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Beth Hardie

Bio: Beth Hardie is an academic researcher from University of Cambridge. The author has contributed to research in topics: Situational ethics & Action theory (philosophy). The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 14 publications receiving 325 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of the social environment, particularly the person and place interaction, in crime causation has been investigated using data from the ESRC financed Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Development Study (PADS+).
Abstract: Our current understanding of the role of the social environment in crime causation is at best rudimentary Guided by the theoretical framework of Situational Action Theory, and using data from the ESRC financed Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Development Study (PADS+), this paper aims to propose how we can better theorise and study the role of the social environment, particularly the person and place interaction, in crime causation We will introduce, and illustrate the usefulness of, a space–time budget methodology as a means of capturing people’s exposure to settings and describing their activity fields We will suggest and demonstrate that, combined with a small area community survey and psychometric measures of individual characteristics, a space–time budget is a powerful tool for advancing our knowledge about the role of the social environment, and its interaction with people’s crime propensity, in crime causation Our unique data allows us to study the convergence in time and space of crime propensity, criminogenic exposure and crime events As far as we are aware, such an analysis has never before been carried out The findings show that there are (a) clear associations between young people’s activity fields and their exposure to criminogenic settings, (b) clear associations between their exposure to criminogenic settings and their crime involvement, and, crucially, (c) that the influence of criminogenic exposure depends on a person’s crime propensity Having a crime-averse morality and strong ability to exercise self-control appears to make young people practically situationally immune to the influences of criminogenic settings, while having a crime-prone morality and poor ability to exercise self-control appears to make young people situationally vulnerable to the influences of criminogenic settings

188 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed an approach to support the Swedish National Museum for Humanities and Social Sciences using grants from the UK Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC grant ES/K010646/1), the European Research Council, IDCAB 220/104702003 and Momentum 324247.
Abstract: This research was supported by grants from the UK Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC grant ES/K010646/1); the European Research Council (grants IDCAB 220/104702003 and Momentum 324247) and Riksbankens Jubileumsfond - the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences.

57 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Situational Action Theory (SAT) provides a fertile framework within which to study the effectiveness of controls as discussed by the authors, and SAT's principle of the conditional relevance of controls states that controls only influence behavior when a person is forced to deliberate over action alternatives because of conflict between his/her own moral rules and those of the setting.
Abstract: Classic self-control theory and the pure deterrence argument have both been recently challenged by integrative theory and appropriate empirical evidence suggesting that controls are only conditionally relevant to action. Situational Action Theory (SAT) provides a fertile framework within which to study the effectiveness of controls. Specifically, SAT’s principle of the conditional relevance of controls states that controls only influence behavior when a person is forced to deliberate over action alternatives because of conflict between his/her own moral rules and those of the setting. That the moral filter does not preclude crime from the action alternatives perceived by an individual can be due to weak personal moral norms or exposure to a crime-conducive moral context. In particular, SAT states that (1) deterrence (external control) only becomes relevant to deliberations when personal morality is weak and (2) the process of self-control (internal control) only becomes relevant to deliberations w...

53 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the mechanism by which these relationships occur and the conditions under which they occur are discussed. But the authors ignore both the mechanism and conditions for these relationships to occur.
Abstract: Parental monitoring is often shown to have a negative relationship with crime involvement. However, research often ignores both the mechanism by which these relationships occur and the conditions u...

15 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
Robert Agnew1
TL;DR: This article argued that individuals must possess a set of characteristics that together create a strong propensity for criminal coping, experience crimiogenic strains, which are perceived as unjust and high in magnitude; and be in circumstances conducive to criminal coping.
Abstract: General strain theory predicts that several variables influence or condition the effect of strains on crime. The research on such conditioning effects, however, has produced mixed results at best. The larger stress and coping literature suggests why this is the case: a given conditioning variable has a small to modest effect on the choice of coping strategy, since there are hundreds of strategies from which to choose and the choice of strategy is influenced by several factors. Drawing on this insight and several literatures, it is argued that certain factors must converge before criminal coping is likely: individuals must (a) possess a set of characteristics that together create a strong propensity for criminal coping, (b) experience crimiogenic strains, which are perceived as unjust and high in magnitude; and (c) be in circumstances conducive to criminal coping. Qualitative studies provide support for this argument, and guidelines for quantitative testing are provided.

188 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that areas of past and present residence are more likely to be targeted if an offender lived in the area for a long time instead of briefly and if the offender has moved away from the area only recently rather than a long long time ago.
Abstract: Many offenses take place close to where the offender lives. Anecdotal evidence suggests that offenders also might commit crimes near their former homes. Building on crime pattern theory and combining information from police records and other sources, this study confirms that offenders who commit robberies, residential burglaries, thefts from vehicles, and assaults are more likely to target their current and former residential areas than similar areas they never lived in. In support of the argument that spatial awareness mediates the effects of past and current residence, it also is shown that areas of past and present residence are more likely to be targeted if the offender lived in the area for a long time instead of briefly and if the offender has moved away from the area only recently rather than a long time ago. The theoretical implications of these findings and their use for investigative purposes are discussed, and suggestions for future inquiry are made.

178 citations

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that acts of crime are moral actions and therefore need to be analysed and explained as such, and that explaining act of crime is not different from explaining breaches of moral rules more generally.
Abstract: Morality is rarely the main topic in criminological theory and research. However, an analysis of what constitutes a crime and what moves people to engage in acts of crime suggests that questions of personal morality and the moral context in which people operate should play a central role in the explanation of acts of crime. The basic arguments of this chapter are that (i) acts of crime are moral actions and therefore need to be analysed and explained as such and (ii) explaining acts of crime is not different from explaining breaches of moral rules more generally (the explanatory process is the same). A theory of crime causation should therefore be regarded as a special case of a more general theory of moral action.

158 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was found that hand-drawn neighborhoods and activity paths did not correspond to census tract boundaries, and time subjects spent in close proximity to alcohol outlets during their daily activities was not correlated with the prevalence of alcohol outlets in the census tract of their residence.

150 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors test one of the key assumptions of Situational Action Theory: that individuals' (law-relevant) morality is more fundamental to their crime involvement than their ability to exercise self-control.
Abstract: In this paper we will test one of the key assumptions of Situational Action Theory: that individuals’ (law-relevant) morality is more fundamental to their crime involvement than their ability to exercise self-control. We specifically hypothesize that, for individuals with a strong morality, their capability to exercise self-control plays less of a role in their crime involvement than it does for individuals with a weak morality, whose capability to exercise self-control may substantially influence their engagement in crime. To test this hypothesis we use data from the Peterborough Youth Study (PYS), a cross-sectional survey of 1957 adolescents aged 14—15 from the UK city of Peterborough. The findings support the main hypothesis: young people with a strong (law-relevant) morality do not engage in crime, regardless of their ability to exercise self-control. However, among those with a weaker (law-relevant) morality, their ability to exercise self-control is an important factor in their crime involvement.

138 citations