Abstract: The organized characteristics of underworld organizations include scope, duration, structure and discipline. Firstly, “a relatively large number of members” has to be the sufficient condition, rather than necessary condition of the organized characteristics. “Basically fixed core members” excludes the situation in which members change frequently in the short time. Furthermore, comparing with INSTRUCITION 2018, SUMMARY 2015 offers a more reasonable explanation of the starting point for duration. The structure of a underworld organization in China is mainly rigid hierarchy and devolved hierarchy. Most financial resources come from members committing the illegal and criminal events. Soft violence is more closely related to organized characteristics than physical violence. The characteristic of illegal control restricts and supplements the orgnized characteristics. “Frequent gather” excludes the situation in which perpetrators get together because of a specific dispute. There are clear division and arrangement in a crime syndicate. Also, discipline is the most important distinction between underworld organization and evil force or crime syndicate.

Key words: organized characteristics, soft violence, illegal control, evil force, crime syndicate