Showing papers in "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology in 2001"

Negotiating the Field: New Observations on the Making of Police Officers:

Abstract: This paper draws on the findings of a longitudinal study of police socialisation to refine and expand on the Bourdieuian framework of police culture developed in Chan (1997). The research supports ...

Middle Eastern appearances : "ethnic gangs", moral panic and media framing

Abstract: This article details a moral panic in 1998–2000 about “ethnic gangs” in Sydney's south-western suburbs and analyses its ideological construction of the links between ethnicity, youth and crime. It documents the racisms of labelling and targeting of immigrant young people which misread, oversimplify and misrepresent complex and class-related social realities as racial, and the common-sense1 sharing of these understandings, representations and practices by “mainstream” media, police and vocal representatives in state, local and “ethnic” politics. The data used in this analysis are largely comprised of English-language media extracts, press, radio, television — both commercial and government-funded; and national, state and local in circulation, supplemented by interview material, from an ethnographic pilot study, with Lebanese-Australian youth, Lebanese immigrant parents, ethnic community workers, community leaders and police.

The war on sex offenders: community notification in perspective

Abstract: This article explores the contemporary phenomenon of “naming and shaming” sex offenders. Community notification laws, popularly known as Megan's Law, which authorise the public disclosure of the identity of convicted sex offenders to the community in which they live, were enacted throughout the United States in the 1990s. A public campaign to introduce “Sarah's Law” has recently been launched in Britain, following the death of eight-year old Sarah Payne. Why are sex offenders, and certain categories of sex offenders, singled out as targets of community notification laws? What explains historical variability in the form that sex offender laws take? We address these questions by reviewing the sexual psychopath laws enacted in the United States in the 1930s and 40s and the sexual predator and community notification laws of the 1990s, comparing recent developments in the United States with those in Britain, Canada, and Australia. We consider arguments by Garland, O'Malley, Pratt, and others on how community n...

Self-Harm in Western Australian Prisons: Differences Between Prisoners Who Have Self-Harmed and Those Who Have Not

Abstract: This is the second of two studies that examined self-harm in Western Australian prisons. Data were collected from 71 prisoners who had self-harmed in the previous three days and 71 comparison prisoners for whom there was no evidence of ever having self-harmed in prison. The groups were matched on age, sex, race, custodial status (remanded or sentenced) and placement within the prison. Measures across three –domains (personal background, perceptions of the prison experience and psychological functioning) were administered in a structured interview. The self-harm group reported a significantly greater level of distress, disorder or vulnerability on almost every measure. On no measure did they report lower distress or dysfunction. Two main implications for preventing self-harm are discussed. First, prison authorities need to develop more effective methods for identifying distressed prisoners. Second, strategies should be implemented to minimize prisoners' vulnerability to distress.

Enhancing the Auditor's Fraud Detection Ability: An Interdisciplinary ApproachKrambia-KapardisMaria European University Studies, Series 5 (Economics and management), vol 27, Peter Long, Frankfurt am Main (2001)

Abstract: Fraud is a form of crime that, although both costly and enduring, has not received commensurate attention by criminologists. This book makes a significant contribution to redressing the imbalance. Focusing on management and employee frauds, as opposed to consumer scams and direct interpersonal \"cons\", it is an important contribution to the literature of white collar crime. The all too frequent failure of auditors to prevent, detect, or disclose client illegality has been a contributing factor to financial collapses in Australia and around the world. Auditors are quick to defend themselves by saying that they are \"watchdogs, not bloodhounds\" Unfortunately, the annals of fraud have shown some auditors to have been hardly watchdogs, but rather lapdogsof their criminal clients. The author's exhaustive overview of audit failure is a major contribution in itself. But this, and the book's title, do not fully describe the scope of this work. Krambia-Kapardis offers the best review of literature on the psychology of fraud that I have seen. Her discussion of red flags and their limitation as the basis for fraud control is thought provoking. One chapter analyses 50 case files of the Victoria Police Major Fraud Group, providing a rare insight into the nature of matters which make up the work of a police fraud squad. Another chapter reports on the findings of a postal survey of 108 auditors, providing a practitioner's perspective on the experience of detecting material irregularities in financial statements. The author observes that perpetrators of fraud tend to engage in a process of rationalisation, which facilitates offending by reducing inhibition. That offenders may trivialise or deny (in a psychologicalsense) their acts is not surprisinggiven the degree to which many jurisdictions tolerate fraud. Offenders' vocabularies of extenuation are reinforced by the fact that in many jurisdictions, all but the most serious cases avoid police scrutiny, and the unlucky few offenders who are convicted tend to receive relatively lenient sentences. The author's other significant finding is that the presence of red flags on their own is not terribly helpful in fraud detection. Rather, there are more general properties of an organisation which are indicative of fraud risk. Foremost among these are the absence of effective systemsof internal control, and the lack of a code of conduct for the organisation and its members. What is to be done then, to reduce fraud? The author concludes that the offender's rationalisation of the crime should be made more difficult. It would therefore be useful to demonstrate that fraud is not a victimless crime, and that organisations, their employees, their shareholders and their creditors among others suffer because of fraud. Further research on fraud victim impact would seem to be in order.

Civilian Oversight of Policing: Governance, Democracy and Human RightsGoldsmithAndrew and LewisColleen (Eds.) Publisher: Oxford: Hart, (2000), pp. 331

Abstract: In addition, denunciation of those who abuse trust could be intensified. To increase the severity of sentences imposed on convicted fraud offenders would help emphasise society's condemnation of fraud, and arguably contribute to a more credible deterrent threat. And finally, greater attention should be paid to organisation-level indicators of fraud risk, such as the lack of control systems and the absence of articulated ethical standards. Currently Associate Professor of Business Administration at Intercollege, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Krambia-Kapardis brings an impressive interdisciplinary approach to the issueof fraud. She qualified as a chartered accountant and worked as an auditor with a large accounting firm in Melbourne, and completed a certificate in fraud investigation. Based on the author's PhD thesis at Edith Cowan University, this book demonstrates an impressfve grasp of the literature in criminology, sociology and psychology. The application of routine activity analysis to the crime of fraud is exemplary. The book is a rich resource, and one that should be read by any seriousstudent of white-collar crime.

Ethnic Based Differences in Drug Offending

Abstract: There is a perception in Victoria that some ethnic groups are more heavily involved in illicit drugs than others. The published police and prison statistics appear to support this view. The paper d...

Beyond ‘What Works?’ A 25-year Jubilee Retrospective of Robert Martinsons Famous Article

Abstract: The story behind the publication of American sociologist Robert Martinson's 1974 article entitled “What Works?” provides researchers, policy-makers and social science observers with a sobering reminder of the possibilities of research conclusions assuming an inappropriate life of their own. This paper explores briefly the origins of the article and its impact at the time on corrections policy It discusses some of the events since 1974, in both the USA and Australia, that demonstrate the subsequent reification of “Nothing Works”. It is not designed as contributing to the debate on the effectiveness of rehabilitation. Rather the story is used an illustration of the potential for research to fall victim to the dangers of socially constructed realities.

Non-Fatal Self-Harm in Western Australian Prisons: Who, Where, When and Why

Abstract: One hundred and eight non-fatal self-harm incidents that occurred in the Western Australian prison system over a nine-month period were examined. Descriptive data pertaining to these incidents and ...

Crime control in the 21st century

Abstract: This article speculates on what society's response to crime will look like in the year 2020. Following a brief discussion of the anticipated criminal environment, and trends which will influence the delivery of public services, the article will suggest some of the forms which future institutions of crime control are likely to take. In addition to the transformation of Australian police services, the paper will discuss private and non-profit institutions of crime control, and how these will interact with public institutions. The paper will conclude with a discussion of trade-offs between personal safety and individual freedom, and how these will shift over time. It predicts greater societal investment in personal safety at the expense of individual freedom.

The Impact of Organisational, Social Environmental and Job Content Stressors on the Work Related Strains of Probation Officers:

Abstract: In recent years workplace stress has been seen as an important occupational health and safety problem and probation officers in New Zealand have been identified as suffering from increasing perceptions of stress. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken with a sample of 50 New Zealand Probation Officers in three offices to examine the relationship of individual, organisational and work stressors with work related strains. It was predicted that work stressors would be positively related to strains and that individual differences (e.g., age or gender) would have a moderating effect on the relationship between stressors and strains. The results showed that stressors caused by organisational problems, such as role boundary and overload, were related to strains, more strongly than job content problems, such as difficult clients. Secondly, age may have a curvilinear relationship to strains. Thirdly, the office, or place of work, moderates the stressor strain relationship.

Deborah’s Law: The Effects of Naming and Shaming on Sex Offenders in Australia

Abstract: Community notification laws for sex offenders are now widespread in the USA and there is considerable interest in introducing ,them in Australia. Along with these public moves to name and shame, th...

Art Theft: An Exploratory Study of the Illegitimate Art Market in Australia:

Abstract: The stolen art market is a large and highly profitable illegitimate industry. Despite the costs of art theft to the art industry and to society as a whole, little research has been conducted in this field. The present study gathered information about the prevalence, frequency and characteristics of art theft in Australia, as well as the types of people involved in the illegitimate art market; suppliers, distributors and purchasers. Data were collected from 27 interviews with art market and other professionals, including representatives from public and private galleries, auction houses, insurance firms, private dealers and law enforcement. A market system model is proposed as a framework within which art thefts that occur in Australia can be considered.

Penal Policy and Criminological Challenges in the New Millennium

Abstract: This article explores the relationship between criminology and penal policy. It draws attention to recent developments in penal law and practice that have caused concern to criminologists and discu...

The Short-Run Effects of Economic Adversity on Property Crime: An Australian Case Study:

Abstract: Criminological theory has historically assumed that economic adversity increases crime rates because it increases the motivation to offend. This assumption appears supported in cross-sectional stud...

Deaths in Private and Public Prisons in Australia: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract: Public opinion in Australia has been divided on the question of whether private prisons are welcome and one of the issues in dispute has been the question of whether or not private prisons are asso...

Complaints of Child Sexual Abuse: Too Easy to Make or Too Difficult to Prove?

Abstract: This article analyses the social context in which the corroboration warning became entrenched in the child sexual assault trial, its historical legacy in terms of present day practice and the theoretical implications of this history and practice in terms of the sexed and gendered constructions of the female child complainant. In light of this analysis, the article discusses the implications for law reform of the child sexual assault trial, in particular the need to address the unique problems associated with prosecuting child sex offences.

Drug use, intoxication and offence type in two groups of alleged offenders in Perth: a pilot study

Abstract: The study consisted of two cross-sectional surveys, conducted with a) community based juveniles and adults under suspicion of having committed an offence (n = 90) and b) adults remanded in custody in Perth prisons (n = 76). The focus of this paper is on describing the drug use and criminal histories of respondents as a context for examining their use of drugs in the period immediately preceding an alleged offence, and the relationships between drug use preceding the offence, and offence type. There were high rates of use of most drug classes in both study groups and most respondents could be characterised as polydrug users. Community respondents reported that they had an average of 14 convictions and remand respondents an average of 33.5 convictions. In both study groups the majority of reported offences were breaking and entering or burglary. Almost all respondents reported that they had been using at least one drug in the 48 hours before the most recent alleged offence(s) took place. Between half and two thirds considered themselves to have been intoxicated before the offence(s), and almost one in three stated that they had been in withdrawal in the 6 hours before the alleged offence(s). The relationship between use of specific drug classes, intoxication and withdrawal in the six hours before the most recent alleged offence and the nature of those offences was assessed with bivariate analyses. It was found that the majority of such relationships were between heroin and property offences. The results are discussed in terms of the representativeness of the study groups, and the need for replication with larger and more representative samples is emphasised. Language: en

Crime, Criminal Justice, and Criminology for a Smaller Planet: Some Notes on the 21st Century

Abstract: This analysis attempts to project changes in types of crime and criminal justice response to crime in the early decades of the 21st century by assuming continuity in the technological, economic, and political trends of the last years of the 20th century. I predict that shifts in general rates of crime will be less important than changes in particular types of offense in stable nations, and that rates of. property crime will show more transnational similarity than rates and trends in serious violence. With respect to criminal justice practices, both technology and normative standards will exert pressure toward greater similarity in criminal justice practice among developed nations, with normative pressure being the more important for legal proceedings and punishment than technical change. The executioner is threatened by this trend, even in the United States. The prison warden has comfortable job security.

Temporal clustering of child homicide: contagion or illusion?

Abstract: Data available on the characteristics of all Australian homicides over ten years since mid 1989 provide an opportunity to investigate whether child homicide is subject to temporal clustering. If this were found to be the case, then contagion resulting from media publicity might be a possible explanation. This follows from studies indicating some influence from media publicity given to suicides. No temporal clustering could be detected and results indicate that any given child homicide in Australia has no effect on the subsequent rate of child homicides. The study suggests that caution is needed before assuming that proximate events are necessarily related. It remains a possibility that child homicide may be the product of contagion over a longer time frame, as a consequence of intense media publicity given to high profile events. The media should respect community sensibilities in reporting such events and avoid sensational coverage in an ethical and balanced way.

Violence and police culture

Abstract: Violence and Police Culture is an edited collection of eleven chapters that aims to examine the association between policing and violence. The editors and contributors, mostly from Victoria and New South Wales, are leading researchers and academics in the fields of policing, applied philosophy and public ethics, solie.. itors, police officers and community activists. On the one hand, they acknowledge that police are given power to use force in order to maintain law and order in their day ..to ..day work. On the other hand, they not only challenge the abuse of police power but also offer suggestions for regulating police violence. Nonetheless, it should be emphasized at the outset that changing the culture which fosters police violence within an institution is not an easy task and the boundaries between legitimate coercion and unwarranted violence are indeed fluid. The book has been very successful in approaching the sensitive topic of violence and police culture from various perspectives. It begins with John Blackler's account of the historical influences such as the model of the Royal Irish Constabulary and British colonial practices on Australian policing. He argues that the highly "militarised, centralised and coercive modes of policing" have a strong tradition in Australia, thereby explaining the lack of democratic accountability structures which might have moderated the use of coercive force. In Chapter 2 using police's narrative account in the guided group discussion in Victoria, Ian Warren and Steve James substantiate that self..defence or self..preservation in dangerous confrontations was commonly cited as the cultural explanation for the use of force in the work environment of policing. Neil O'Loughlin and Peter Billing simply analyse how organisational responses to deal with excessive use of police power impact on police behaviour and violence (Chapter 3). Drawing on her conceptualization of police culture, Janet Chan in Chapter 4 interprets police violence as a form of institutional penal practice. She concludes that violence is rationalised as an informal punishment for defying police authority but argues for 'the improvement of the visibility of the "back region" of police organisation by combining technology and vigilance such as the use of video cameras for monitor.. ing police-citizen interactions during interrogation. Another major theme of this book is to look for ways to regulate the use of police violence. In Chapters 5 and 6, both Andrew J. Goldsmith and Ian Freckelton support the claim that criminal law is unlikely to have a role in constraining police