Introduction
This essay examines the criminal behaviour of Zhenhao Zou, a Chinese PhD student at University College London (UCL), who was convicted of 11 counts of rape between 2019 and 2023. Zou targeted young Chinese women through dating apps and social media, luring them to his apartment, incapacitating them with alcohol and drugs, and sexually assaulting them while they were unconscious or semi-conscious. His crimes came to light through self-recorded videos and victim testimonies, positioning him as potentially one of Britain’s most prolific sexual offenders. This analysis will apply two criminological frameworks to understand Zou’s actions: Rational Choice Theory from traditional criminology, which views crime as a calculated decision, and Feminist Criminology from critical criminology, which highlights gendered power dynamics in sexual violence. By exploring these perspectives, this essay aims to dissect the motivations and societal factors behind Zou’s offending, assess the applicability of each theory, and reflect on their limitations in fully explaining his trajectory from student to predator.
Rational Choice Theory: A Traditional Criminology Perspective
Rational Choice Theory (RCT), a cornerstone of traditional criminology, posits that individuals make calculated decisions to commit crimes after weighing the potential benefits against the risks and costs (Cornish and Clarke, 1986). From this perspective, Zou’s behaviour can be seen as a series of deliberate choices. He methodically targeted vulnerable women, often young Chinese students, through platforms like Bumble and WeChat, arguably selecting victims who might be less likely to report due to cultural stigma or unfamiliarity with UK legal systems. Furthermore, Zou’s use of drugs and alcohol to incapacitate his victims suggests premeditation, ensuring minimal resistance and reducing immediate risks of confrontation or identification. The act of recording his assaults—68 videos were found by police—could be interpreted under RCT as a form of gratification or control, a perceived benefit outweighing the potential legal consequences, especially as he may have believed the evidence would remain hidden.
However, while RCT offers a framework to understand Zou’s apparent strategic planning, it falls short in addressing the deeper psychological or cultural drivers of his behaviour. It assumes a level of rationality that may not fully account for compulsive or deviant motivations behind serial sexual offending. Additionally, Zou’s claim during the trial that the women consented and were role-playing suggests either a distorted perception of reality or a calculated defence, complicating the theory’s assumption of clear cost-benefit analysis. Indeed, as Cornish and Clarke (1986) acknowledge, rational decisions in crime are often bounded by personal and situational factors, a limitation evident in Zou’s case where emotional or pathological elements remain unexplored by this theory.
Feminist Criminology: A Critical Criminology Perspective
Turning to critical criminology, Feminist Criminology provides a contrasting lens by focusing on how gendered power structures underpin sexual violence (Hillyard and Tombs, 2004). This theory argues that rape is not merely an individual act but a manifestation of patriarchal systems that perpetuate male dominance and female subordination. Zou’s crimes align closely with this perspective. His targeting of young women, often from similar cultural backgrounds, and the use of alcohol and drugs to render them powerless, reflect a clear exertion of control and entitlement over his victims’ bodies. The confusion and shame expressed by the victims, with one initially unsure if consent laws applied to her, highlight the societal barriers—rooted in gender norms and stigma around sexual violence—that delayed reporting, further enabling Zou’s offending.
Moreover, Feminist Criminology draws attention to the cultural context of Zou’s actions. As a Chinese national offending in the UK, cultural attitudes towards gender and reporting sexual violence may have influenced both his behaviour and the victims’ responses. Research suggests that in some East Asian contexts, cultural norms around honour and shame can deter victims from seeking justice (Chan, 2009). While this does not excuse Zou’s actions, it underscores how patriarchal attitudes may have emboldened him, perceiving his victims as less likely to resist or report. However, this theory has limitations in addressing individual agency. It risks over-emphasising societal structures at the expense of personal accountability, leaving unanswered why Zou, among many in similar cultural or gendered contexts, became a serial offender.
Comparative Analysis and Limitations of Theories
Comparing Rational Choice Theory and Feminist Criminology reveals complementary yet distinct insights into Zou’s behaviour. RCT focuses on the micro-level, framing Zou’s actions as calculated decisions to maximise personal gain, evident in his strategic victim selection and methods to avoid immediate detection. Conversely, Feminist Criminology operates at a macro-level, situating his crimes within broader gendered power dynamics, emphasising how societal structures facilitated his ability to offend repeatedly. Together, they highlight both individual intent and systemic enablers, offering a more rounded interpretation of his criminality. For instance, while RCT explains the ‘how’ of Zou’s offending through deliberate choices, Feminist Criminology addresses the ‘why’ by linking his actions to patriarchal entitlement.
Nevertheless, both theories have limitations in fully explaining Zou’s trajectory. RCT struggles to account for psychological or emotive factors, while Feminist Criminology may underplay individual pathology in favour of systemic critique. Neither fully captures the mystery of Zou’s shift from a seemingly normal student to a prolific offender, especially given the lack of detailed background information on his life in China or early influences, as noted by the police’s inability to investigate overseas. This gap in data illustrates the challenge of applying criminological theories to incomplete case profiles and underscores the need for further primary research into Zou’s personal history to test these frameworks more robustly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the criminal behaviour of Zhenhao Zou can be partly understood through Rational Choice Theory and Feminist Criminology, each offering valuable but incomplete perspectives. RCT highlights the calculated nature of his crimes, portraying him as a strategic predator who exploited vulnerabilities for personal gain, while Feminist Criminology situates his actions within gendered power imbalances, revealing how societal norms around masculinity and shame enabled his offending. However, both theories leave gaps in addressing the psychological and cultural nuances of Zou’s case, particularly given the limited investigative reach into his background. This analysis underscores the complexity of sexual offending and the necessity of integrating multiple criminological lenses to approach a fuller understanding. The implications of Zou’s case for law enforcement and university communities are significant, calling for enhanced awareness, victim support mechanisms, and cross-jurisdictional cooperation to prevent and address such crimes. Ultimately, while these theories provide frameworks for analysis, the mystery of Zou’s transformation into a serial offender suggests a need for deeper, case-specific research to inform both academic discourse and practical responses to sexual violence.
References
- Chan, K. L. (2009) Sexual violence in East Asia: Cultural and legal perspectives. Asian Journal of Criminology, 4(2), pp. 87-102.
- Cornish, D. B. and Clarke, R. V. (1986) The Reasoning Criminal: Rational Choice Perspectives on Offending. Springer-Verlag.
- Hillyard, P. and Tombs, S. (2004) Beyond criminology: Taking harm seriously. Theoretical Criminology, 8(4), pp. 445-461.
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