The study of desistance from crime is hampered by definitional, measurement, and theoretical incoherence. A unifying framework can distinguish termination of offending from the process of desistanc...

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Understanding Desistance from Crime

Although vegetation has been positively linked to fear of crime and crime in a number of settings, recent findings in urban residential areas have hinted at a possible negative relationship: Reside...

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Environment and Crime in the Inner City Does Vegetation Reduce Crime

Situational prevention seeks to reduce opportunities for specific categories of crime by increasing the associated risks and difficulties and reducing the rewards. It is composed of three main elements: an articulated theoretical framework, a standard methodology for tackling specific crime problems, and a set of opportunity-reducing techniques. The theoretical framework is informed by a variety of "opportunity" theories, including the routine activity and rational choice perspectives. The standard methodology is a version of the action research paradigm in which researchers work with practitioners to analyze and define the problem, to identify and try out possible solutions, and to evaluate and disseminate the results. The opportunity-reducing techniques range from simple target hardening to more sophisticated methods of deflecting offenders and reducing inducements. Displacement of crime has not proved to be the serious problem once thought, and there is now increasing recognition that situational measu...

Situational Crime Prevention

Criminality of place

Nodes, paths and edges: Considerations on the complexity of crime and the physical environment

Environmental Criminology, Rationality and Crime The Burglary Event The Decision Strategy The Rational and the Opportunistic Burglar Drug and Group Effects on Burglars' Decision-Making Marketing Stolen Property Terminating a Criminal Career Implications for Public Policy Reducing the Individual's Vulnerability to Burglary

Breaking and Entering: An Ethnographic Analysis of Burglary

30 active burglars were observed and interviewed extensively over a period of 16 months. They were asked to evaluate sites they had previously burglarized and those burglarized by others, as to their perceived vulnerability to burglary. Burglars who evaluated sites singly rated the sites more vulnerable than those same burglars when evaluating the sites in the presence of their usual co-offenders—showing a trend toward more cautious decision-making while in groups—a group polarization effect. On the other hand, self-reports indicated that burglars were more active (committed more crimes) when working as part of a group than when working alone. Their self-reported apprehension rate was 5 times greater when working in groups than when working alone, a finding which may reflect task impairment as a result of social facilitation effects.

D'Aunn Wester Avary

Papers

Breaking and Entering: An Ethnographic Analysis of Burglary

Group effects on decision-making by burglars