Innovative data collection methods in criminological research: editorial introduction

Novel technologies, such as GPS, the Internet and virtual environments are not only rapidly becoming an increasingly influential part of our daily lives, they also have tremendous potential for improving our understanding of where, when and why crime occurs. In addition to these technologies, several innovative research methods, such as neuropsychological measurements and time-space budgets, have emerged in recent years. While often highly accessible and relevant for crime research, these technologies and methods are currently underutilized by criminologists who still tend to rely on traditional data-collection methods, such as systematic observation and surveys. The contributions in this special issue of Crime Science explore the potential of several innovative research methods and novel technologies for crime research to acquaint criminologists with these methods so that they can apply them in their own research. Each contribution deals with a specific technology or method, gives an overview and reviews the relevant literature. In addition, each article provides useful suggestions about new ways in which the technology or method can be applied in future research. The technologies describe software and hardware that is widely available to the consumer (e.g. GPS technology) and that sometimes can even be used free of charge (e.g., Google Street View). We hope this special issue, which has its origins in a recent initiative of the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) called CRIME Lab, and a collaborative workshop together with the Research consortium Crime, Criminology and Criminal Policy of Ghent University, will inspire researchers to start using innovative methods and novel technologies in their own research

Looking back from the future:Perspective taking in virtual reality increases future self-continuity

In the current study, we tested a novel perspective-taking exercise aimed at increasing the connection participants felt toward their future self, i.e., future self-continuity. Participants role-played as their successful future self and answered questions about what it feels like to become their future and the path to get there. The exercise was also conducted in a virtual reality environment and in vivo to investigate the possible added value of the virtual environment with respect to improved focus, perspective-taking, and effectiveness for participants with less imagination. Results show that the perspective taking exercise in virtual reality substantially increased all four domains of future self-continuity, i.e., connectedness, similarity, vividness, and liking, while the in vivo equivalent increased only liking and vividness. Although connectedness and similarity were directionally, but not significantly different between the virtual and in vivo environments, neither the focus, perspective taking, or individual differences in imagination could explain this difference—which suggests a small, but non-significant, placebo effect of the virtual reality environment. However, lower baseline vividness in the in vivo group may explain this difference and suggests preliminary evidence for the dependency of connectedness and similarity domains upon baseline vividness. These findings show that the perspective taking exercise in a VR environment can reliably increase the future self-continuity domains

The Co-development of Friends’ Delinquency with Adolescents’ Delinquency and Short-term Mindsets: The Moderating Role of Co-Offending

The companions in crime hypothesis suggests that co-offending moderates the link between peer delinquency and adolescent delinquency. However, this hypothesis has rarely been investigated longitudinally. Hence, this study investigated the co-development of friends’ delinquency and adolescents’ delinquency, as well as the co-development of friends’ delinquency and short-term mindsets (impulsivity and lack of school future orientation). Whether this co-development is stronger when adolescents engage in co-offending was also investigated. Three data waves with two year lags from an ethnically-diverse adolescent sample (at wave 1: N = 1365; 48.6% female; M$_{age}$ = 13.67; age range = 12.33–15.09 years) in Switzerland were used. The results from parallel process latent growth modeling showed that the co-development between friends’ delinquency and adolescents’ delinquency was stronger when adolescents engaged in co-offending. Thus co-offending likely provides direct access to a setting in which adolescents continue to model the delinquency they learned with their peers

Virtual burglary:exploring the potential of virtual reality to study burglary in action

Objectives: This article explores the potential of virtual reality (VR) to study burglary by measuring user responses on the subjective, physiological, and behavioral levels. Furthermore, it examines the influence of individual dispositions, such as sensation seeking and self-control, on behavior during a virtual burglary event. Methods: Participants, male university undergraduates (N ¼ 77), could freely move around a virtual neighborhood wearing a VR headset and using a game controller and were instructed to burgle one of the houses in the neighborhood. Participant movement, items stolen from the house, and heart rate (HR) were recorded throughout the burglary event. Individual dispositions were measured before, and subjective user responses were measured after, the event. Additionally, we experimentally varied whether there was an alarm sounding and participants’ beliefs about the chance of getting caught (deterrence). Results: Participants reacted subjectively to the burglary event by reporting high levels of presence in the virtual environment (VE) and physiologically by showing increased HRs. In terms of behavior, high deterrence resulted in fewer items being stolen and a shorter burglary. Furthermore, sensation seekers stole more valuable items, while participants high in conscientiousness stole fewer items. Conclusions: The results suggest that VEs have substantial potential for studying criminal behavior

Movilidad social espacial en los asentamientos informales de Buenos Aires

Como na maioria das cidades da América Latina, uma das formas de acesso central à terra e à habitação para os setores populares em Buenos Aires é através da criação de assentamentos informais. Este artigo analisa o desenvolvimento da informalidade urbana, os padrões de mobilidade social e trajetórias residenciais em empreendimentos informais e na Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, durante as últimas décadas. Usando a informação quantitativa (gerada com pesquisas próprias) e as informações qualitativas (obtidas através de entrevistas em profundidade, complementadas pela observação de campo), pretende-se mostrar a existência de uma variedade considerável nas perspectivas e estratégias que os atores usam para construir a posse segura de sua casas. Nesta base, além disso, o texto discute como as políticas públicas e marcos legais constituem não só uma condição para o desenvolvimento da informalidade como um fenômeno, mas até mesmo influenciar a forma e as características adquiridas

Evaluation of a 360°-VR training against ethnic profiling

Voor het professionaliseren van politiecontroles is het van belang dat etnisch profileren bespreekbaar is in politieteams. Door de gevoeligheid van het onderwerp vinden dit soort gesprekken in de praktijk echter nauwelijks plaats. In dit onderzoek wordt daarom getoetst of VR een geschikt middel is om etnisch profileren bespreekbaar te maken onder politieagenten, en hun kennis over het voorkomen ervan te vergroten. Hiertoe is een 360°-VR training ontwikkeld. Iedere deelnemer kan in een virtuele, interactieve omgeving interacteren met burgers en daarin individuele keuzes maken. Na afloop van de ervaring worden de gemaakte keuzes groepsgewijs besproken om op de lesstof te reflecteren en tot nieuwe inzichten te komen. Om te onderzoeken in hoeverre deze VR-training bijdraagt aan kennis en reflectie , is een experiment opgezet waarin de resultaten van deelnemers aan de VR-methode vergeleken met die van deelnemers die hetzelfde cursusmateriaal aangeboden hebben gekregen op een smartphone (de 2D-groep), en een situatie waarin geen trainingsmateriaal werd aangeboden (de controlegroep).De bovengenoemde resultaten suggereren dat trainingen met 360⁰-films in het algemeen, in het bijzonder wanneer deze worden aangeboden met VR (d.w.z., de “360°-VR training”), effectief bij kunnen dragen aan kennis en reflectie omtrent etnisch profileren. Meer specifiek kan geconcludeerd worden dat:•360°-VR trainingen, meer dan dezelfde training in 2D via smartphones, bijdragen aan kennis over (het voorkomen van) etnisch profileren (onderzoeksvraag 1);•360°-VR trainingen, meer dan dezelfde training in 2D via smartphones, bijdragen aan een positieve(re) houding/attitude in relatie tot het onderwerp etnisch profileren (onderzoeksvraag 2);•Zowel 360°-VR trainingen als dezelfde training in 2D via smartphones bijdragen aan een verbeterde dialoog (onderzoeksvraag 3)Ten slotte is gebleken dat wat betreft presence - een eigenschap die van groot belang is voor het effectief overbrengen van trainingsmateriaal – en engagement de 360°-VR trainingen het best beoordeeld werden; hetzelfde was het geval voor het plezier dat de deelnemers ervoeren in de simulatie.<br/

The Co-development of Friends’ Delinquency with Adolescents’ Delinquency and Short-term Mindsets: The Moderating Role of Co-Offending

Abstract: The companions in crime hypothesis suggests that co-offending moderates the link between peer delinquency and adolescent delinquency. However, this hypothesis has rarely been investigated longitudinally. Hence, this study investigated the co-development of friends’ delinquency and adolescents’ delinquency, as well as the co-development of friends’ delinquency and short-term mindsets (impulsivity and lack of school future orientation). Whether this co-development is stronger when adolescents engage in co-offending was also investigated. Three data waves with two year lags from an ethnically-diverse adolescent sample (at wave 1: N = 1365; 48.6% female; Mage = 13.67; age range = 12.33–15.09 years) in Switzerland were used. The results from parallel process latent growth modeling showed that the co-development between friends’ delinquency and adolescents’ delinquency was stronger when adolescents engaged in co-offending. Thus co-offending likely provides direct access to a setting in which adolescents continue to model the delinquency they learned with their peers