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Case 6c :

A Case of Most Worrisome Behaviour

Chung knows he must rely on this informant, "Zhou", to put him in touch with the right people in the right places. Chung and Zhou's relationship is, at times, strained: Zhou enjoys Chung's company and Chung feels dependent on Zhou, so Chung often agrees to go out to karaoke bars and dance clubs with Zhou.

Chung often tells himself,

"You cannot study social deviance without being social!"

Tonight, however, Zhou has done something Chung did not expect: he purchased a large amount of Ketamine from a prostitute and solicited services from the same prostitute. As the night wore on, Zhou became ever more intoxicated and began to touch Chung.

Despite feeling quite stunned, Chung said firmly,

"Zhou, please do not touch me again".

Zhou muttered something incoherently, then approached Chung again. This time with more force and louder, to grab the attention of those around him, Chung demanded,

"Zhou, do not touch me again".

With this Zhou became agitated, rose out of his seat and walked away. Chung began to look around for an exit, but before he could figure a safe way out of the nightclub, Zhou returned, punched Chung and forced him to the floor. It was only by luck that another bar patron tripped over Chung, kicking him broadly across the cheek, and knocking the intoxicated Zhou backwards. Chung got up and ran as quickly as he could to the exit, ran down the road, and hailed a taxi to the nearest police station.

Carefully leaving out the incidences of sexual touching—homosexual behavior is considered a crime in this country, though it is very rarely prosecuted—Chung reported the assault to the police. Then he visited the nearby clinic to have the wounds to his face examined and treated. Chung ultimately required two stitches above the eye where Zhou punched him. As he made his way back to the university dormitories, Chung began to feel very angry, but also very frightened. A few hours later, as the sun rose, Chung was still awake and Zhou began calling him.

• What are the problems for Chung as an individual here?
• What are the problems for Chung as a researcher?
• What problems might Chung encounter as a student?
   

Imagine you are Chung:

• What ought you do now to care for yourself?
• What ought you do now to address problems that might arise from having Zhou as your gatekeeper?
• To which university offices should your report this assault, if any?
• What involvement should your supervisor have here?
• What resources might you seek from the university to address this incident?