Exploration of crime-scene characteristics in juvenile homicide in the French-speaking part of Belgium

This study explores modeling crime-scene characteristics of juvenile homicide in the French-speaking part of Belgium. Multidimensional scaling analysis was carried out on crime-scene characteristics derived from the court files of 67 individuals under 22 years old, who had been charged with murder or attempted murder (1995-2009). Three thematic regions (Expressive: multiple offenders; Instrumental: theft; Instrumental: sex/forensic awareness) distinguished types of aggression displayed during the offense. These themes reaffirm that the expressive-instrumental differentiation found in general homicide studies is valuable when attempting to discriminate juvenile homicides. The proposed framework was found useful to classify the offenses, as 84% of homicides were assigned to a dominant theme. Additionally, associations between crime-scene characteristics and offenders' characteristics were analyzed, but no associations were found, therefore failing to provide empirical support for the homology assumption. Cultural comparisons, as well as the influence of age on the thematic structure are discussed

The Detection and Policing of Gun Crime: Challenges to the Effective Policing of Gun Crime in Europe

Despite a shared understanding across the EU that access to firearms by the general public should be restricted, detailed legislation regarding the ownership, use and trade of firearms varies between EU member states. It is unclear however, how such variations impact on the policing of gun enabled crime. By using qualitative data generated from interviews with police, policy and decision makers from thirteen European countries, the authors of this article aim to determine how stakeholders perceive that national variations in firearms legislation impact on the policing of gun enabled crime within and across EU countries. Four main themes were identified from the qualitative data: disparities in Legislation, disparities in Priority given and the Resources allocated to investigations into gun enabled crime as well as Interventions. Due to the aforementioned disparities, cross-national investigations into incidents of gun crime are at risk of remaining impaired in their effectiveness. Therefore, more legislative coherency as well as sustainable long-term interventions will be needed to successfully reduce ownership and use of firearms in the criminal world. In this context, a departure from an exclusive use of an economic model of gun crime is recommended to allow for a better understanding of the dynamics of the black gun market

An exploration of the current knowledge on young people who kill: a systematic review

This exploratory systematic review assessed the quality of primary studies on young people who kill and synthesised the findings regarding the characteristics of these offenders. An electronic search yielded 12,717 hits of papers published between 1989 and 2012. Of these, 8,395 duplicates, 3,787 irrelevant hits, and 527 publications not meeting the inclusion criteria of the review were excluded (15 publications were added after searching the grey literature), leaving 23 good quality studies. From these, a further seven were removed due to their small sample size (i.e., n < 30), leaving a total of 16 studies reviewed in detail. A search update was carried out on 2 February 2014 and no further studies meeting the inclusion criteria were found. The results indicate that juvenile homicide offenders are a heterogeneous group and the risk factors for juvenile homicide are cumulative and evolve through life. The findings are mixed, but ten risk factors are identified which appear to be consistent for offenders across the studies reviewed. The limitations of the current review are highlighted and recommendations for future research are outlined, with particular consideration given to improving the quality of the literature in this field

Negotiating challenges faced by homicide offenders upon their release from prison:a thematic analysis

This study explored the perceptions of the challenges faced by homicide offenders (HOs) reintegrating into the community after prison. Through interviews with six HOs and 10 Probation Officers in the United Kingdom, three themes were identified in the thematic analysis: Transitioning from life in prison to a new world; societal stigma and media representations; and the psychological aspects of homicide. Reintegrating into a fast-paced society proved difficult for all HOs, who struggled to adapt, carry their licensing conditions, find identity and purpose, and cope with the fear of being recalled to prison. Stigma and negative media portrayal hindered their acceptance by society. Managing psychological factors and self-identity while addressing the gravity of taking a life may provide a sense of individual agency and prevent reoffending. These findings can inform policymakers and practitioners working with homicide offenders in the community

Exploration of Crime Scene Characteristics in Cyber-Related Homicides

Despite the alarming nature of homicides in which the offender meets the victim online, or cyber-initiated homicides, little empirical attention has been devoted to this phenomenon. The present study was designed to explore the behavioral patterns found prior to and during a cyber-initiated homicide event. Data on 61 homicide cases from various countries were collected through news media and legal sources. Smallest space analysis revealed that cyber homicides were characterized by four distinct themes: excessive violence, fatal escalation, crime-related incidents, and predatory behavior. Implications of the findings and avenues for future research are discussed

Work-In-Progress—CrimOPS—Gamified Virtual Simulations for Authentic Assessment in Criminology

Authentic assessment is the concept of using creative learning experiences to assess students’ skills and knowledge in conditions that simulate reality. The importance of authentic assessment in higher education is recognized as it helps measure student performance and attainment of skills related to the expected learning outcomes of the degree program, they study that map the skills required in their profession in the related industry. There is also growing evidence that authentic assessment can enhance student engagement and improve the student experience and learning outcomes. VR coupled with gamification offers the authentic context for students to apply their knowledge and skills while solving real-world problems. This paper presents a work-in-progress study that focuses on the creation of an educational resource that effectively supports teaching and learning crime-scene analysis and evidenced-based inferences in Criminology through simulated crime scenes. The paper describes a participatory design process involving students and academics as co-creators of a VR game, the CrimOPS, it presents the initial prototype derived from this collaboration and preliminary study results

French translation and validation of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Health Professions Student version

peer reviewedBackground: Background: Jefferson Scale of Empathy is one of the most widely used tools worldwide to assess empathy. The extended version for Health Professions Students (JSE HPS) has not yet been translated into French. Objective: The aim of our study was to translate the JSE HPS into French and assess the psychometric properties of this new version (JSE HPS Fr). Methods: The JSE HPS was translated according to international recommendations. The main psychometric qualities (test-retest reliability, internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects and construct validity) were studied in a sample of physiotherapy students. Participants provided general information (age, gender, year of study) and completed the JSE HPS Fr and the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE). Participants were also asked to complete the JSE-HPS-Fr again one week later to assess its test-retest reliability. Results: 408 students (161 males and 247 females; mean age: 21.3 years) participated. The JSE HPS Fr demonstrated good test-retest reliability for the total score (ICC=0.81) and good internal consistency (α Cronbach: 0.79). The JSE HPS also showed good convergent validity with the QCAE questionnaire (r=0.41, p<0.05). No floor or ceiling effects were observed. Conclusions: The results indicate that the JSE HPS Fr is a valid and reliable tool to assess the level of empathy of French-speaking physiotherapy students