and society do not take it seriously, these children are very likely to become frequent visitors to prisons, causing lasting harm to society.

Jiang Ling put down her pen and looked up at Ying Xuanji: "Professor, please tell me, what should we do?"

Ying Xuanji offered the most insightful guidance: "Classify and process, and coordinate with multiple parties."

Jiang Ling's eyes lit up: "Professor, you and I are thinking the same thing! I think this case is a very good example that can promote our crime prevention concepts."

Jiang Ling picked up the drawn-up form: "Look! Children like Wang Qiang and Zhao Xiaohai, whose families are broken, who dropped out of school early, and who have been on the margins for a long time, need basic survival guarantees, effective guardianship, and alternative guidance, such as community assistance and skills training, so that they have a way to go and do not slide into a deeper abyss of crime."

"Children like Chen Dong, who accumulate huge negative emotions under high-pressure families, need guidance from family education and channels for psychological counseling to help them learn to express their emotions in a healthy way."

“For good students like Zhou Xiaoyang who are under tremendous academic pressure and feel depressed, schools and society need to reflect on whether they are only focusing on grades and neglecting their mental health and emotional needs. They need to provide ways to relieve stress and more comprehensive attention to their growth.”

“Children like Li Wei who are introverted, lack self-confidence, and are easily influenced by groups need training to enhance their self-confidence and judgment. Schools and families should give them more attention and positive guidance to prevent them from becoming appendages of bad groups.”

Ying Xuanji smiled slightly, her smile tinged with bitterness: "Jiang Ling, the theory is good, but it's difficult to promote."

She could imagine that when she raised this point at the municipal bureau's briefing, those investigators who only focused on "arresting" and "punishing" would all fall silent.

Who will coordinate parents, schools, and community organizations?

—Professor Ying, it's easy to talk about things on paper, but difficult to put them into practice.