Elliot, Dely Lazarte

Higher Education Research & Development

English

Dely Lazarte Elliot

Crossref

International students and crime

Enlighten

     Elliot, D. L. (2017) International students and crime by Helen Forbes‐Mewett, Jude McCulloch and Chris Nyland. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(5), pp. 1089-1091. (doi:10.1080/07294360.2017.1316245) [Book Review]  This is the author’s final accepted version.  There may be differences between this version and the published version. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from it.     http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/138251/            Deposited on:  14 March 2017             Enlighten – Research publications by members of the University of Glasgow http://eprints.gla.ac.uk Book	  Review:	  International	  students	  and	  crime	  by	  Helen	  Forbes-­‐Mewett,	  Jude	  McCulloch	  and	  Chris	  Nyland,	  Houndmills:	  Palgrave	  MacMillan,	  2015,	  312pp.,	  $US100.00	  (paperback)	  ISBN	  978-­‐1-­‐349-­‐44209-­‐6	  	  With	  the	  ongoing	  strategic	  significance	  of	  internationalisation	  and	  its	  increasingly	  diverse	  manifestations	  globally,	  it	  is	  not	  surprising	  that	  ‘safe	  study	  destination’	  has	  become	  an	  increasingly	  important	  consideration	  for	  students	  who	  embark	  on	  an	  educational	  sojourn.	  Crime’s	  potential	  impact	  is	  paramount	  to	  the	  lives	  of	  international	  students,	  host	  citizens	  and	  host	  institutions,	  but	  it	  can	  likewise	  trigger	  a	  ripple	  effect	  on	  the	  bilateral	  relationships	  between	  students’	  host	  and	  home	  countries,	  possibly	  impacting	  the	  wider	  international	  education	  industry.	  This	  makes	  understanding	  the	  notion	  of	  crime	  and	  security	  both	  crucial	  and	  timely.	  	  Despite	  this	  importance,	  a	  multi-­‐database	  search	  from	  January	  1935	  to	  December	  2016	  of	  vast	  databases	  in	  education,	  psychology	  and	  sociology	  using	  key	  words	  ‘international	  students’	  ‘overseas	  students’	  and	  ‘study	  abroad’	  and	  ‘crime’	  yielded	  very	  few	  records,	  i.e.	  29,	  2	  and	  10	  respectively,	  from	  approximately	  3.3	  million	  full	  text	  peer-­‐reviewed	  publications	  contained	  in	  about	  2,000	  journals.	  By	  contrast,	  if	  the	  search	  term	  ‘international	  students’	  is	  not	  combined	  with	  ‘crime,	  the	  search	  shows	  almost	  6,000	  publications.	  This	  small	  number	  could	  be	  attributed	  to	  international	  students	  generally	  reporting	  feeling	  safe	  in	  the	  host	  country.	  This	  view	  is	  affirmed	  in	  this	  book,	  stating	  that	  ‘most	  students	  do	  not	  become	  victims	  of	  crime	  and	  very	  few	  are	  perpetrators’	  (p.	  280).	  Nonetheless,	  a	  profound	  understanding	  of	  contributory	  factors	  to	  criminal	  incidents	  is	  arguably	  a	  helpful	  strategy	  for	  avoiding	  and	  reducing	  crime	  in	  this	  age	  of	  dynamic	  global	  education.	  This	  book	  “International	  students	  and	  crime”	  seeks	  to	  address	  the	  dearth	  of	  qualitative	  research	  in	  this	  area,	  providing	  evidence-­‐based,	  authoritative	  and	  comprehensive	  insights	  into	  a	  theme	  of	  global	  significance.	  	  	   The	  authors	  outline	  in-­‐depth	  and	  large-­‐scale	  comparative	  research	  undertaken	  in	  the	  American,	  British	  and	  Australian	  contexts	  –	  countries	  that	  attract	  a	  huge	  proportion	  of	  international	  students.	  They	  have	  articulated	  and	  exemplified	  the	  complex	  intersection	  arising	  from	  the	  cultural	  transition	  experiences	  of	  international	  students,	  combined	  with	  policies,	  laws	  and	  regulations	  set	  in	  a	  distinct	  historical	  and	  political	  setting,	  with	  its	  own	  societal	  customs	  and	  practices	  and	  added	  local	  factors	  such	  as	  social	  and	  economic	  marginalisation	  and	  racism.	  They	  broadly	  shape	  the	  challenges,	  support	  structures	  and	  security	  measures	  that	  create	  safe	  environments	  for	  both	  international	  and	  domestic	  students.	  Linked	  to	  this	  notion	  of	  creating	  a	  safe	  study	  destination	  is	  the	  underpinning	  view	  of	  the	  vulnerability	  of	  both	  international	  and	  domestic	  students.	  Since	  students	  in	  the	  UK	  and	  the	  US	  customarily	  study	  away	  from	  home,	  it	  has	  been	  recognised,	  that	  students’	  unfamiliarity	  with	  the	  local	  conditions	  mean	  that	  they	  are	  at	  a	  greater	  risk	  and	  therefore,	  additional	  support	  services	  are	  justified.	  Support	  services	  such	  as	  safe	  on-­‐campus	  accommodation,	  specific	  laws,	  particularly,	  the	  ‘Clery	  Act’	  in	  the	  US,	  and	  even	  specialist	  police	  that	  are	  intended	  to	  increase	  safety	  in	  educational	  environments,	  tend	  to	  benefit	  domestic	  and	  international	  students	  alike.	  	  	  A	  notable,	  inherent	  strength	  of	  the	  book	  is	  the	  wide-­‐ranging	  scope	  of	  the	  substantive	  research	  findings	  generated	  by	  interviews	  with	  150	  participants	  from	  the	  three	  countries	  considered	  the	  main	  providers	  of	  international	  education.	  It	  covers	  topics	  from	  international	  students,	  as	  either	  victims	  or	  perpetrators	  of	  crime,	  to	  the	  exposition	  of	  different	  categories	  of	  crime	  (e.g.	  serious	  and	  violent,	  non-­‐violent,	  gendered,	  organised).	  It	  then	  proceeds	  in	  addressing	  the	  idea	  of	  promoting	  student	  safety	  and	  raising	  the	  crucial	  question	  of	  who	  is	  responsible	  for	  the	  safety	  of	  international	  students	  in	  their	  host	  country.	  Overall,	  the	  discussion	  is	  rich	  and	  varied	  –	  from	  descriptions	  of	  petty	  crimes	  such	  as	  library	  thefts	  to	  serious	  ones	  that	  may	  also	  involve	  gambling,	  robbery,	  domestic	  violence,	  sexual	  crimes,	  fraud,	  cyber	  crimes,	  terrorism	  and	  murder.	  Some	  crimes	  are	  fuelled	  by	  drugs,	  drunkenness,	  racism	  or	  broader	  social	  problems	  in	  the	  area.	  The	  book	  also	  includes	  in	  the	  discussion	  ‘under-­‐recognised’	  and	  ‘underreported’	  type	  of	  crimes	  with	  associated	  contributory	  factors	  depending	  on	  the	  above-­‐mentioned	  categories	  (e.g.	  gendered).	  The	  rich	  anecdotal	  stories	  not	  only	  make	  these	  incidents	  a	  real	  eye-­‐opener	  but	  also	  make	  the	  book	  an	  interesting	  read.	  Since	  the	  chief	  purpose	  of	  international	  students’	  sojourn	  is	  to	  pursue	  education,	  it	  is	  somewhat	  surprising	  not	  to	  see	  any	  mention	  of	  serious	  disciplinary	  offences	  (e.g.	  plagiarism,	  essay-­‐buying,	  ghost-­‐writing	  or	  other	  serious	  academic	  related	  offences)	  that	  jeopardise	  academic	  integrity.	  Plagiarism	  is	  ‘theft	  of	  ideas’,	  after	  all.	  Students	  who	  buy	  bespoke	  essays	  or	  dissertation	  services	  and	  then	  present	  them	  as	  their	  own	  work	  are	  also	  engaging	  in	  ‘contract	  cheating’,	  although	  such	  services	  are	  illegal	  only	  in	  certain	  countries.	  	  Interestingly,	  part	  of	  understanding	  international	  students’	  vulnerability	  or	  propensity	  to	  become	  either	  victims	  or	  perpetrators	  of	  crime	  is	  recognised	  as	  being	  underpinned	  by	  the	  cultural	  transition	  that	  is	  part	  of	  the	  sojourn.	  The	  competing	  influence	  of	  old	  and	  new	  societal	  setting	  can	  pose	  a	  dilemma,	  at	  times	  leading	  to	  a	  misinterpretation	  about	  what	  constitutes	  a	  crime;	  what	  is	  considered	  ‘normal’,	  appropriate	  and	  acceptable	  as	  opposed	  to	  exploitation.	  As	  found	  by	  the	  authors	  in	  their	  research,	  the	  notion	  of	  crime	  is	  influenced	  by	  the	  students’	  original	  societal	  conception	  in	  their	  country	  of	  origin	  of	  what	  crime	  is	  and	  what	  it	  is	  not,	  which	  is	  not	  necessarily	  the	  same	  as	  how	  crime	  is	  conceptualised	  in	  the	  host	  country.	  A	  comment	  from	  a	  police	  officer	  in	  Australia	  (p.	  47)	  is	  also	  typical	  of	  both	  the	  US	  and	  the	  UK:	  	  I	  think	  international	  students	  …	  base	  their	  understanding	  of	  crime	  on	  their	  own	  country	  and	  what	  is	  right	  and	  what’s	  wrong	  within	  their	  own	  country	  and	  their	  own	  culture.	  [This]	  creates	  a	  difficulty	  because	  what	  might	  be	  acceptable	  in	  one	  country	  might	  not	  be	  acceptable	  in	  another	  country.	  	  As	  in	  academic	  acculturation,	  there	  is	  a	  strong	  argument	  for	  the	  necessity	  for	  international	  students	  to	  broaden	  their	  knowledge	  and	  understanding	  through	  careful	  negotiation	  of	  their	  own	  and	  the	  host	  cultures	  (see	  Elliot	  et	  al.,	  2016;	  He,	  2002;	  Sawir	  et	  al.,	  2008	  for	  example)	  as	  a	  strategic	  move	  to	  avoid	  falling	  into	  crime	  –	  either	  as	  a	  victim	  or	  a	  perpetrator.	  The	  abrupt	  loss	  of	  normal	  social	  support	  systems	  leading	  to	  a	  sudden	  new	  burst	  of	  freedom	  could	  mean	  less	  attention	  paid	  to	  the	  students’	  moral	  compass	  in	  the	  absence	  of	  parents	  or	  guardians.	  Compounded	  with	  a	  lack	  of	  knowledge	  of	  the	  local	  community,	  customs	  or	  the	  protection	  available	  in	  the	  new	  environments,	  it	  can	  easily	  lead	  to	  momentary	  naivety	  and	  negligence,	  increasing	  their	  vulnerability	  and	  subsequently,	  endangering	  their	  personal	  safety.	  Some	  international	  students	  also	  tend	  to	  hold	  the	  view	  that	  ‘only	  serious	  crime	  was	  viewed	  as	  crime	  and	  many	  petty	  crimes	  were	  not’	  (p.	  67).	  This	  can	  have	  great	  implications	  for	  how	  they	  live	  and	  interact	  with	  other	  students	  and	  people	  from	  the	  host	  country.	  Further,	  lifestyles,	  misdirected	  trust	  due	  to	  general	  inexperience	  in	  life	  and	  naivety,	  misconception	  of	  safety,	  a	  trusting	  nature	  and	  easily	  letting	  their	  guard	  down,	  culturally	  ‘learned’	  appropriate	  responses	  to	  incidents	  (including	  nicety	  and	  non-­‐reporting)	  do	  not	  merely	  serve	  as	  the	  source	  but	  they	  can	  equally	  exacerbate	  crime-­‐related	  experiences.	  At	  times,	  compounded	  by	  socioeconomic	  and	  mental	  health	  explanations,	  a	  small	  number	  of	  international	  students	  resort	  to	  theft,	  fraud	  or	  domestic	  violence.	  Even	  in	  these	  circumstances,	  an	  American	  student	  advisor	  asserted	  that	  ‘the	  greatest	  influence	  on	  international	  students	  being	  perpetrators	  of	  crime	  was	  cultural	  misunderstanding’	  (p.	  73).	  Given	  their	  distinct	  circumstances,	  it	  is	  not	  surprising	  that	  international	  students	  can	  easily	  become	  ‘simultaneously	  vulnerable	  as	  both	  victims	  and	  perpetrators	  of	  crime’	  (p.	  89).	  	   The	  book	  also	  considers	  ways	  by	  which	  risks	  and	  crime	  affecting	  international	  students	  can	  be	  avoided	  and	  reduced,	  with	  the	  emphasis	  on	  improved	  social	  infrastructures	  and	  legislation.	  The	  possibility	  of	  matching	  students’	  study	  destinations	  and	  their	  level	  of	  support	  provision	  with	  incoming	  international	  students’	  experience	  of	  being	  away	  from	  family	  support	  or	  country	  of	  origin	  was	  also	  suggested.	  Whereas	  this	  might	  be	  a	  logical	  suggestion,	  the	  difficulty	  of	  putting	  this	  into	  practice	  is	  likely	  to	  entail	  an	  extra	  level	  of	  scrutiny	  of	  the	  applicants,	  possibly	  implemented	  by	  the	  respective	  institutions.	  In	  a	  climate	  of	  stiff	  competition	  in	  recruiting	  international	  students,	  the	  chances	  of	  universities	  refusing	  potential	  international	  students	  who	  are	  perceived	  to	  be	  unlikely	  to	  cope	  in	  their	  new	  university	  settings	  would	  be	  very	  unlikely.	  After	  weighing	  all	  the	  present	  evidence	  and	  differences	  of	  opinion	  presented,	  there	  is	  a	  consensus	  ‘that	  international	  students	  were	  perceived	  to	  be	  more	  frequently	  victims	  of	  crime	  than	  domestic	  students’	  (p.	  67).	  I	  concur	  with	  the	  shared	  view	  of	  both	  the	  authors	  and	  many	  of	  the	  research	  participants,	  i.e.	  support	  for	  safety	  should	  be	  a	  collective	  effort	  involving	  the	  institutions,	  governments,	  police	  and	  parents,	  starting	  with	  the	  international	  students	  themselves!	  	  	   	  	   	  References	  Elliot,	  Dely	  Lazarte,	  Reid,	  Kate,	  and	  Baumfield,	  Vivienne.	  2016.	  Beyond	  the	  amusement,	  puzzlement	  and	  challenges:	  An	  enquiry	  into	  international	  students'	  academic	  acculturation.	  	  Studies	  in	  Higher	  Education	  41	  (12):2198-­‐2217.	  doi:	  10.1080/03075079.2015.1029903.	  He,	  Ming	  Fang.	  2002.	  A	  narrative	  inquiry	  of	  cross-­‐cultural	  lives:	  lives	  in	  Canada.	  	  Journal	  of	  Curriculum	  Studies	  34	  (3):323-­‐342.	  doi:	  10.1080/00220270110108178.	  Sawir,	  Erlenawati,	  Marginson,	  Simon,	  Deumert,	  Ana,	  Nyland,	  Chris,	  and	  Ramia,	  Gaby.	  2008.	  Loneliness	  and	  international	  students:	  An	  Australian	  study.	  Journal	  of	  Studies	  in	  International	  Education,	  12(2):	  148-­‐180.	  doi:	  10.1177/1028315307299699	  	  	  	  	   Dely	  Lazarte	  Elliot	  School	  of	  Education,	  University	  of	  Glasgow	  	  St	  Andrew’s	  Building,	  11	  Eldon	  Street,	  Glasgow	  	  G3	  6NH,	  Scotland,	  United	  Kingdom	  Dely.Elliot@glasgow.ac.uk	  	  	  

International students and crime by Helen Forbes­‐Mewett, Jude McCulloch and Chris Nyland

http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/138251/7/138251.pdf

International students and crime by Helen Forbes‐Mewett, Jude McCulloch and Chris Nyland

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International students and crime by Helen Forbes­‐Mewett, Jude McCulloch and Chris Nyland

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International students and crime by Helen Forbes‐Mewett, Jude McCulloch and Chris Nyland