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Objective: This study sought to investigate the correlation between community methamphetamine use, gauged by overdose mortality rates, and incidence of violent crime. Method: We carried out a descriptive, cross-sectional analysis of county-level data from multiple public sources, involving all 3147 US counties. Methamphetamine overdose rates for the year 2019 were derived from CDC WONDER, while violent crime rates were collected from NIBRS. Results: Our data set contained 522 counties with complete information, largely metro (92.72%). Overdose data was suppressed for 2625 counties—697 (26.55%) metro, and 1928 (73.45%) non-metro, hence multiple imputation was utilized for comprehensive results. The analysis showed significant correlations between methamphetamine overdose and all violent crime, and specifically robbery (F = 5.55, P =.005 and F = 47.60, P <.001, respectively). Conclusion: Our study suggests that communities with higher methamphetamine overdoses likely face increased rates of crime, specifically robbery, which could impact costs associated with law enforcement, prosecution, and healthcare. The study offers valuable insights for law enforcement and policymakers, and underlines the need for further research to fully understand the dynamics of methamphetamine use and violence at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The relationship between schizophrenia and violence is heterogeneous and complex. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics and the potential risk factors for violence crime in patients with schizophrenia. Methodology: We conducted a retrospective case-control study at the Judicial Psychiatric Identification Unit of Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2016. The case group included violent offenders diagnosed with schizophrenia, while the control group comprised non-violent individuals with the same diagnosis. Results: There were 308 individuals in the violent group [subdivided into the homicide group (n = 155) and the intentional injury group (n = 153)] and 139 individuals in the non-violent group. A risk model showed that a history of violence (odds ratio (OR) = 2.88, 95% CI [1.79–4.64]), persecutory delusions (OR = 2.57, 95% CI [1.63–4.06]), regular treatment in the previous four weeks (OR = 0.29, 95% CI [0.16–0.51]) and insight (OR = 0.30, 95% CI [0.14-0.62]) were independently associated with violence. Conclusion: This study provided useful clinical information to identify risk factors for violence and develop better strategic programs to manage violence in patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of economic inequality in recent decades, dollar stores have flourished in the United States. Although the media has increasingly portrayed dollar stores as violent crime magnets, limited academic research has examined their impact on nearby crime. This study employed a difference-in-differences approach to investigate the impact of dollar stores on localized violent crime patterns in Chicago. Results showed a significant increase in violent crimes, especially robberies, in nearby areas relative to the control areas, following the opening of dollar stores. There were no signs of spatial crime displacement. Moreover, after the closing of dollar stores, the levels of violent crime in nearby areas relative to the control areas returned to those of the prestore opening period, regardless of the type of crime. This study also explored how the impact of dollar store openings on nearby crime rates evolves over time and varies according to the surrounding context of the store's location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial relationship between violent crime and alcohol outlets is well documented. Yet, it is unclear whether on- or off-premises alcohol outlets have greater effects on violent crime and whether this varies by interpersonal crimes and off-premises outlet subtype. This study addresses this gap by using both Routine Activities and Social Disorganization Theories. Using census block groups (n = 1,126) in the Bronx, NY, spatial access methods were used to measure violent crimes from 2018 to 2020 (n = 28,587) and alcohol outlets from 2020 (n = 1,984). Social disorganization measures consisting of various socioeconomic factors and accessibility factors were included. Five models were estimated using a Spatial Lag regression model. A positive direct, indirect, and total effect was observed for liquor, grocery, and drug stores on total violent crime exposure, but on-premise alcohol outlets was not related. Specific types of off-premises alcohol outlets were associated with various violent crimes, with liquor and grocery stores consistently related across all models. On-premises alcohol outlets were not associated with violent crime with the exception of assaults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to uncover gender-specific relationships and pathways that contribute to the perpetration of violent crimes, using sophisticated analytical tools to analyze the complex interactions between various factors. Employing Mixed Graphical Models and Bayesian networks, the study analyzes a sample of 1,254 prisoners (61.64% males and 38.36% females) to investigate the relationships among demographic factors, mental health issues, and violent crime. The study utilizes comprehensive measures, including the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, to assess participants' mental health status. Key findings reveal significant gender differences in the pathways to violent crime. For males, incomplete parental marriages strongly correlate with criminal behavior severity, while marriage status emerges as a significant factor, with married males less likely to commit violent crimes. In contrast, these relationships are not significant for females. Bayesian network analysis indicates that living in urban areas differently influences education and emotional expression across genders, emphasizing the importance of contextual factors. The study highlights the need for gender-specific considerations in criminal justice policies and interventions. It underscores the complex interplay of demographic and mental health factors in influencing violent crime pathways, providing insights for developing more effective prevention strategies. Despite its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data, the research significantly contributes to understanding the gendered dimensions of criminal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial body of research has documented the consequences of rapid population growth for crime, but most of this literature focused on population growth in major cities during the first half of the twentieth century or on boomtown growth in rural areas since the 1970s. The findings of both literatures helped to identify important correlates and consequences of rapid population growth, but neither body of research engages with suburban areas in which approximately half of the United States population currently live. The current study examines the relationship of rapid population growth with levels of violent and property crime in one of the fastest growing suburban areas in the United States, Frisco Texas. The results indicate rapid population growth was not associated with changes in crime at the city level, but neighborhood level analyses suggest crime may became more concentrated in certain areas. Longitudinal regression analyses also reveal that many commonly assessed correlates of crime may operate differently in suburban areas than do in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seriously injured persons with pre-existing psychiatric conditions or those injured due to violent crimes represent a particularly vulnerable treatment group. Methods: All patients with injuries from suicidal attempts (PSAs) or patients with injuries from violent offenses (PVOs) that presented to the university emergency room of a Level 1 trauma center in Germany between 1 January 2017 and 31 November 2022 were retrospectively investigated. Results: It can be seen that PVOs were significantly younger compared to PSAs (p = 0.03). Total hospital stay was significantly longer for PSAs compared to PVOs (p < 0.001). PSAs were also significantly more severely injured than PVOs (p < 0.001). Our study was able to show a significant difference between both patient groups in the region of injury (p < 0.001). PSAs had a significantly more extensive psychiatric history than PVOs (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Injuries from suicide attempts and violent offenses are a serious and growing public health problem, but one that can be addressed through timely, evidence-based, and often cost-effective interventions. It requires early interaction among multiple disciplines and a standardized approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies that provide economic support, such as the earned income tax credit (EITC), improve peoples' ability to meet their basic needs and reduce stress, which can reduce violence perpetration. Refundable state-level EITCs have been associated with decreases in multiple forms of violence (e.g., child abuse and neglect); however, it is unknown whether there is an association between the EITC and violent crime as captured by Uniform Crime Reports. Crime and violence remain a pressing concern for many communities across the nation. Using a longitudinal data set, we conducted fixed-effects regression models with year and state specified as fixed effects, to determine whether variations in generosity of state-level EITCs are related to the rate of violent crime. After adjusting for demographic covariates, refundable state-level EITCs remained significantly associated with reductions in criminal homicide compared to states without an EITC. As many states attempt to combat crime and prevent violence in their communities, anti-poverty measures such as the EITC provide a promising strategy for reducing the social and economic costs associated with violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Background The fields of public policy and criminological research continue to debate the influence of firearm regulatory policies on violent crime rates. Policies regarding the ownership and use of firearms vary between countries, with looser rules in certain countries. A fundamental question arises regarding how much these firearm regulatory policies have an impact on the level of criminal violence in society. Purpose. Using panel data, this research examines the impact of firearm regulatory policies on levels of criminal violence. Strict policies on firearms can reduce violence in society, that's the main goal of the research. This research also examines additional factors that may influence the relationship between firearms policy and violent crime. Method. This research method uses panel data analysis, this panel data includes information on firearms regulatory policies, violent crime rates, and other control variables from a number of countries or regions during the same time period. Regression analysis is used to evaluate how these variables relate to each other. Results. The results of the research from the results of the regression analysis show that a decrease in the level of violent crime in society is significantly related to the implementation of stricter firearm regulatory policies. Additionally, it has been proven that control variables such as education level, population density, and unemployment rate have a significant impact on violent crime rates. Conclusion. Thus, the results of this study show how important it is to implement strict firearms regulatory policies in efforts to combat violent crime. This research provides strong evidence that firearm regulatory policies can serve as an effective way to reduce levels of violence in society, although it is still necessary to consider other variables that may influence levels of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of televised international sporting events (e.g., FIFA World Cup or Summer Olympics) on crime in Jamaica. We use a fixed effects model that compares, within each police division, the level of crime that occurs during these international sporting events to the rate of crime on similar days when these events are not occurring. We found that on days when the FIFA World Cup matches are held, there is a reduction in the number of murders (23.3%), shootings (20%), break-ins (19.4%), and robberies (11.7%), relative to the average number of each incident. We found no evidence of crime displacement, as these crimes also reduced during nonmatch periods during the FIFA World Cup. On the other hand, our results suggest that the international events that are less popular in Jamaica (the World Athletics Championship, the Summer Olympics, and the Winter Olympics) had a minimal impact on crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both police shootings and violent crime remain high in the United States of America compared to other developed nations but debates continue about whether race, mental health or other social factors are related to them. Aims: Our aim was to test relationships between community factors indicative of socio‐economic status, racial demographics, police shootings, and violent crime. Methods: Data on police shootings, violent crime and community sociodemographic factors were drawn from two publicly accessible datasets: health and police records of 100 US municipalities and relationships between them explored using regression analyses. Results: Data were from the 100 largest US municipalities as designated by the mapping police violence database. The median per capital violent crime rate was 5.94 and median killings by police per 10 thousand arrests was 13.7. Violent crime was found to be related mainly to income inequality and lower academic achievement in the community. Race was unrelated to violent crime after controlling for other factors. Police shootings were found to be related to community level mental health concerns, food insecurity and the municipality's violent crime rate. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that socio‐economic factors are the primary drivers of both violent crime perpetration and police shootings. Policy approaches aimed at improving education and reducing poverty are likely to mitigate both violent crime and police shootings. However, it is important to recognise that being Black is an indicator of particular disadvantage within this context. This underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that address the systemic issues of racial disparities and socio‐economic inequality, while also acknowledging the complex interplay of race, poverty and policing in the context of violent crime and police shootings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homicide statistics are often used as an indicator for violent crime more generally. In this work, we evaluate the empirical support for this convention in a Western European context, specifically the Netherlands. Using data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and from the Dutch Homicide Monitor, we compare homicide rates to rates of other violent crimes between 2010 and 2020. Results show that homicide and violent crimes are related in a general sense, but it is difficult to say what those relationships look like concretely. In other words, there is an empirical relationship between homicide and the overarching concept of violent crime, but relationships between homicide and individual violent crimes vary considerably. Based on these findings, we advise that researchers tread carefully when using homicide as an indicator of violent crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent crime cases which include, robbery, rape, and homicide are terribly on the rise, and the role of security in combating this menace cannot be overemphasized. This research presents a security device that aims at fighting violent crimes using voice recognition technology. The work also tends to solve the issue of network downtime when the user is out of reach for help in time of attack. In this work, a voice processing unit which comprises the condenser microphone, an amplifier, a shift register, and a timer was designed. The processing unit circuit was incorporated into microcontrollers which create Human-Device interaction and the GSM communication unit which is made up of two GSM modules. The two microcontrollers used in the design are PIC18F4520 and PIC16F873A. The microcontrollers were programmed with C++ using the MPLAB IDE software and the circuit simulation was done using Proteus Design Suite version 8. The result shows that the appropriate authority receives SMS whenever the pre-recorded code is mentioned. The result also shows that during network downtime, the second GSM module sends an SMS to the appropriate authority. Evaluating the performance of this work, it was observed that the device works best in a calm area compared to a noisy area. This work is designed to work in domestic areas like homes, offices, malls, and mainly areas free from so much noise. Therefore, this work has successfully reduced the crime rate in emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crime index can be a practical tool that helps countries track violence and crime trends in different areas at different time periods. Developing a violence index for countries with limited experience and resources like Thailand can be a daunting task as the process requires defining the scope, determining the definitions and selecting indicators based on the availability of databases. While many developed countries have widely adopted crime severity indexes employing various methodologies, developing countries continue to struggle with the process of developing a practical index for crime and violence to help assess and monitor trends. Serving as a pilot project, the Thailand violent crime severity index (TVCI) includes violence categories based on legal criteria. A legal approach is also adopted in determining the severity of the crimes to ensure objectivity. The primary objective of this study is to propose a process for constructing a crime severity index that would be applicable to Thailand and other developing countries by adapting violence and crime severity index models from more developed nations as a new strategy for the prevention of violent crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) face an elevated risk of criminal convictions compared to those without ADHD. However, understanding this link involves considering sex differences, coexisting psychiatric conditions, and unmeasured familial factors. This study aimed to explore the connection between ADHD and criminal convictions (both violent and non‐violent) in males and females, while also assessing the impact of comorbid psychiatric disorders and familial factors. Methods: Using Swedish national registers, we identified individuals born between 1986 and 1997 (635,391 males and 600,548 females). ADHD was defined through clinical diagnosis and prescribed medications, while criminal convictions were determined based on Swedish lower court records. Unmeasured familial factors were accounted for using a sibling design approach. Results: Findings revealed that individuals with ADHD had a notably higher absolute and relative risk of both violent and non‐violent criminal convictions compared to those without ADHD. While criminal convictions were more frequent among males with ADHD, females with ADHD exhibited higher relative risks (HR violent 10.50, non‐violent 4.04) than their male counterparts (HR violent 6.03, non‐violent 3.57). Additionally, lower socioeconomic status (SES) in individuals with ADHD was associated with increased relative risks for criminal convictions compared to individuals with ADHD who had higher SES. Adjusting for childhood and internalizing psychiatric disorders partially attenuated these associations, while substance use disorders (SUD) substantially attenuated them. SUD also contributed to an elevated absolute risk of criminal convictions in both male and female individuals with ADHD. Accounting for unmeasured shared familial factors slightly reduced the estimates, but the association between ADHD and criminal convictions persisted. Conclusion: In conclusion, ADHD remains a potent independent risk factor for criminal convictions, with varying effects based on gender. This underscores the importance of tailored crime prevention strategies and early interventions for individuals with ADHD, especially when comorbid SUD is present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We attempted to apply the Bayesian shared component spatial modeling (SCSM) for the identification of hotspots from two (offenders and offenses) instead of one (offenders or offenses) variables and developed three risk surfaces for (1) common or shared by both offenders and offenses; (2) specific to offenders, and (3) specific to offenses. Methods: We applied SCSM to examine the joint spatial distributions of juvenile delinquents (offenders) and violent crime (offenses) in the York Region of the Greater Toronto Area at the dissemination area level. The spatial autocorrelation, overdispersion, and latent covariates were adjusted by spatially structured and unstructured random effect terms in the model. We mapped the posterior means of the estimated shared and specific risks for identifying the three risk surfaces and types of hotspots. Results: Results suggest that about 50% and 25% of the relative risks of juvenile delinquents and violent crimes, respectively, could be explained by the shared component of offenders and offenses. The spatially structured terms attributed to 48% and 24% of total variations of the delinquents and violent crimes, respectively. Contrastingly, the unstructured random covariates influenced 3% of total variations of the juvenile delinquents and 51% for violent crimes. Conclusions: The Bayesian SCSM presented in this study identifies shared and specific hotspots of juvenile delinquents and violent crime. The method can be applied to other kinds of offenders and offenses and provide new insights into the clusters of high risks that are due to both offenders and offenses or due to offenders or offenses only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Firearm violence is a major cause of death and injury in the United States. Tracking the movement of firearms from legal purchase to use in crimes can help inform prevention of firearm injuries and deaths. The last state-wide studies analyzing crime gun recoveries used data from over 20 years ago; thus, an update is needed. Methods: We used data for 5,247,348 handgun and 2,868,713 long gun transactions and law enforcement recoveries from California crime gun recovery (2010–2021) and California's Dealer Records of Sales records. Covariates included characteristics of dealership sales, firearms and their transactions, and purchaser's demographic characteristics, purchasing history, criminal history (from firearm purchaser criminal history records), and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Analyses for handguns and long guns was conducted separately. In multivariable analysis, we included correlates into a Cox proportional hazard model accounting for left truncation and clustering between the same firearm, purchaser, dealerships, and geographic location. Covariates that remained significant (P < 0.05) were retained. For handguns, we evaluated associations of violent and weapons crimes separately. In supplementary analyses, we examined interactions by purchasers' race and ethnicity. Results: In total, 38,441 handguns (0.80%) and 6,806 long guns (0.24%) were recovered in crimes. A firearm dealer's sales volume, percent of transactions that were denials, pawns, pawn redemptions, and firearms that became crime guns were each positively associated with firearm recovery in crime. Handguns that were inexpensive, larger caliber, and that had been reported lost or stolen were positively associated with recovery in crimes. Purchaser characteristics associated with crime gun recovery included: being younger, female, Black, Hispanic, Native American or Pacific Islander, or other race/ethnicity (vs white), having previous arrests, living in close proximity to the firearm dealership, and living in a more socially vulnerable census tract. Associations with race and ethnicity were modified by previous infraction-only arrests. Conclusions: This study confirms that many previously studied correlates of firearm recovery are still relevant today. We were able to expand on previous research by examining novel associations including purchasers' criminal history and previous firearm transaction history. These results provide evidence that can be used to disrupt firearm use in crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its importance for testing criminological theories and informing crime control policy, forecasting crime rates has all but disappeared from criminology. We argue for a resurgence of crime forecasting in the study of crime trends. As an example of the value, as well as the challenges, of forecasting, we engage in a forecasting exercise based on data from New York City. We discuss each of the steps taken to forecast New York's violent and property crime rates to 2024, from preparing the data for reliable analysis, specifying the forecasting model, selecting the forecasting method, and validating the results. The results of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) forecast models show a rise in New York's violent and property crime rates in 2022 and 2023 before flattening in 2024. Renewed attention to forecasting can help to secure the future of the study of crime trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the crime trends literature, there exist several notable studies that have examined the linkages between various economic measures and trends in violent and property crime. This research expands on that literature by examining whether and to what extent racial income gaps are related to changes in city-level crime. Pulling together data from the Uniform Crime Report, U.S. Census, and American Community Survey, this project focuses on homicide and violent crime trends of 73 cities from 2006 to 2020 and changes in city-level racial-ethnic income gaps. This study employs a series of multilevel longitudinal models to measure whether changes in this income gap, whether widening or constricting, are related to changes in rates of violent crime and homicide both within and between cities. Results find that changes in any of the racial-ethnic income gaps tested are not related to trends in violent crime and homicide within or between cities. However, the inclusion of the White-Hispanic income gap and total income gap explained sizable portions of the between-city and within-city rates of violence and homicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the cases of 664 foreign nationals, the majority of whom are migrant workers, under sentence of death across the Gulf states (including Jordan and Lebanon) between 2016 and 2021. The features of these cases suggest that they are inextricably linked to migrant workers' dependency under the kafala system, with examples of migrants duped into smuggling drugs across the border by their migrant broker, and once in country, accounts of violent altercations due to disputes about exit visas, and in the case of migrant domestic workers, self-defence against sexual violence. Engaging with the burgeoning literature on immigration, exploitation and criminalisation, as well as scholarship on capital punishment, this article will explore the multiple and unique layers of dependency fostered by the kafala system that place migrant workers at higher risk of the death penalty in these Gulf jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses on the rise in violent crime among '48 Palestinians (also known as Palestinians with Israeli citizenship). Criminal violence, the authors argue, is inextricably linked to Israeli settler colonialism. It is the product of decades of colonization, land dispossession, and social, economic, and political exclusion, and it must be understood to lie at the intersection of settler colonialism and racial capitalism. The authors posit that violent crime not only works in the service of settler-colonial interests but is, in itself, a modality of settler-colonial violence—part of the racial eliminatory logic of settler colonialism. They assert that the Israeli settler-colonial state is the source of the crime crisis in '48 Palestinian communities, a form of violence that is an integral part of Israel's war on Palestinians. The solution, accordingly, lies not in calls for state intervention or more policing, but in the broader project of decolonization and the dismantlement of Israeli settler colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Middle East Journal of Legal & Jurisprudence Studies / Mağallaẗ al-Šarq al-Awsaṭ li-l-ʿulūm al-Qānūniyyaẗ wa-al-Fiqhiyyaẗ is the property of Manar Elsharq for Studies & Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has focused on victims, with minimal attention given to perpetrators of violent crimes who might subsequently develop offense-specific PTSD from their own offenses. Its prevalence and associations are not well-established. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, 10 databases were searched to identify studies examining offense-specific PTSD in perpetrators of violent crimes. Fourteen unique studies were identified across prison, forensic hospital, and community settings. Sample sizes ranged from 19 to 339, with 8 studies assessed to be of at least adequate quality. Prevalence rates of offense-specific PTSD ranged from 1.5% to 76.6%, with 8 studies identifying a prevalence of 33.3% or greater. Associations with offense-specific PTSD were examined by 8 studies, with PTSD from prior trauma and post-offense guilt and shame the most-studied. Post-offense guilt and shame was consistently associated with offense-specific PTSD. Other associates included alexithymia, co-morbid anxiety and depression, certain personality subtypes, and intentional perpetration. Offense-specific PTSD is present in a significant proportion of perpetrators of violent crimes. More research of higher quality is required on this condition and its associations. Increased recognition of offense-specific PTSD and viewing perpetrators of violent crimes as potentially-affected persons could guide clinicians in forensic settings toward a more trauma-informed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, the Los Angeles Police Department has experimented with a unique model of community-oriented policing called the Community Safety Partnership (CSP). The program places a dedicated set of CSP officers in select housing developments and neighborhoods to engage with residents to better understand and ultimately address the root causes of crime. This study examined the first four waves of the program to assess whether, and the extent to which, the program reduced violent crime. Results reveal significant variation in program effects, with the first wave yielding crime reductions while subsequent waves experienced little to no change in violent crime. Supplemental analyses suggest that the null results for the final three waves of the program were not confounded by increases in crime reporting and reveal that crime reductions following the program's first wave were not achieved through increases in traditional enforcement (e.g., arrests). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prohibiting the purchase and possession of firearms by those at risk of violence is an established approach to preventing firearm violence. Prior studies of legal purchasers have focused on convictions for specific crimes, such as violent misdemeanors and driving under the influence (DUI). We broaden that line of inquiry by investigating and comparing the associations between prior arrests for most categories of crime and subsequent arrest for violent offenses among legal handgun purchasers in California. Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study of 79,678 legal handgun purchasers in California in 2001, we group arrest charges prior to their first purchases in 2001 according to categories defined by the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Handbook. We use a gradient boosting machine to identify categories of offenses that are most important for predicting arrest for violent crime following firearm purchase. For each category identified, we then estimate the difference in risk of subsequent arrest for a violent offense using survival regression models. Results: We identified eight crime categories with high predictive importance: simple assaults, aggravated assaults, vehicle violations, weapon, other crimes, theft, drug abuse, and DUI. Compared to purchasers with no prior arrests, those with a prior arrest for any one of the eight important categories and no other categories were found to be at increased risk of arrest for a Crime Index-listed violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault), with the greatest estimated risk corresponding to the simple assault UCR category (adjusted hazard ratio 4.0; 95% CI 2.8–5.9). Simple assault was also associated with the greatest risk for subsequent arrest for firearm violence (adjusted hazard ratio 4.6; 95% CI 2.4–9.0) and any violent offense (adjusted hazard ratio 3.7; 95% CI 2.7–5.0). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that prior arrests for a broad array of crimes, both violent and non-violent, are associated with risk of subsequent violent crimes, including Crime Index-listed violent crimes and firearm violence, among legal purchasers of firearms. Current policies aimed at restricting access to firearms for individuals at increased risk of violence should be re-examined considering these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redlining and other discriminatory government policies enacted during the first half of the Twentieth Century have had long-lasting negative effects on neighborhoods, especially those inhabited by people of color. This study attempts to link the practice of redlining to current-day indicators of neighborhood concentrated disadvantage and violent crime using spatio-temporal data from Chicago. Specifically, the study seeks to determine whether redlining has been associated with increased levels of concentrated disadvantage since its implementation in the 1930s. In addition, it seeks to determine whether redlining was associated with violent crime, and if that association was mediated by redlining's effect on concentrated disadvantage. The results indicate that redlining was associated with increases in both concentrated disadvantage and violent crime, and that redlining's relationship with violent crime was, indeed, partially mediated by its relationship with concentrated disadvantage. The findings from this study suggest that to reduce violent crime in urban communities, we cannot simply rely on our current punitive criminal justice system. Instead, policies should focus on reducing concentrated disadvantage and racial isolation by helping economically strengthen severely disadvantaged neighborhoods and by increasing residential mobility for individuals currently living in those neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the global increase in crime, many countries and regions have ceased to be safe places to live. The growth of global crime figures leads to the deterioration of humankind's quality of life. This study aims to examine the causality of the total violent crime determinants in Indonesia and Thailand from 1990 to 2019. The data were collected from the Global Economy and the Nasdaq Database. The variables used in this study are the total violent crime, Gross National Income per capita (GNIpc), unemployment rate, social security expenditure, and value of alcoholic beverage consumption. All the variables were converted into a logarithmic form. Both Indonesia and Thailand's total violent crimes contain these wrongdoings: murder, rape, robbery (with firearms and without firearms), which includes gang robbery, and causing bodily injuries. This research has two models as both analyze different countries: Indonesia and Thailand. The empirical tests have proven the variables affecting the model of Indonesia and Thailand in the long run and short run based on the data from 1990-2019. In the long run, total violent crime, the unemployment rate, and alcoholic beverage consumption will affect the model of Indonesia by bringing equilibrium whenever disequilibrium happens. In the short run, the GNIpc has a unidirectional relationship with the Unemployment rate. In Thailand, alcoholic beverage consumption is the only reliant variable which will be self-perpetuated and affect the model in the long run. In the short run, alcoholic beverage consumption will be affected by the Unemployment rate and GNIpc of Thailand. In addition, instead of total violent crime being the dependent variable, it could affect Thailand's social security expenditures in the short run. This study provided a clearer view of the violent crime determinants in Indonesia and Thailand. Moreover, these empirical findings could help in policy-making to curb the worsening social violence in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the use of capital punishment has declined, but in its place, a ‘new death penalty’ has arisen: life without parole (LWOP), which is being used far more frequently and for more crimes than capital punishment ever was. Yet, LWOP has received far less scholarly attention than the death penalty. Because of its greater scale, assessing the effects of LWOP on crime has important policy implications and is a better test of extreme penalties. Existing studies of LWOP focus on humanitarian issues and ignore its potentially reciprocal relationship with crime. Therefore, we use available LWOP data to fill these gaps in the literature, using models specifically designed to control for potential reciprocal effects. The results indicate there is no reciprocal causation between LWOP and violent crime and, at best, LWOP’s impact on crime is small, temporary, and, most importantly, no greater than the impact of life with parole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study is to estimate whether spatial data on place features from OpenStreetMap (OSM) produce results similar to those when employing register data to predict future violent crime in public across three Swedish cities of varying sizes. Using violent crime in public as an outcome, four models for each city are produced using a Risk Terrain Modeling approach. One using spatial data on place features from register data and one from OSM, one model with prior violent crime excluded and one with prior crime included. The results show that several place features are significantly associated with violent crime in public independent of using register or OSM data as input. While models using register data seem to produce more accurate and efficient predictions than OSM data for the two smaller cities, the difference for the largest city is negligible indicating that the models provide similar results. As such, OSM place feature data may be of value when predicting the spatial distribution of future violent crime in public and provide results similar to those when using register data, at least when employed in larger compared to smaller cities. Possibilities, limitations, and avenues for future research when using OSM data in place-based criminological research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In violent crime cases, aggravating factors in United States criminal codes, such as "heinous," "atrocious," or "depraved," are used to distinguish elements of the crime warranting more severe sentencing. These aggravating terms are vaguely defined and applied arbitrarily in violent cases. This paper details the development of a 25 item Depravity Standard to operationalize an evidence-based approach to distinguishing the worst of violent crimes. The items were applied to 393 detailed case files drawn from several American jurisdictions to develop and refine the item definitions, determine interrater reliability, and mine for the frequency of each item's occurrence. This information was combined with 1,590 participant responses ranking the relative depravity of each item to develop a straightforward scoring system for measuring depravity in violent cases. The Depravity Standard guide can seamlessly be applied to identify the worst violent crimes, and provide support for those cases that may deserve leniency or early-release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forensische Psychiatrie, Psychologie, Kriminologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

U.S. citizens believe they can control their destinies at rates higher than any other nation. The U.S. is also a world leader in violent crimes. This article argues for correlations between these two trends. A theory is proposed based on three distinct trajectories related to destiny control. One trajectory involves persons modifying their destiny-control beliefs through turning points in the life course. On another trajectory, persons with low destiny-control beliefs are prone to anxiety/depression. The third track is that of high-rate offenders. Due to such things as attachment traumas, feelings of entitlement, internal/external barriers, and substance abuse they do not often modify their adolescent views that they are in complete control of their destinies. For some this translates into violent crimes. Implications for society and research are raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prisons intersect with violence in multiple ways. In addition to holding people convicted of violent harms while also inflicting violence on those inside (including staff), they enact violence on the basic ability to be human by continually severing the kinds of personal relationships that define what it means to be human, such as through solitary confinement and the severe limitations placed by prisons on personal relationships between prisoners and people on the outside. This article questions the distinction between "violent offenders" and "nonviolent offenders," suggests that the entire criminal legal system itself enacts exorbitant violence, and asks how people leaving prison are supposed to be able to recover their humanity by relearning how to form meaningful and committed relationships, after living for years in a place that denies them that right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a renewed interest in moving back into cities, which are close to business districts and offer affordable and unique housing. However, the available housing is limited and may require renovation as available housing close to the citycenter is often located in more economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Property repairs and upgrading contributes not only to the improvement of individual owners' properties, but the neighborhood overall. This influx of new residents and subsequent investment in housing can impact neighborhood crime, but the majority of the research on housing and crime has focused largely on home mortgage loans. The current study extends the housing investment literature by using an underutilized data source: home improvement and refinance loans, which signal physical improvement in the housing stock. This process may be different for neighborhoods that have a higher prevalence of minority residents as historically these residents have been subjected to inequitable lending practices. The current study examines how revitalization efforts in Cleveland, Ohio have influenced crime rates for the years 2007 through 2017 with special attention paid to the interplay of neighborhood racial composition and home improvement loans. Results from fixed-effects panel analysis reveal that home improvement loans are associated with an increase in property but not violent crime rates overall. Splitting neighborhoods into predominantly Black versus all other neighborhoods, however, results show that higher rates of home improvement loans are associated with lower violent crime rates, but the effect is tempered in Black neighborhoods. This suggests that the relationship between home improvement loans and violent crime is more complicated and varies by neighborhood composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the relationship between violent crime and the expansion of executive power? Whereas the literature on crises and executive power has focused on the centralization of authority resulting from the war on terror, the role played by other forms of crises short of interstate war has been neglected, especially in the developing world. This article argues that public safety crises have enabled executives to expand their power at the expense of other branches of government, levels of government, and protections against government abuse. It does so with examples from Latin America, where violent crime has become an important concern in many countries, highlighting the adoption of states of exception and the militarization of public life as avenues for the expansion of presidential power. It also provides in‐depth, longitudinal evidence from the Mexican case to show the adoption of these measures over time and their consequences for democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the observed and forecasted crime trends in Barcelona, using crime statistics from January 2018 to March 2021. Methods: We trained (seasonal) auto-regressive integrated moving average modelling (95% confidence intervals) using daily recorded crimes from January 2018 to February 2020. These models were then used to forecast crime data from March 2020 to March 2021 across four periods (lockdown, summer, fall and winter). Crime data were organized into two categories: property (burglary, theft) and violent crimes (robbery, assault, domestic violence and sexual offenses [rape, assault or abuse]). Results: Overall, crime levels for property and violent crimes during lockdown declined sharply from the forecasted levels. Theft, burglary, assault, robbery and sexual offenses exhibited general decreases throughout the study period, with the same sharp declines during the lockdown, progressive recovery in the summer, and steady or slight reductions from fall to March 2021. Only domestic violence differed, reaching the forecasted levels for all periods and surpassing the forecast for summer 2020. Conclusions: Our findings show how the pandemic has affected mid-term crime trends. They help to place the measures applied in the last year into context and to determine the most suitable policies to reduce crime during societal change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent crime is on the rise in many American cities and the annual cost to police and the community increases proportionally. Violent crime scenes are similar to the calamity experienced with natural or human-made disasters. Understanding how it could have been prevented, what services were needed, and what remaining gaps still exist in services and resources is critical. The narrative can be shifted by treating violent crime like naturally occurring disasters and applying comprehensive emergency management strategies to prepare, mitigate, respond, and recover from this whole community hazard. This dynamic emergency management-based approach outlines coordination across key agencies and stakeholders, and has the potential to mitigate the impact of violent crime in major urban cities in the United States (US). Using the District of Columbia (DC) as a sample study area, this policy proposal is supported by a qualitative analyses of available data, including from the limited existing literature and from related DC agencies. Findings demonstrate how the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (DCHSEMA), can coordinate response and hold agencies accountable within its current capacity while supporting the interoperability of all related violent crime agencies involved. These findings have both national and international implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following decades of increasing crime rates in the U.S., crime participation declined substantially throughout the 1990s, and have remained low in the 2000s. Using the 1979 and 1997 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we identify the determinants of criminal involvement and antisocial behavior. In the 1980s compared to the 2000s, youth from disadvantaged family backgrounds, those with lower skills, and those in urban areas were more disproportionately represented in crime participation. Our results suggest that most of the decline in crime is related to changes in the socio-economic environment and public policy shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The duration of forensic psychiatric care is in Sweden not determined at the time of sentencing; instead, offenders are regularly evaluated, often with regard to risk of criminal recidivism. The length and justifiability of such a sanction have been greatly debated; however, previous estimates of treatment duration based on datasets delimited to discharged patients--have provided an uncertain groundwork for these deliberations. The aim of this study was to use a more suitable approach to calculate average duration of forensic psychiatric care and to examine the relationship between length of treatment and subsequent recidivism after discharge. Methods: This retrospective cohort study focused on offenders sentenced to forensic psychiatric care in Sweden between 2009 and 2019 and registered in the Swedish National Forensic Psychiatric Register (n = 2064), with a follow-up period until May 2020. We used Kaplan-Meier estimator to calculate and visualize treatment duration including analyses comparing levels of relevant variables, and then evaluated criminal recidivism in patients discharged from treatment between 2009 and 2019 (n = 640), after stratification for the same variables and dichotomization by treatment duration. Results: The median duration of forensic psychiatric care was estimated to 89.7 months (95% CI 83.2-95.8). Treatment was longer in offenders who committed violent crimes, suffered from psychosis, or had a history of substance use disorder, and in offenders whose sentences included special court supervision. The cumulative incidence of recidivism in patients discharged from treatment was estimated to 13.5% at 12 months (95% CI 10.6-16.2) and 19.5% at 24 months (95% CI 16.0-22.8). Corresponding cumulative incidence of violent crime post discharge was 6.3% at 12 months (95% CI 4.3-8.3) and 9.9% at 24 months (95% CI 7.3-12.4). Among other findings, in patients without a history of substance use disorder and patients whose sentences did not include special court supervision, recidivism was significantly higher in those with a shorter treatment duration. Conclusion: Using the entirety of a suitable, contemporary, prospectively enrolled cohort of mentally ill offenders, we were able to estimate--with greater accuracy than previous studies--the average duration of Swedish forensic psychiatric care and rate of subsequent criminal recidivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study uses two cluster detection techniques to identify clusters of violent crime during the 3 months of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Miami-Dade County compared to that during an equivalent period in 2018 and 2019. Methods: Violent crime data from the Miami-Dade Central Records Bureau were analyzed. The Local Indicators of Spatial Association statistics and a space‐time permutation statistic were used to identify clusters of violent crimes and outliers, and Global Moran's I tool was used to assess spatial patterning in violent crime. Neighborhood disadvantage data were obtained from the American Community Survey 5-year estimates linked with arrest locations. Results: Violent crime arrests fell by 7.1% in 2020. Arrests were concentrated in predominantly Black disadvantaged neighborhoods in the northern part, and similar results were produced for core clusters by the two cluster techniques with positive global Moran's I for all study years. Although accounting for only 17% of the county population, nearly half of violent crime arrests were for Black or African American. Males comprised most violent crime arrests. Conclusions: Crime prevention and intervention efforts should be focused on both high-risk places and offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality video and audio recordings of violent crimes, captured using now ubiquitous digital technologies, play an increasingly important role in the administration of justice. However, the effects of exposure to gruesome material presented in this form on criminal justice professionals who analyze, evaluate, and use this potentially traumatic content in the context of their work, are largely unknown. Using long interviews and constructivist grounded theory, this qualitative study sought to explore experiences of exposure to video evidence of violent crime among Canadian criminal justice professionals. Sixteen individuals including police, lawyers, judges, psychiatrists, law clerks, and court reporters volunteered to participate in qualitative long interviews asking about workplace exposures to violent videos. Themes identified address the ubiquity of video evidence of violent crime; proximity to violence through video; being blindsided through lack of preparedness for violent content; repeated exposures through multiple and protracted viewings; insufficient customary methods for self-protection; and the enduring impact of exposure to videoed violence. We determine that criminal justice professionals are increasingly and repeatedly presented with deeply disturbing imagery that was once imperceptible or unknowable and thus previously held at a greater distance. Elements of what is newly visible and audible in video evidence of violent crime create a new emotional proximity to violence that potentially increases the risks of secondary trauma and underscores the need for improved safety measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatian Annual of Criminal Sciences & Practice / Hrvatski Ljetopis za Kaznene Znanosti i Praksu is the property of Hrvatsko Udruzenje za Kaznene Znanosti i Praksu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Neighborhood crime and frequency of police arrest are important indicators for determining neighborhood safety and well-being. Although extant literature has examined crime and neighborhood characteristics and other macro-level determinants, virtually no study has considered the link between neighborhood crime arrest and underage tobacco sales violation (TOB-VIO). This study linked crime arrest data from the Philadelphia Police Department, underage tobacco sales violations from the Philadelphia city database, and sociodemographic/economic data from the Census Bureau to the county shapefile. The principal component analysis (PCA) technique was used to reduce 23 selected variables to four factors: Racial Composition and Neighborhood Disadvantage; Gender Composition; Youth Composition and Poverty; and Ethnic Composition. To account for the effect of spatial dependence in the data, spatial autoregressive and multiscale geographically weighted regression or MGWR techniques were chosen over the nonspatial ordinary least squares regression. Spatial regressions show that crime arrest positively correlates with TOB-VIO and factors from PCA across Philadelphia County. Findings from this study may serve as an area-specific guide for neighborhood policies to improve residents' safety and well-being and intensify enforcement on the underage tobacco sale violation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Violent crime (i.e., homicide, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and rape) continues to be a major public health concern in America. Several studies have linked the availability and density of specific features of the retail food environment, such as convenience stores and liquor stores, to violent crime rates due to the criminal activity that often occurs in and near these retailers. Nevertheless, there continues to be limited understanding of how other features (e.g., grocery stores, supercenters, restaurants, etc.) are associated with violent crime occurrence. This study aimed to fill this gap in knowledge by examining U.S. county-level associations between food retailer availability and violent crime rate.Methods: We analyzed 2014 data on 3108 counties from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Environment Atlas and Department of Justice's Unified Crime Reporting Program. Per capita food retailer measures represented the number of stores per 10,000 county residents. Violent crime rate represented the number of police reported violent crimes per 10,000 county residents. We used spatial lag regression models to assess associations between per capita retailer availability and violent crime rate after adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., % under 18, % Black, % Hispanic, % poverty, population density, etc.). In addition, we examined stratified OLS regression models to evaluate associations by metropolitan county status.Results: Adjusted spatial regression models revealed that greater supercenter availability [β: 2.42; 95% CI: 0.91-3.93; p-value: 0.001] and greater fast food restaurant availability [β: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.18-0.42; p-value: < 0.001] were associated with higher violent crime rate. Greater availability of farmers' markets [β: -0.42; 95% CI: -0.77 - - 0.07); p-value: 0.02] was associated with lower violent crime rate. Associations varied between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Stratified OLS models revealed that greater grocery store availability was associated with lower violent crime rate among metropolitan counties only. Greater fast food restaurant availability was associated with lower violent crime rate among non-metropolitan counties only.Conclusions: Certain features of the retail food environment appear to be associated with county-level violent crime rates in America. These findings highlight the need for additional research on the influence of food retail and food landscape on violent crime occurrence at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the research into the history of women’s crime has examined the manner in which gender, class and race intersect to influence the perception of female defendants by juries and judges. However, trials may also be influenced by the use and interpretation of legal institutions and rules. This article, which examines the effect of co-accused status on the trials of women accused of murder in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western Australia, finds that women could be disadvantaged when tried with a co accused. The co-accused status of the defendant, combined with issues of gender, race and class, may have influenced the jury’s perception of female defendants. This article examines the cases of Margaret Cody and Bridget Hurford, little known but significant murder trials in Western Australian history, and that of Martha Rendell. It argues that these women were judged, by both society and the jury, on association of guilt and on gendered assumptions of femininity, rather than the evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Understanding the social contexts of violent crime remains controversial in the literature. In the current study, we examine common social contexts in four cities (Houston, TX, Baltimore, MD, Jackson, MS, Wilmington, DE). Data were examined in two studies. In the first, each city was compared to national county-level data on health outcomes. In the second, communities within the four cities were examined for correlates of crime. Results suggest that some common social contexts emerge: high STD rates, air pollution, single-parent homes, insufficient food resources and sleep, residential segregation, housing cost burdens, comparatively few older adults and comparatively more females, were common among the four high-violence cities. By contrast, all four cities unexpectedly had uncommonly low suicide rates compared to the national average. At the community level, unemployment, community stress, median household income, and population density all correlated with criminal outcomes. High-violence cities tended to have higher proportions of Black residents, however community level evaluations suggested that class-related issues, not race per se, was correlated with violent crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzes the statistically significant differences that exist between Blacks and Whites living in Atlanta via their social, economic, educational, and housing characteristics during COVID. Hypothesis tests confirmed what visual scatterplots and correlations inferred. The statistics overwhelmingly substantiate that all six of the important quality of life metrics viewed in this study are more favorable towards predominately White neighborhoods, as opposed to predominately Black neighborhoods. In particular, neighborhoods with a super majority of White residents tended to have higher life expectancies at the times of their births, sustained lower violent crime rates, held higher median household incomes, had a smaller percentage of its children living below the poverty level, had higher percentages of residents with at least a high school diploma, and maintained more occupied housing units, when compared to neighborhoods with a super majority of Black residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is abundant research on crime contributors but not the cost of crime to society. In this article, we fill the gap in the literature by studying how crime affects government entities, specifically, their credit worthiness. Issues with crime may shift government expenditures away from education, welfare, and other crucial areas to law enforcement and may necessitate higher overall expenditures. Crime may also create a risk to investment, negatively affect economic development, contribute to higher poverty and unemployment rates, and to racial injustice. All these may damage credit ratings. Methods: Because of the ordinal nature of the dependent variable (credit ratings), models are estimated by ordered probit. Results: The findings in this article demonstrate that cities with higher violent (but not property) crime have consistently lower credit ratings. Policing expenses are also negatively correlated with credit ratings, although the association is only marginally significant. Conclusions: Our goal in this article was to further the literature and discussion on how cities can better recognize the facets of improving or declining credit ratings. We found that violent crime has a visible impact on the perceptions of credit risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]