Criminal networks: actors, mechanisms, and structures

Social network analysis is a fruitful approach to the study of relations and interaction between actors involved in organized crime. This dissertation utilizes network perspective to study several cases of organized criminal groups. It is divided into eight chapters. The first introductory chapter is followed by a chapter reviewing the most important network concepts, measures, and models, and their application in the study of organized crime. The four subsequent chapters are empirical studies. The third chapter is a case study of a political corruption network, known as the Rath affair. The study shows that the network consists of different, sometimes overlapping, relations (multiplexity), namely collaboration, resource transfer, and pre-existing ties. The network shows a clear core-periphery structure with politicians forming a dense core and businesspeople occupying periphery. The following chapter studies a case of counterfeit alcohol distribution network, known as the methanol affair. The network structure is composed of two subgroups bridged by one tie, permitting relatively efficient distribution of the beverages. Furthermore, statistical models point out the importance of triadic closure and pre-existing ties for the formation of ties in the network. The fifth chapter tests an influential theory in..

Structure, Multiplexity, and Centrality in a Corruption Network:The Czech Rath Affair

The present study is an analysis of a Czech political corruption network known as the Rath affair reconstructed with publicly available data. We argue that for the study of criminal networks it is fruitful to follow a multiplex approach, i.e., to distinguish several interdependent network dimensions and study how they are interrelated. Relational elements in corruption are identified, and we propose three dimensions that are essential for understanding the Rath network: pre-existing ties (e.g., marriage or co-membership of the same party), resource transfer (e.g., bribing), and collaboration (e.g., communication). The aim of the study was threefold. We aimed to examine if the network exhibits the core/periphery structure, to investigate the multiplex structure of the network by assessing the overlap of the main dimensions of the network, and to determine the central and multiplex actors while considering the differentiation of centrality according to the three network dimensions. The core/periphery model appears to have a perfect fit to the aggregated network, leading to a four-block adjacency matrix. Studying the frequency of ties in these blocks shows that collaboration ties are present in all the blocks, while resource transfer ties are mainly located between the core and periphery, and pre-existing ties are rare generally. We also identify central actors, none of which are strategically positioned, occupying more visible positions instead. The majority of actors display strong multiplexity in the composition of their own ties. In the conclusion the potential usefulness of multiplex descriptive measures and of mixed methods approaches, implications of our results for trust incriminal networks, and potential merits of analytical sociology approach are discussed

Pojetí aktéra a jednání v analytické sociologii

Do súčasného sociologického teoretizovania čitateľa uvádza kapitola Poňatie aktéra ajednania vanalytickej sociológiiautora Tomáša Diviáka. Analytická sociológia ako všeobecný reprezentant posledného teoretického obratu v sociológii –„obratu ku komplexnosti“ –má ambíciu spájať to najlep-šie, kčomu doteraz sociologická teória dospela: realistický prístup založený na skúmaní skutočných spoločenských procesov (či skôr mechanizmov), ktoré vedú od spoločenského konania ainterakcií medzi jednotlivcami kmakrospo-ločenským javom, ato pomocou širokého využitia modelovania, hoci ide najmä omodelovanie prostredníctvom matematických, počítačových simulácií. Na celkové hodnotenie výsledkov tohto vnútorne rozmanitého prístupu je zatiaľ priskoro, no nateraz sa analytická sociológia javí ako jeden znajviac životaschopných, arozhodne najpopulárnejších súčasných teoretických prístupov. Ztohto dôvodu dodáva tretia kapitola knihe veľkú aktuálnosť avpodaní Diviáka pôsobí aj ako potvrdenie aktuálnosti ainvencie ostatných kapitol, keďže ukazuje, ako sa koncepcie zpredchádzajúcich iznasledujúcich kapitol premietajú do súčasného skúmania spoločenského správania

Sinister connections: how to analyse organised crime with social network analysis?

Networks have recently become ubiquitous in many scientific fields. In criminology, social network analysis (SNA) provides a potent tool for analysis of organized crime. This paper introduces basic network terms and measures as well as advanced models and reviews their application in criminological research. The centrality measures – degree and betweenness – are introduced as means to describe relative importance of actors in the network. The centrality measures are useful also in determining strategically positioned actors within the network or providing efficient targets for disruption of criminal networks. The cohesion measures, namely density, centralization, and average geodesic distance are described and their relevance is related to the idea of efficiency-security trade-off. As the last of the basic measures, the attention is paid to subgroup identification algorithms such as cliques, k-plexes, and factions. Subgroups are essential in the discussion on the cell-structure in criminal networks. The following part of the paper is a brief overview of more sophisticated network models. Models allow for theory testing, distinguishing systematic processes from randomness, and simplification of complex network structures. Quadratic assignment procedure, blockmodels, exponential random graph models, and stochastic actor-oriented models are covered. Some important research examples include similarities in co-offending, core-periphery structures, closure and brokerage, and network evolution. Subsequently, the paper reflects the three biggest challenges for application of SNA to criminal settings – data availability, proper formulation of theories and adequate methods application. In conclusion, readers are referred to books and journals combining SNA and criminology as well as to software suitable to carry out SNA