Rational choice and offender decision making: lessons from the cognitive sciences

As outlined in the introductory chapter, the rational choice perspective (RCP) has become the primary conceptual underpinning for situational crime prevention (SCP) and as such has attracted both devoted supporters and trenchant critics. The starting point for this chapter is the contention that much of the criticism directed at RCP – and for that matter, much of the support it receives – is based on a misconception of the function that the model is designed to fulfil. The distinction is drawn between RCP as an organising framework for SCP policy and practice on the one hand, and RCP as a theoretical model of offender decision making on the other. The former function is what Cornish and Clarke intended for RCP, and in that role it has been outstandingly successful. The latter function was never intended by Cornish and Clarke and nor does RCP credibly fulfil that role. Cornish and Clarke have been clear from the beginning that their intention was to develop models of offending that informed prevention, not to provide a detailed or literal account of how offenders make decisions. They have never claimed their approach to be a theory, choosing the term rational choice perspective advisedly. In the first exposition of RCP (Clarke and Cornish, 1985) they could scarcely be more explicit: This perspective provides a basis for devising models of criminal behavior that (1) offer frameworks within which to locate existing research, (2) suggest directions for new research, (3) facilitate analysis of existing policy, and (4) help to identify potentially fruitful policy initiatives. Such models need not offer comprehensive explanations; they may be limited and incomplete, yet still be “good enough” to achieve these important policy and research purposes

Police education and democratic policing in Taiwan: a longitudinal quasi-experimental study of the effects of selection and police socialisation on human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of selection and group socialisation on support of human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice in police officers in Taiwan. METHODS: We used a longitudinal quasi-experimental design to track three cohorts of police officers (n = 585) and a comparison group of criminology undergraduates (n = 43). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in measures of human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice between new police recruits and the control group. However, time in police education was associated with a statistically significant reduction in police officer support of human rights, moral reasoning and an increase in prejudice. In the control group, the reverse was true. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to police education in Taiwan resulted in police officers being significantly more prejudiced and significantly less adherent to the principles of human rights and moral reasoning. These results appear to be attributable to police socialisation rather than selection effects

Accessing child sexual abuse material: Pathways to offending and online behaviour

Background: Most research examining the consumption of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has focused on offenders' demographic and psychological characteristics. While such research may assist in the development of therapeutic interventions with known offenders, it has little to offer the development of interventions for the vast majority of offenders who are never caught. Objective: To learn more about the offending strategies of CSAM offenders, in order to inform prevention efforts to deter, disrupt, and divert individuals from their pursuit of CSAM. Participants & setting: Seventy-five male CSAM offenders, who were living in the community and were voluntarily participating in a treatment programme. Methods: Participants completed a detailed self-report questionnaire focussing on their pathways to offending and their online behaviour. Results: Most participants reported that they did not initially seek out CSAM but that they first encountered it inadvertently or became curious after viewing legal pornography. Their involvement in CSAM subsequently progressed over time and their offending generally became more serious. The most notable feature of participants' online behaviour was the relative lack of sophisticated technical expertise. Opportunity and other situational factors emerged as mediators of offending frequency. Offending patterns were affected by participants' psychological states (e.g., depression, anger, stress), offline relationships and commitments (e.g., arguments with spouse, loss of job), and online experiences (e.g., blocked sites, viruses, warning messages). Conclusions: Findings suggest that many offenders are receptive to change and may be potentially diverted from their offending pathway

Police officers\u27 perceptions of their reactions to viewing internet child exploitation material

The purpose of this paper is to extend prior research on the impact of working in the area of Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) investigation by exploring ICE investigators' perceptions of and reactions to viewing child exploitation material. A diverse sample of 32 ICE investigators across all nine Australian jurisdictions individually participated in anonymous in-depth interviews. Participants were asked to discuss their subjective experience of viewing ICE material and its effect on them and to describe a case that evoked an adverse reaction, the nature of the reaction, and the characteristics of the material that contributed to it. The results revealed that ICE investigators experience salient emotional, cognitive, social and behavioural consequences due to viewing ICE material and their reactions can be short and long term. The degree of negative impact appears to vary markedly across individuals, types and content of material and viewing context, with variation based on individual, case-related and contextual factors both in and outside the workplace.No Full Tex

An Examination of Noncompleted Sexual Offences, Offenders’ Perceptions of Risks and Difficulties and Related Situational Factors

Objectives: The current study aims to generate insights from sexual offenders on noncompleted sexual offences, that is, on offences that were stopped or discouraged. Methods: Using a sample of sexual offenders who initiated a sexual offence but were stopped or discouraged in action, which we refer to as noncompleted offences, we first examine which and how situational factors and internal states may affect their assessment of risks of apprehension and difficulties in this context. Second, we examine whether situational factors, internal states as well as perceived risks and difficulties can predict offence noncompletion. Linear and logistic regression models were estimated based on the type of offence (noncompleted sexual offences against women or children). Results: Main findings indicate that victim physical resistance is critical for how sex offenders are perceiving difficulties related to offending against women. The presence of a person nearby and victim resistance are predictive of noncompletion of sexual offences against children. Conclusion: This is a critical line of research because knowledge on the factors and circumstances that can discourage or stop offenders from committing crimes can be used by scholars and practitioners to think of prevention initiatives to reduce opportunities of crime

Repeat and Near Repeat Burglary Victimization in Taiwan

Extensive evidence shows that repeat victimization is common and widespread, but studies on the prevalence of repeat victimization in Asia are limited. This study examines the extent and patterns of repeat and near-repeat burglary victimization in Taiwan using both 2015 Taiwan Area Victimization Survey data and police recorded burglary data. Results indicated that: (1) burglaries against the same household in Taiwan are highly concentrated (with the top 10% most burgled households making up around 30% of reported victimizations), more so than is often found in many Western countries; (2) the risk of (repeat) burglary is not consistently spread over space and time, particularly within the 100-m range of an initial burglary incident; and (3) the levels of near repeat burglaries identified in this study are notably lower than was observed in prior studies both in China and in many western countries. The findings highlight the value of developing prevention strategies specifically targeting repeat burglary victimization

Police officers\u27 perceptions of the challenges involved in internet child exploitation investigation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore police officers&rsquo; perceptions of the challenges and work stressors of working in Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) investigation.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were a heterogeneous sample of 32 ICE investigators across nine Australian jurisdictions. Officers&rsquo; perceptions of ICE work were elicited via individual, open-ended, anonymous, telephone interviews, which focused on both the nature and impact of work-related stressors and challenges.FindingsThematic analysis revealed that viewing ICE material was not perceived to be a major stressor or particularly traumatic facet of ICE investigation. Rather, the challenges related to three areas; work relationships, workload and resources and the physical environment. Participants also suggested some improvements to their work environment which could reduce the impact of these challenges.Practical implicationsThe stressors identified by ICE investigators in this study place physical, psychological and social restrictions on investigative capacity. Modifications to the workplace environment that facilitate more effective professional collaboration, reduce workload and enhance investigator efficiency and functionality of the physical work environment would likely reduce the potential for harm associated with ICE investigation and improve ICE investigators&rsquo; capacity to perform their role.Originality/valueThis is the first study to use a broad research framework to examine the full range of stressors that ICE investigators face (both organisational and operational). The findings are important for developing comprehensive theories regarding workplace traumatisation as well as holistic intervention models to assist the prevention and management of stress related to ICE investigation.</div

Sense about science - making sense of crime

Booklet 'Making Sense of Crime' published by registered charity 'Sense About Science'There’s always heated debate about crime in the media and a lot of political argument about how we should respond to it. But these arguments rarely provide insight into what actually causes crime, what lies behind trends over time and in different places, and how best to go about reducing it. Values inform how a society decides to deal with crime. We may decide that rehabilitation is a better principle than punishment, and this will influence how we decide what is most effective. However, we also expect these choices to be disciplined by sound evidence, because if crime policy ignores what works and what doesn’t, there are likely to be bad social consequences. And with over £10bn spent annually on tackling crime through the police, prisons, probation and courts, unless we look at evidence we can’t see how effective any of it is. Crime policy usually has twin aims – to prevent crime, and to seek justice by punishing those who commit offences. Research shows there’s only a loose link, if any, between the way offenders are punished and the number of offences committed. There is no reliable evidence for example, that capital punishment reduces serious crimes as its supporters claim. Yet politicians and commentators regularly claim that more punishments are a way to cut crime. Academic, government and community organisations have all said crime policies need to be based more on evidence, but much of the evidence available at the moment is poor or unclear. Debates about crime rarely reflect how strong the evidence behind opposing policies is, and even when politicians honestly believe they’re following the evidence, they tend to select evidence that supports their political views. This guide looks at some of the key things we do know and why it has been so difficult to make sense of crime policy. An important point throughout is that policymakers sometimes have to make decisions when things are not clear-cut. They have a better chance of making effective policies if they admit to this uncertainty – and conduct robust research to find out more. In the following pages we have shared insights from experts in violent crime, policing, crime science, psychology and the media’s influence on the crime debate. They don’t have all the answers, but we hope they leave you better-placed to hold policymakers and commentators to account and promote a more useful discussion about crime