Showing papers in "European Journal of Criminology in 2015"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present unique evidence on the factors that influence the attrition of rape allegations in the English criminal justice system and suggest that further central factors include the ethnicity of the suspect as well as what police officers and prosecutors perceive as evidence against the truthfulness of the allegation.
Abstract: The UK has one of the lowest conviction rates for rape in Europe. This article presents unique evidence on the factors that influence the attrition of rape allegations in the English criminal justice system. The study is based on a large, representative sample of rape allegations reported to the London Metropolitan Police, the UK’s biggest police force. The dataset contains unprecedented detail on the incident, the victim, the suspect and the police investigation. The results lend support to the influence of some rape myths and stereotypes on attrition. These findings suggest that further central factors include the ethnicity of the suspect as well as what police officers and prosecutors perceive as evidence against the truthfulness of the allegation: police records noting a previous false allegation by the victim, inconsistencies in the victim’s account of the alleged rape, and evidence or police opinion casting doubt on the allegation.
137 citations
TL;DR: The authors conducted a content analysis of the five most influential journals in criminology and found that replication studies constitute just over 2% of the articles published between 2006 and 2010 in these journals.
Abstract: Although researchers acknowledge the importance of replication in building scientific knowledge, replication studies seem to be published infrequently. The present study examines the extent to which replications are conducted in criminology. We conduct a content analysis of the five most influential journals in criminology. We also compare the replication rate in criminology with that in the social sciences and natural sciences. The results show that replication research is rarely published in these disciplines. In criminology journals in particular, replication studies constitute just over 2 percent of the articles published between 2006 and 2010. Further, those replication studies that were published in criminology journals in that period tended to conflict with the original studies. These findings call into question the utility of empirical results published in criminology journals for developing theory and policy. Strategies for promoting replication research in criminology are suggested.
72 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated how the Internet is used to facilitate the trade in counterfeit pharmaceuticals, based on interviews and investigative cases analysed through a crime script, pinpoints the criminal opportunities made available by the specificities of the Internet, identifies what specific phases of the trafficking activity they facilitate, investigates how such opportunities are exploited, and provides updated insights into how actors involved in the online market in counterfeit drugs behave.
Abstract: There is widespread agreement that the Internet is a primary market for counterfeit pharmaceuticals, but this issue has been under-investigated by criminologists. In order to effectively control this dangerous trade, considerably more knowledge about it must be assembled. This study contributes to this domain by looking at how the Internet is used to facilitate the trade in counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Based on interviews and investigative cases analysed through a crime script, this study pinpoints the criminal opportunities made available by the specificities of the Internet, identifies what specific phases of the trafficking activity they facilitate, investigates how such opportunities are exploited, provides updated insights into how actors involved in the online market in counterfeit pharmaceuticals behave, and offers a reflection on the main challenges that have to be met to respond to this criminal phenomenon.
71 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore how gang membership transitions among adolescents are related to changes with regard to peers, conventional social bonds and problem behaviour, and find that joining a gang is associated with an increasing exposure to negative peer influences, a weakening of conventional bonds and increasing levels of delinquency and substance use.
Abstract: This study explores how gang membership transitions among adolescents are related to changes with regard to peers, conventional social bonds and problem behaviour. The data come from two longitudinal studies, one conducted in the United States (the Rochester Youth Development Study) and one in the Netherlands (the NSCR School Study). In both countries, gang membership appears to be relatively short-lived, with one year as the modal length of gang membership. Also, in both countries, the results show a consistent pattern in which joining a gang is related to an increasing exposure to negative peer influences, a weakening of conventional bonds and increasing levels of delinquency and substance use. Leaving a gang is associated with the opposite pattern of change.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used quantitative data collected in Belgium to examine to what extent citizens' trust in the police is determined by being a victim of crime, perceptions of disorder, feelings of insecurity, perception of the way the police treat people and perceptions of police responsiveness.
Abstract: The international literature contains very few empirical tests of Tyler’s (2011) claim that in Europe, as in the United States, procedural justice plays a larger part than police performance in accounting for citizens’ trust in the police. With regard to procedural justice, there has also been little research on the distinct effects of responsiveness and fair treatment. This study is a step towards filling in these gaps. We used quantitative data collected in Belgium to examine to what extent citizens’ trust in the police is determined by being a victim of crime, perceptions of disorder, feelings of insecurity, perceptions of the way the police treat people and perceptions of police responsiveness. The results indicate the relevance of procedural justice for explaining police trustworthiness in European countries. In Belgium, perceived responsiveness seems to be the cornerstone of a strong trust relationship.
49 citations
TL;DR: The authors used survey data from 10,148 Australian residents and demonstrated that procedural justice, police performance, and identity each predict people's intentions to cooperate with police, with procedural justice being more important than police performance.
Abstract: Research consistently reveals that public perceptions of procedural justice and police performance are important for fostering citizens’ willingness to cooperate with police, with procedural justice being more important than police performance. Identifying factors that motivate people’s intentions to cooperate with police is the focus of the present study. Of particular interest will be how people’s affiliations with different groups in society moderate their responses to questions about their willingness to cooperate with police. The study utilizes survey data from 10,148 Australian residents and demonstrates that procedural justice, police performance, and identity each predict people’s intentions to cooperate with police. The findings also reveal that identity can moderate citizens’ concerns about procedural justice and police performance when predicting cooperation.
49 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, which factors influence the trust in the police of different ethnic minorities in European countries are investigated. But little is known about the factors that influence trust in different ethnic groups.
Abstract: Little is yet known about which factors influence the trust in the police of different ethnic minorities in European countries. This article is a step towards filling in that gap. To assess differe...
45 citations
TL;DR: Pinker makes the sweeping argument that violence declines with modernization as countries of the world gradually converge in terms of economic markets, communication structures, and culture as discussed by the authors, and he argues that violence decreases with modernization.
Abstract: Pinker makes the sweeping argument that violence declines with modernization as countries of the world gradually converge in terms of economic markets, communication structures, and culture. An alt...
42 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a case study of institutions and systems in individual countries in the criminal justice system, as well as theoretical and quanathan studies of individual countries' criminal justice systems.
Abstract: Comparative and cross-national research on the criminal justice system is burgeoning. Case studies of institutions and systems in individual countries are proliferating, as are theoretical and quan...
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a literature review article presents some important substantive and methodological achievements of and challenges to this body of research, and provides a clear, thorough and multidimensional operationalization of the concept of punitive attitudes that can be used in future research.
Abstract: Although several empirical studies on punitivity have appeared in the last few decades, this body of research stays under-theorized and rather vague because of the lack of a clear definition of the concept of punitivity and the different methodologies used to measure it. Focusing on individual punitivity (punitive attitudes), this literature review article presents some important substantive and methodological achievements of and challenges to this body of research. Despite existing knowledge and the already extensive literature on the topic, this article aims to add an innovative element by (a) providing a clear, thorough and multidimensional operationalization of the concept of punitive attitudes that can be used in future research, by (b) not only reviewing the existing literature, but also being critical of and nuancing some of the main research findings, and by (c) making concrete suggestions to advance research in this area.
38 citations
TL;DR: This article reviewed cross-national research on criminal careers in London and Stockholm and found that there were many similarities in the findings and the major difference concerned the distribution over agri-business activities.
Abstract: This article first reviews cross-national research on criminal careers in London and Stockholm. There were many similarities in the findings. The major difference concerned the distribution over ag...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the psychological effects of delivering a VIS in terms of the two most important emotional reactions after crime: anger and anxiety, and found that feelings of anxiety decrease for victims who experience more control over their recovery process and higher levels of procedural justice.
Abstract: Although the delivery of a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) in court is assumed to contribute to the healing and recovery process of victims of violent crimes, its effectiveness to facilitate emotional recovery is widely debated. The current longitudinal study is the first to empirically examine the psychological effects of delivering a VIS in terms of the two most important emotional reactions after crime: anger and anxiety. It extends previous findings by showing that the debate concerning the effectiveness of delivering a VIS is not a ‘black and white’ matter. In this article, we argue that the question should not be whether delivering a VIS ‘works’ or ‘doesn’t work’ for the victim, but for whom, and under which conditions. We show that delivering a VIS does not give rise to direct ‘therapeutic’ effects. However, we found that feelings of anger and anxiety decrease for victims who experience more control over their recovery process and higher levels of procedural justice.
TL;DR: This article paid little attention to the institutional context of the polity with few exceptions, with the exception of Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature (2011) and the work of This article.
Abstract: Comparative perspectives on crime and violence have paid little attention to the institutional context of the polity with few exceptions. Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature (2011) pres...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors introduce the idea of "foil comparisons", where the overriding goal is to change given practices in the light of what are claimed to be better (or sometimes worse) practices else.
Abstract: This paper introduces the idea of ‘foil comparisons’, ones where the overriding goal is to change given practices in the light of what are claimed to be better (or, sometimes, worse) practices else...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the results of a study that links information from the prison system with information from Spanish Social Security System in order to study the employability of former inmat...
Abstract: This paper presents the results of a study that links information from the prison system with information from the Spanish Social Security System in order to study the employability of former inmat...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that statistics of police-recorded crimes have limited utility for cross-country analyses of crime, owing to varying legal definitions, reporting patterns and recording practices.
Abstract: The author argues that statistics of police-recorded crimes have limited utility for cross-country analyses of crime, owing to varying legal definitions, reporting patterns and recording practices....
TL;DR: In this article, a research project has been conducted in all five Scandinavian countries in order to examine the publ leability of the public sense of justice in crime policy and crime policy is increasingly legitimized by reference to the public perception of justice.
Abstract: Crime policy is increasingly legitimized by reference to the public sense of justice. A research project has therefore been conducted in all five Scandinavian countries in order to examine the publ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare the two national models against organized crime, the Italian Structure Model and the English Activity Model, in order to identify divergences and convergences of policies and practices.
Abstract: The fight against organized crime is a very fertile ground for policymaking at various levels. On one side, because of the perceived transnationality of the phenomenon, national states are inclined to develop harmonized responses within the European or international law frameworks. On the other side, national conceptualizations and manifestations of organized crime often make these harmonizations quite challenging.This paper shares the findings of a socio-legal investigation carried out in England and in Italy through interviews and document analysis, comparing the two national models against organized crime. The paper presents these two models – the Italian Structure Model and the English Activity Model, which are very different in many ways – in order to identify divergences and convergences of policies and practices. This comparative exercise not only improves our understanding of national approaches, beyond cultural, linguistic and legal boundaries, but also improves the dialogue towards concerted eff...
TL;DR: Although private security guards are a visible presence and come into contact with the general public, very little is known about citizens' trust in and satisfaction with private security agents, as reported in this paper.
Abstract: Although private security guards are a visible presence and come into contact with the general public, very little is known about citizens’ trust in and satisfaction with private security agents wh...
TL;DR: It is found that the team was able to fully implement the UK National Intelligence Model to address illegal exports of hazardous waste, including combining regulatory and enforcement data to generate actionable intelligence.
Abstract: Transnational environmental crime (TEC) threatens human health and the natural environment. Its complexity also poses a challenge for regulation and enforcement. In the current paper, we present a process evaluation of one attempt to use innovations in policing to improve TEC enforcement. Specifically, we assess the implementation of intelligence-led policing (ILP) in the Environment Agency’s Securing Compliant Waste Exports Project. We find that the team was able to fully implement the UK National Intelligence Model to address illegal exports of hazardous waste, including combining regulatory and enforcement data to generate actionable intelligence. Future research should examine the implementation of ILP in other contexts and to address other forms of TEC to evaluate the generalizability of these results.
TL;DR: The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as mentioned in this paper was developed to provide a common...
Abstract: This article presents the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The aim of the ICCS is to provide a common...
TL;DR: This paper examined the punitive attitudes of 206 police and correctional of the United States Department of Corrections and found that they were more likely to be abusive to prisoners than to their own staff, compared to their colleagues.
Abstract: Policymakers and researchers have long been interested in the punitive attitudes of police and correctional officers. This research examined the punitive attitudes of 206 police and correctional of...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effects of diverse legal and socio-demographic characteristics on both prosecutorial and judicial punishments, for both juveniles and adults, for all criminal suspects registered by the Public Prosecutor's Office in the Netherlands in 2007.
Abstract: Research on legal and extralegal disparity in criminal sentencing has been conducted primarily in the United States, and, to a lesser extent, in select European nations. Largely separate research literatures have developed around juvenile and adult sentencing decisions, and few studies examine both prosecutorial and judicial punishment outcomes. This study examines the effects of diverse legal and socio-demographic characteristics on both prosecutorial and judicial punishments, for both juveniles and adults. It assesses the broad generalizability of prior research and theorizing, analyzing punishment outcomes for all criminal suspects registered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Netherlands in 2007. Results indicate that offense, case-processing and criminal history characteristics weigh heavily in prosecutorial and judicial decision-making. There are also direct effects of age, gender and nationality on both prosecutorial and sentencing decisions, for both juvenile and adult offenders, in the Dutch justice system. These findings are discussed in relation to the broad discretion exercised by Dutch court actors and the paper concludes with recommendations for future sentencing research in international contexts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors take an international and historical perspective to discuss the present state of knowledge on the developmental origins of physical aggression and its implications for the prevention of aggression and violence.
Abstract: This article takes an international and historical perspective to discuss the present state of knowledge on the developmental origins of physical aggression and its implications for the prevention ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between involvement in football hooliganism and both conviction frequency and conviction trajectories, and found that although hooligans differ from non-hooligans on several childhood and teenage risk factors, and that they also incur many more convictions than their nonhooligan counterparts, these relationships do not hold after carefully matching hoolians and non-behaviour on key risk factors.
Abstract: Football hooliganism has long occupied the social, media, and political landscapes of fans around the world. In this study, we use data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, a longitudinal study of a large sample of males followed from childhood to late middle adulthood, to examine the relationship between involvement in football hooliganism and both conviction frequency and conviction trajectories. Results show that, although hooligans differ from non-hooligans on several childhood and teenage risk factors, and that they also incur many more convictions than their non-hooligan counterparts, these relationships do not hold after carefully matching hooligans and non-hooligans on key risk factors. Football hooliganism, for the most part, seems to be part of a constellation of antisocial behaviors that also includes criminal offending.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined gender differences in adolescent problem behavior and its potential determinants, simultaneously taking into account the individual and contextual level, including personality, family, and country characteristics.
Abstract: This study scrutinizes gender differences in adolescent problem behaviour and its potential determinants, simultaneously taking into account the individual and contextual level, including personality, family and country characteristics. Using the 2010 EU Kids Online Survey, we estimate multilevel models on 18,027 individuals from 24 European countries. In line with earlier research, we find that boys engage more in adolescent problem behaviour than girls. The gender gap is largely explained by personality traits, such as self-control. Whereas the influence of self-control does not differ between boys and girls, the association between conduct problems and problem behaviour is stronger for boys than for girls. Family factors are relevant but not gender specific in their impact on problem behaviour. European countries differ with respect to the gender gap in adolescent problem behaviour, which is partly explained by the societal level of gender inequality.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared delinquency among native and immigrant youth in Finland and found that several forms of delinquency were more prevalent among immigrants than among native youth, and that routine activities and parental control were related to the immigrant youths' higher risk of active delinquency.
Abstract: Differences in the crime involvement of immigrants and the native population have been a major topic in criminology for decades. This interest stems from the fact that immigrants are overrepresented in the crime statistics of many European countries. Our study compares delinquency among native and immigrant youth in Finland. The analysis is based on the 2012 sweep of the Finnish Self-Report Delinquency Study (N = 8914). The results show that several forms of delinquency were more prevalent among immigrants than among native youth. Multivariate analyses indicate that routine activities and parental control were related to the immigrant youths’ higher risk of active delinquency. After adjusting for a wide range of background variables, the immigrants’ higher risk of delinquency decreased, but remained significant.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assumed differences between single and multiple victim offenders (intending to kill one or more than one victim) and found differences between the offender groups in seriousness, patterns, characteristics, and classes of leaking (announcements of offences), offence-related behaviour, and offence characteristics.
Abstract: Research indicates individual pathways towards school attacks and inconsistent offender profiles. Thus, several authors have classified offenders according to mental disorders, motives, or number/kinds of victims. We assumed differences between single and multiple victim offenders (intending to kill one or more than one victim). In qualitative and quantitative analyses of data from qualitative content analyses of case files on seven school attacks in Germany, we found differences between the offender groups in seriousness, patterns, characteristics, and classes of leaking (announcements of offences), offence-related behaviour, and offence characteristics. There were only minor differences in risk factors. Our research thus adds to the understanding of school attacks and leaking. Differences between offender groups require consideration in the planning of effective preventive approaches.
TL;DR: The authors found that exposure to victimization and family bonding vary across contexts where the effect of family bonding on victimization is stronger in countries that view the family as more important, and concluded that these results contribute insight into the operationalization of victimization theories.
Abstract: Family bonding is a mainstay in theories of crime and delinquency. Recently, it has also been extended to explain exposure to victimization in the US and abroad. Although research reveals that there are differences between countries in their views about the importance of family, scholarship has not yet considered how and why the protective features of family bonding might vary across the country context according to how the family is valued. This study, using data from the second International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD-2), reveals that both individual levels of family bonding and macro levels of the perceived importance of the family are negatively related to victimization. Analyses suggest that exposure to victimization and the effects of family bonding vary across contexts where the effect of family bonding on victimization is stronger in countries that view the family as more important. We conclude that these results contribute insight into the operationalization of victimization theories acr...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the prevalence and nature of stalking in a representative German quota sample (N = 5779) and applied a broad definition of stalking, the lifetime prevalence added up to 15 percent, depending on respondents’ age, gender, and immigrant background, as well as household size and relationship status.
Abstract: The present study, as part of a large-scale victim survey, examines the prevalence and nature of stalking in a representative German quota sample (N = 5779). Applying a broad definition of stalking, the lifetime prevalence added up to 15 percent, depending on respondents’ age, gender, and immigrant background, as well as household size and relationship status. Conditional inference trees revealed that gender, relationship status, and household size were key factors in identifying victims of stalking. Offenders mostly committed stalking against the opposite gender. This pertains especially to female (vs. male) victims. In most cases the offender and victim knew each other prior to the stalking. The results are compared with national and international findings. Implications and potential limitations are discussed.