Criminology Research Articles

Negligent criminology: Alfred Adler’s influence on Bernard, Sheldon, and Eleanor Glueck

We suggest that Bernard, Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck routinely applied Alfred Adler’s general psychological concepts to specific instances of criminological theory without proper attribution. We offer several levels of support: (1) we contrast the Freudian terminology within Bernard Glueck’s early writings and Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck’s influential book Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency (1950) with the Adlerian constructs of their respective criminological works; (2) we describe the enduring similarity between life-course theory of crime and Adler’s original theory; and (3) we speculate as to how this apparent but non-attributed Adlerian influence occurred. Overall, the article exposes a circumstantial evidence of neglect in the criminology literature: Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck’s silence on Adler’s contribution and their own ostracization by mainstream criminology. We conclude that acknowledgment of the Gluecks’ contribution and their debt to Adler could continue to reinvigorate criminology today.

A Test of Time-constraint Predictions on Residence-to-Crime Distances among Sex Offenders

ABSTRACT The finding that offenders tend to commit crime within relative proximity to their own residence has been well established in nearly 80 years of research. The usefulness of this area of research extends not only to the validation of environmental crime theories, but also offers to improve crime analysis capabilities, police investigative practice, and ultimately crime case clearances. Despite the considerable attention this area of study has received, much remains to be known about the factors which might influence variation in residence-to-crime (RTC) distances. One somewhat recently formalized idea is that offenders might be limited by the time that they have in which to commit crimes (such as by employment or family demands) and that this will constrict the geographic mobility of offenders as they operate within those time constraints. This study tested this time-constraint hypothesis on a sample of sex offense incidents (N = 157) from the state of New Jersey. Findings revealed limited support for the time-constraint thesis, before and after controlling for offender, situational and geographic characteristics. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Components of the Physical Element of the Crime

This research sought to strengthen the jurisprudential and theoretical information on the concept of the physical element of crime and its elements which sharpens the legal knowledge of the researcher in the subject of research. It was not easy in this research to interrogate the researcher and put his own language in it because the subject matter of the physical element of the crime falls under the general theory of crime and under general provisions of the Jordanian Penal Code and this would put the researcher in the framework of a specific research in the language of jurisprudence and fixed theories and a precedent for scholars and legal evacuees.Since the physical element of the crime is based on three elements, namely the act (criminal behavior), the criminal result and causal relationship between them, this research has been divided into the following: DOI : 10.7176/JLPG/89-26 Publication date :September 30 th 2019

Opportunity and rationality as an explanation for suspicious vehicle fires: demonstrating the relevance of time, place, and economic factors

Opportunity theories of crime emphasize the non-random spatial and temporal patterning of criminal events. Such theoretical development has proven useful when extended beyond traditional applications to crime event data. This study continues to explore the wider utility of such criminological theories by examining the spatio-temporal patterns of vehicle fires through an opportunity lens. Specifically, we explore the patterns associated with different types of vehicle fires, and consider longitudinal socio-economic trends that may influence the perceived costs and benefits associated with crimes committed with the intention of escaping debt, such as vehicle arson. Data for this study were obtained from Surrey Fire Services (2000–2015) and contain information about all vehicle fires occurring in Surrey, British Columbia (BC), Canada. Post-fire incident reports were used to group the fire data into non-suspicious and suspicious categories. Both categories were analyzed for local and global spatial clustering, hourly, daily, and monthly temporal patterns, and changes over the study period. Findings indicate that suspicious vehicle fire events concentrate in both space and time, and these patterns are distinct from non-suspicious vehicle fires. Further, suspicious vehicle fires events are significantly related to unemployment and interest rates, whilst non-suspicious vehicle fires are not. These results demonstrate the relevance of opportunity theories of crime to understanding vehicle fire patterns. By extension, this provides an important opportunity to connect such patterns with targeted crime (and fire) prevention policy and practice.

Domestic Violence Legislation in Greece: Analysis of Penal Mediation

This article presents an analysis of the penal mediation clause within Greece’s domestic violence legislation (Law 3500/2006) in the context of contemporary criminal justice theories. An overview of Law 3500/2006 will be presented, along with highlights of recent changes leading to Law 4531/2018 ratified as part of the Istanbul Convention and Law 4604/2019 designed to enhance gender equality. The penal mediation component of the Law will be discussed in depth and theories related to application of coordinated community response, restorative justice, and power and control will be highlighted. Current debates that lack clarity and scientific evidence, and could possibly lead to dismantling a “good” legal provision, will be presented. Greece’s penal mediation provision has the potential to be a best practice. However, lacking a proper evaluation, this information could be prematurely lost. Last, an action plan for scientific evaluation and legal clarification of the penal mediation clause will be presented.

Criminal Law at the Margins

I describe how our understanding of some of the central principles long held dear by most (but certainly not all) criminal theorists may have to be interpreted (or re-interpreted) in light of the need to devise lenient responses (that may or may not amount to punishments) for low-level offenders. Several of the most plausible suggestions for how to deal with minor infractions force us to take seriously some ideas that many legal philosophers have tended to resist elsewhere. I briefly touch upon four topics: (1) whether informal (that is, non-state responses) can substitute for or count against the appropriate state sanction; (2) the significance of repeat offending for sentencing; (3) whether punishment for culpable public wrongdoing has intrinsic value; and (4) the scope of police powers in a liberal democratic state. The context for this discussion is R. A. Duff’s insightful examination of whether and under what conditions we should criminalize a public wrong or respond to it in some other manner.

The Criminalization of Muslims in the United States, 2016

The criminalization of Muslims—framing an Islamic religious identity as a problem to be solved using state crime control logic—is undeniably in process in the United States. Local, state, and federal statutes target Muslims for surveillance and exclusion, and media sources depict Muslims as synonymous with terrorism, as others have shown. This paper analyzes the public’s role in the criminalization of Islam, which I call “cr-Islamization.” Drawing on in-depth, qualitative interviews in a major Southwest city during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, I detail how the majority of 144 politically, racially, and economically diverse interviewees talk about Muslims as a potential “racial threat,” using “fear of crime” language indicative of the mass incarceration era. This suggests that criminalization theory should be central to sociological studies of Muslims in the contemporary United States, and that criminalization rhetoric remains powerful, despite mainstream enthusiasm for criminal justice reform. I argue that criminalization’s power might reside in its ability to mutate in the “post-racial” era. The mechanisms supporting crimmigration, the criminalization of black Americans, and cr-Islamization are related but not identical. Muslims are religiously and racially subjugated, but more economically secure compared to other criminalized groups. This paper’s findings should prompt scholars to re-examine the relationships between racialization, criminalization, religious subjugation, and economic exploitation in the twenty-first century United States.

A Life-Course Analysis of Engagement in Violent Extremist Groups

AbstractIn this exploratory study, individuals’ processes of engagement in violent extremist groups are analysed by drawing from criminological life-course theory and narrative-based understandings of crime. Based on interviews with individuals who have participated in violent extremism, it is suggested that the process of engagement consists of three steps: (1) a weakening of informal social controls, followed by (2) an interaction with individuals in proximity to the group and (3) a stage of meaning-making in relation to the group and one’s identity, resulting in an individual’s willingness and capacity to engaging in the group’s activities, including violence. In future theorizing about processes of engagement in violent extremism, the meanings of age, and the life-course stages of late adolescence and emerging adulthood in particular, should be given analytic attention.

Криминология в современном мире

Криминология в современном мире

Assessing general strain theory and measures of victimization, 2002–2018

General Strain Theory (GST) is one of the leading theories of crime and delinquency in the field of criminology, with victimization identified as a leading source of strain due to the frequency and prevalence of its experience. However, measures of victimization widely range from direct experiences of physical violence to vicarious or even anticipated victimization, making it difficult to isolate the explanatory contribution of GST on crime and delinquency. A systematic review was conducted of peer-reviewed articles to provide a concise understanding of the relationship between victimization and crime and delinquency. Particular attention was given to definitions and operationalization of victimization, as well as whether the studies used longitudinal or cross-sectional samples. Findings suggest a discernible correlation between physical victimization measures and engagement in substance use, bullying behaviors, and general delinquency. However, these findings may be conditioned by the exact operationalization of victimization and outcome measures utilized. More nuanced discussions of the findings, as well as theoretical and empirical implications, are included. • Correlation between direct physical experiences of victimization and substance use, bullying, and delinquent behaviors. • How victimization and outcome measures operationalized appear to condition the nature of their relationship. • Still unclear whether the source, frequency, or severity of victimization the more salient factor. • Cross-sectional studies more frequent, and results tend to show stronger support of GST.

Trends in Top Journals in Criminology and Criminal Justice

How has publishing in the field of criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) changed over the last thirty years? Using a dataset combining information on all articles published in the “Big 5” CCJ journals from 1985 to 2017 with their Google Scholar Citations, we identify several key trends. There was an observable positive trend in the number of articles published per year since 1985. Similarly, the average page length and the total number of co-authors has increased over time. Older articles were cited more often than newer articles. This is expected, though notable peaks were observed for articles in Criminology (CRIM) and the Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency (JRCD). Poisson regression results indicate page length, the number of co-authors, and journal affiliation were significant predictors of the number of Google Scholar Citations. The five articles with the largest number of citations for each journal are featured.

Экологическая криминология: методология, проблемы и перспективы

Экологическая криминология: методология, проблемы и перспективы

White-collar offenders vs. common offenders: a comparative study on personality traits and self-control

Several studies have produced evidence of the existence of differences between common offenders and white-collar offenders. In Portugal, however, there is little or no empirical work on this topic. To fill this gap, a survey was administered to a sample of 137 incarcerated subjects in several Portuguese prisons, separated into white-collar offenders (n = 74) and common offenders (n = 63). For this evaluation, sociodemographic, personality and self-control variables were measured. The results showed significant differences between the two groups of offenders. White-collar offenders are older, have more qualifications and are mostly married or divorced, contrasting with common offenders, who are younger, less qualified and mostly single. Moreover, findings indicate personality differences regarding “openness to experience” in both groups. With regard to self-control, the General Theory of Crime is supported as no differences were found between both types of offenders. The results are discussed and the implications of the findings are outlined.

The utility of joint use of the Low Self-Control Scale and the Brief Self-Control Scale in explaining adolescent deviance

According to the general theory of crime, low self-control is the main cause of deviance. How to assess self-control is crucial because examination of the general theory of crime and assessment of adolescent risk of committing deviance relies on self-control measures. This study aims to examine whether two well-known cognitive scales of self-control, namely Grasmick et al.’s Low Self-Control Scale (LSCS) and Tangney et al.’s Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), explain unique, shared, and addictive variance in deviance in a sample of Czech adolescents ( N = 631). The results support that the two scales, when operated as total scores, explained both unique and shared variance in deviance and that joint use of the two scales explained more variance in deviance. In addition, when the LSCS was operated as components, some components were more able than other components to explain deviance. Similarly, each component and the BSCS, when used together, explained unique, shared, and addictive variance in deviance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Integrating theories of law obedience: How utility-theoretic factors, legitimacy, and lack of self-control influence decisions to commit low-level crimes

AbstractWe conducted two studies using a sample of students (Experiment 1, N=84) and the general public (Experiment 2, N=412) to assess the relative and unique effects of factors suggested by three major theories of law obedience: a utility-theoretic deterrence theory (Becker, 1968), the general theory of crime (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990), and the legitimacy model (Tyler, 1990). Six different types of low-level crime were considered. The probability of breaking the law increases with factors predicted by each of these theories, namely detection probability, expected fine, self-control, and legitimacy. All four factors uniquely contribute to predicting law obedience, effects are mainly additive, and no stable interaction effects are observed. The relative influence of the investigated factors varies between types of low-level crimes. This indicates that an integrative theory of why people obey the law needs to consider factors from various theories and allow for the relative influence of factors to differ among crimes. We observe systematic deviations from a basic utility-theoretic approach to law breaking. Individuals’ tendency to obey the law is much higher than predicted by an approach taking into account detection probability, expected fines, and benefits only. The robust effects of interindividual differences concerning legitimacy and self-control as well as the finding that the tendency to break the law decreases with increasing benefit of the crime also conflict with a basic utility-theoretic approach to law-obedience.

Institutional Imbalance, Marketized Mentality, and the Justification of Instrumental Offenses: A Cross-National Application of Institutional Anomie Theory

The present study builds upon prior research that has suggested that the social psychological concept of “marketized mentality” (MM) can serve as a conceptual lynchpin to facilitate multilevel analyses informed by Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT), a macro-sociological theory of crime. We examine the connection between a societal indicator of institutional imbalance – a key IAT concept – and a measure of the prevalence of MM with a much larger sample of nations than analyzed previously (58 countries). In addition, we broaden the domain of “outcomes” related to MM to include an attitudinal variable relevant to crime – the willingness to justify instrumental offenses. Consistent with theoretical expectations, the results reveal significant relations between MM, the degree of institutional imbalance, and the willingness to justify instrumental offenses. These findings indicate the potential promise of developing an integrated, micro-macro approach to understanding criminological phenomena by incorporating MM within the IAT-analytic framework.

Arena-based events and crime: an analysis of hourly robbery data

ABSTRACTThis article makes use of hourly crime counts to model the relationship between events that take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and robberies, an arena that has caused local controversy regarding the costs and benefits of hosting such an entertainment venue. Results from the econometric model suggest that the NHL’s New Jersey Devils ice hockey games, concerts, and Disney-themed events are all associated with increases in robbery, while various other event categories such as the NBA basketball games played by the Nets and boxing, and mixed martial arts (MMA) matches are not associated with an increase. These findings support two complementary ecological theories of crime that focus on how events provide additional opportunities for crime by increasing the associated benefits while simultaneously decreasing the cost for economically motivated offenders to take advantage of.

Regional Assessment of Corruption: New Approaches

The paper presents the author's method of comprehensive analysis of corruption in the Russian Federation and develops forecasts of its development in the short and medium term. The purpose of the study is to formulate and substantiate a number of new scientific provisions at the theoretical level that can in the future form the basis for the prevention of official crime in the regions. A number of strategic and tactical tasks should be performed to achieve this goal. It involves generalization of criminological, social and economic indicators of the development of the territorial entities of the Russian Federation, the identification and evaluation of hidden systemic dependencies between social indicators and the level of corruption, the definition of sustainable relationships between individual indicators and the development of methods of anti-corruption rating. The nature of the goal allows to expand the functional direction of the study by assessing not only the criminological, but also the socio-economic development parameters of the Russian Federation territorial entities. Methodology: The novelty of the work is manifested in the fact that the algorithm of studying and predicting regional corruption on the basis of multifactor analysis of criminological, social and political indicators is proposed for the first time in domestic criminology. The steady relationship between the economic situation of the region and the qualitative and quantitative indicators of corruption crime noted in the work allows to adjust the existing methods of corruption prevention through the ranking of the Russian Federation territorial entities and the impact on the ‘pain points’ of certain regions.

Childhood Trauma, Criminogenic Social Schemas, and Violent Crime

ABSTRACT Utilizing a sample of 400 homeless street youth, the study draws on the social schematic theory of crime to examine if childhood trauma (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse) is linked to the development of a criminogenic knowledge structure (CKS) that mediates its relationship with violence. Results indicate childhood trauma is directly associated with the CKS. They also show that it is indirectly related through violent peers. The CKS in turn is directly linked to violence as are childhood trauma and violent peers. The CKS also mediates the relationship childhood trauma and violent peers have with violence. Violent peers likewise mediate the association between childhood trauma and violence. The link between childhood trauma and violence is also serially mediated through violent peers and the CKS. Findings suggest the social schematic theory offers a valuable explanation for the link between childhood trauma and violence.

Book review: Cameron Holley and Clifford Shearing (eds), Criminology and the Anthropocene

Book review: Cameron Holley and Clifford Shearing (eds), <i>Criminology and the Anthropocene</i>