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This paper provides empirical evidence that individuals substantially revise their stated wealth redistribution preferences after fiscal scandals. The 2016 Panama Papers scandal revealed top-income tax evasion behaviour simultaneously worldwide. The empirical investigation exploits this event as a quasi-natural experiment. I rely on two original datasets, a UK household longitudinal dataset and a survey conducted in 22 European countries. I use a difference-in-differences strategy and find that pro-redistribution statements increased between 2% and 3.3% after the scandal. Responses are heterogeneous and larger for right-wing individuals and low-income individuals. This change in wealth redistribution preferences is likely to have been translated into a slight change in votes. The results suggest an increase in stated voting intentions for the left and a decrease for the right. Complementary estimations reveal that more media coverage and more individuals involved by country increase the magnitude of the response., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The Model International Criminal Court (MICC) was launched in 2005 and has been pushing boundaries of non-formal education. Topics such as crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide were adapted to a methodology and pedagogy suitable for high school students. This non-formal education project has also sparked successful spin-off educational programs such as the Model International Criminal Court Western Balkans (MICC WeB). This paper engages with the subject of teaching about sexual violence within the context of educating youth about crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide through exploring teachers' and students' reaction to these topics within the MICC educational program context. It also explores history teachers' readiness and critical pedagogy ability to use the MICC educational materials related to sexual violence in their history education curricula within the official educational systems in various countries throughout Europe.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to paint a general picture of the asset confiscation regimes used in Europe and to outline potential challenges, practical and related to issues of principle, associated with the current development with regard to the confiscation of the proceeds of crime and criminals' proceeds. Design/methodology/approach: The paper endeavours to analyse the various steps of the confiscation process, and the various approaches to the confiscation of proceeds of crime and criminals' proceeds from a holistic perspective. The findings of the paper are based on a literature review along with a legal analysis of the existent legal frameworks. Findings: It is suggested that the efficiency of asset confiscation should be looked at from a holistic perspective involving the entire confiscation process, and not only focus on the confiscation powers awarded to the courts. Challenges relating to efficiency exist along the entire process, from the stage of financial investigations to the enforcement stage. Some of the methods used for confiscating criminal proceeds are becoming very far-reaching and raise concerns related to basic principles of criminal law and criminal procedural law. Research limitations/implications: This paper is not based on empirical research relating to, for example, the efficiency of confiscation. More empirical research would, however, be welcome in this field. Practical implications: The paper suggests that the efficiency of asset confiscation is contingent on the entire confiscation chain functioning efficiently. Before new and more repressive measures are introduced, the existing legal framework should be fully deployed and the concrete needs for new tools clearly delineated. Originality/value: The paper analyses confiscation with a view to the entire chain rather than merely looking at a particular confiscation scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European legal framework is not devoid of norms that are directly or indirectly applicable to facial recognition technology for identification purposes within law enforcement. However, these various norms, which have different targets and are from multiple sources, create a kind of legal patchwork that could undermine the lawful use of this technology in criminal investigations. This paper advocates the creation of a specific law on the use of facial recognition technology for identification in law enforcement, based on existing regulations, to specifically address the pressing issues arising in this domain. The ultimate aim is to allow its use under certain conditions and to protect the rights of the people involved, but also to provide law enforcement authorities with the necessary tools to combat serious crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there was almost always a war going on somewhere on the planet, Europe has known relatively peaceful times, since the end of the World War II. All this period, in Europe, we have mainly seen crime (in its different shapes) as a main menace to societal prosperity. However, a war has the potential to produce considerably more profound effects. This is why it seems important to analyse the relation between crime and war, to see how these two factors interact, to see if they influence each other, and, if possible, to find out if there are common traits in addressing both issues. This paper analyses the relation between crime and war, starting from the observation that both crime and war have a deep impact on societies. In our quest, we will take into account different perspectives on crime and war. As regards crime and, at a larger scale, organised crime, often fighting against them has been deemed as a true war, and this adds a new dimension to the nexus between crime and war. We will analyse as well if there is a variation in the type and number of certain crimes in times of war. Overall, in this paper we will try to clarify some aspects regarding the nexus between crime and war, as a clear image on their relation is extremely important in order to identify some methods which can be used to prevent or, at least, to mitigate the effects of these two seriously impairing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the problem of non-recognition of civil confiscation orders in Europe. Despite the breakthrough in international cooperation in the freezing and confiscation of crime proceeds in the criminal law domain, the formal approach in some European states destroys the potential of one of the most advanced instruments against crime proceeds—civil confiscation orders. The study offers a comparative analysis of the concepts of the confiscation of crime proceeds within and outside the frameworks of criminal proceedings. The analysis serves as the basis for the discussion of whether there is reasonable ground for the formal distinction between these concepts. The author concludes that the formal elimination of the civil confiscation orders has no substantial background. The analysis of both extended powers of confiscation in the criminal law domain in Europe and the Lithuanian Law on Civil Confiscation in the light of principles of proportionality and fair proceedings shows that civil confiscation regimes outside the framework of criminal proceedings may provide adequate safeguards to those provided in the confiscation regimes within criminal proceedings. The paper contributes to the discussion that is relevant to any European state that considers enacting or amending the civil confiscation legal framework or the legal regulation on recognising and executing crime proceeds confiscation orders. The paper elaborates on the approach that could enhance cooperation among European states in the prevention of organised crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Annals of Criminology is the property of Cambridge University Press 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.)

The number of outlaw bikers is growing globally. Despite this, little research exists on these groups and their alleged violent tendencies. To address this, the current paper uses unique data to examine whether gang violence causes outlaw biker violence. The period examined runs from mid-2008 until early 2012 during which violent clashes occurred between outlaw bikers and street gang members involved in an alleged conflict in Copenhagen, Denmark. A precise description of each individual act of violence would make it possible to identify whether specific acts were carried out in furtherance of the alleged conflict. This would allow one to determine whether outlaw bikers commit violence on behalf of their club. However, such knowledge is unavailable. The paper therefore takes a different approach by examining whether acts of violence committed by the two groups are statistically associated. In other words, it considers whether one or more acts can be described as retaliatory during the observation periods. The sample consists of 640 individuals involved with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or with non-biker street gangs–both of which are present in Copenhagen. Statistical models are used to predict 143 violent events committed by 196 outlaw bikers. The results suggest that violence committed by gang members predicts violence committed by outlaw bikers. This indicates that violent acts committed by outlaw bikers are at least partly a form of retaliation carried out on behalf of their club. The paper expands the literature on the kinds of inter-group, micro-level processes that can lead to reciprocal violence by including outlaw bikers in a literature that has previously focused on non-biker street gangs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal enterprise and social embeddedness theories have highlighted the importance of market forces and social factors, respectively, for analyzing organized crime and organized criminal activities. This paper empirically demonstrates the joint explanatory power of these respective theories in the case of the transnational trafficking of cocaine. It does so by conceptualizing transnational cocaine trafficking as a network of relationships among countries; a network whose structure reflects the actions of manifold organized criminal groups. The analysis utilizes exponential random graph models to analyze quantitative data on cocaine trafficking which are ordinarily difficult to capture in empirical research. The analysis presented focuses on a set of 36 European countries. The results yield insights into the nature of the relationship among economic incentives, social ties, geographic features and corruption, and how, in turn, this relationship influences the structure of the transnational cocaine network and the modi operandi of cocaine traffickers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research undertaken as part of the EU funded EPPIC project, this paper aims to update and elaborate on the relationship between drug use and offending behaviours by exploring variations within a cross-national sample of drug-experienced young people in touch with criminal justice systems. Adopting a trajectory-based approach, interviews were undertaken with 198 young people aged 15–25 in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and UK). Data were analysed by applying the Bennett and Holloway categorization of the drugs-crime link, with a focus on the concept of social exclusion as developed by Seddon. Three main types of mechanisms (economic, pharmaceutical, and lifestyles) are used to interpret the data, showing how the relationship between drugs and offending can vary according to type of substances and over time. Furthermore, it can be associated with very different degrees of social exclusion and needs. The results suggest that while economic inequalities still play key roles in explaining drug use and offending, both behaviours can originate from a state of relative deprivation, resulting from the contradictions inherent in 'bulimic societies' that raise aspirations and desires while providing young people scarce opportunities for self-realisation and social recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a 12-country study regarding estimates of lost revenue resulting from the illicit trade of cigarettes. It is said that such illicit trade has compromised health protective measures as well as government revenue. Results show that the estimated annual revenue loss to illicit cigarette trade is over three times the budget of the World Health Organization (WHO). Findings also suggest that lost revenue is greater than the investments made by the government to control tobacco.

Other papers in this edition of the European Journal of Criminal Policy and Research use mainly statistics collected through the European Sourcebook on Crime and Justice Statistics but there are many other sources of international statistics collected by different agencies for different purposes. This paper critically examines the main current and planned collections of comparative data within the European community and wider international bodies. Full Web references are given of available questionnaires and publications where these exist. It also discusses the importance of comparative data generally and pitfalls in its interpretation and examines the guidelines published by international bodies to assist with data collection on crime and justice. Finally, the future of comparative data collections is discussed and recommendations are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of mobile phone use across the world has increased greatly over the past two decades. Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) has been studied in relation to public health and comprises various behaviours, including dangerous, prohibited, and dependent use. These types of problematic mobile phone behaviours are typically assessed with the short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ⁻SV). However, to date, no study has ever examined the degree to which the PMPU scale assesses the same construct across different languages. The aims of the present study were to (i) determine an optimal factor structure for the PMPUQ⁻SV among university populations using eight versions of the scale (i.e., French, German, Hungarian, English, Finnish, Italian, Polish, and Spanish); and (ii) simultaneously examine the measurement invariance (MI) of the PMPUQ⁻SV across all languages. The whole study sample comprised 3038 participants. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were extracted from the demographic and PMPUQ-SV items. Individual and multigroup confirmatory factor analyses alongside MI analyses were conducted. Results showed a similar pattern of PMPU across the translated scales. A three-factor model of the PMPUQ-SV fitted the data well and presented with good psychometric properties. Six languages were validated independently, and five were compared via measurement invariance for future cross-cultural comparisons. The present paper contributes to the assessment of problematic mobile phone use because it is the first study to provide a cross-cultural psychometric analysis of the PMPUQ-SV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objectives: This paper focuses on the issue of intimate partner violence and, specifically, on the distribution of femicides over time and the existence of copycat effects. This is the subject of an ongoing debate often triggered by the social alarm following multiple intimate partner homicides (IPHs) occurring in a short span of time. The aim of this research is to study the evolution of IPHs and provide a far-reaching answer by rigorously analyzing and searching for patterns in data on femicides. Methods: The study analyzes an official dataset, provided by the system VioGén of the Secretaría de Estado de Seguridad (Spanish State Secretariat for Security), including all the femicides occurred in Spain in 2007-2017. A statistical methodology to identify temporal interdependencies in count time series is proposed and applied to the dataset. The same methodology can be applied to other contexts. Results: There has been a decreasing trend in the number of femicides per year. No interdependencies among the temporal distribution of femicides are observed. Therefore, according to data, the existence of copycat effect in femicides cannot be claimed. Conclusions: Around 2011 there was a clear change in the average number of femicides which has not picked up. Results allow for an informed answer to the debate on copycat effect in Spanish femicides. The planning of femicides prevention activities should not be a reaction to a perceived increase in their occurrence. As a copycat effect is not detected in the studied time period, there is no evidence supporting the need to censor media reports on femicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationships between space, ethnic identity and anti-state violence in twentieth century London. It will do so by comparing the Spitalfields violence of 1906 and the Brixton unrest of 1981. The association of physical metropolitan space with 'difference' in the Edwardian East End and post-consensus South London, and how this 'othering' was influenced both by the state and the anti-migrant far right will be analysed. The paper will then dissect relationships between the police and working class Jewish and Caribbean communities, and how these deteriorating relationships exploded into extreme violence in 1906 and 1981. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides the description and the analysis of some key aspects of the reception of European TV crime narratives in order to show how the circulation of popular narratives across the continent might provide instrumental for the deepening of European cultural integration. This document focuses in particular on the research conducted on the reception of TV series, one of the most successful and influential form of contemporary popular culture. By analysing the reception of European TV crime series, the research described in this report took into consideration three interrelated questions: 1. How can we study the way in which readers and viewers make sense of European popular narratives? 2. How do TV crime narratives European contribute to the viewers’ perception of their belonging to a European community? 3. What are the differences and similarities in the reception of the works in different areas, countries and regions? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European judicial cooperation in criminal matters has its origins under Title VI as part of the Third Pillar (JHA) of the Treaty on European Union, signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht. Nevertheless, there have been important amendments to this Treaty and to the contents of the Justice and Home Affairs policy through the Treaty of Amsterdam and the Treaty of Nice (the latter in force since last February), such as, for example, the introduction of the European Prosecutors Cooperation Unit ('Eurojust'). This brief study is concerned with these innovations as well as some legal instruments in the field of criminal judicial cooperation, in particular extradition, mutual recognition of judicial decisions, mutual assistance in criminal matters and the European arrest warrant which are considered as the most relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation in criminal cases, as an alternative means to settle disputes, should apply to rather large categories of crimes, which leads to making more efficient and better managed criminal proceedings and allows the justice to focus attention toward complex and higher difficult cases. This instrument enjoys lot of attention at international level, through the adaptation of an UN resolution, of some recommendations by the Council of Europe of some decisions by the European Union. Thus, the Framework Decision of the EU Council of March 15th 2001 on the standing of victims in criminal proceedings burden Member States to promote the mediation in criminal proceedings for offences which it considers appropriate for this type of measure. The paper presents the efforts made for the implementation of this system in European countries, through the adoption to that purpose of a series of criminal rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My objectives in this paper are to try and identify the range of challenges that now confront critical criminologists who work in, and are attentive to, the "new Europe" whose construction was so clearly signalled by the Maastricht Treaty (the Treaty on European Union) of 1993. I want to concentrate here on two issues -- firstly, the challenge of situating the work of criminology in relation to the process of political union (and enlargement) of the European Union, and, secondly, the articulation of an agenda of work for critical criminology, that derives, from an understanding of this broader context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to synthesize the factors associated with nurse emigration from lower and middle‐income countries. Design: Integrative review. Methods: An in‐depth search of registries and five databases yielded 9466 records. Using the PRISMA guidelines, 11 were chosen after screening by two authors independently. The mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) was used to assess the risk of bias. Results: The destination countries were Europe and North America, with an inclination for nurse migration of 14.3%–85%. Emigration factors were poor salary, working conditions, poor quality healthcare infrastructure; outdated healthcare technologies, lack of employment opportunities, younger age, relationship status (single), living environment, social pressure, urban residence, work experience, insecurity, high crime rates, political corruption and foreign language skills. Public Contribution: Healthcare authorities and nursing leaders must implement practical measures to minimize nurse emigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open data promotes transparency and accountability as everyone can analyse it. Law enforcement and the judiciary are increasingly making data available, to increase trust and confidence in the criminal justice system. Due to privacy legislation, judicial open data — like court judgements — in Europe is usually anonymized. And even if the court judgement has been made public, the rest of the case file is usually not published. Therefore, the question arises to what extent criminological research into sentencing can make use of anonymized open data. We answer this question based on a case study in which we use the open data of the Dutch criminal justice system that is available on https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Uitspraken. Over the period 2015–2020, we analysed sentencing in 25,366 court judgements and investigated the relationship between sentence severity and the offender's use of advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The most important results are, firstly, that offenders who use advanced ICT are sentenced to longer custodial sentences compared to other offenders. Secondly, sentencing research with open data is found to be feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While waste is increasingly viewed as a resource to be globally traded, increased regulatory control on waste across Europe has created the conditions where waste crime now operates alongside a legitimate waste sector. Waste crime,is an environmental crime and a form of white-collar crime, which exploits the physical characteristics of waste, the complexity of the collection and downstream infrastructure, and the market opportunities for profit. This paper highlights some of the factors which make the waste sector vulnerable to waste crime. These factors include new legislation and its weak regulatory enforcement, the economics of waste treatment, where legal and safe treatment of waste can be more expensive than illegal operations, the complexity of the waste sector and the different actors who can have some involvement, directly or indirectly, in the movement of illegal wastes, and finally that waste can be hidden or disguised and creates an opportunity for illegal businesses to operate alongside legitimate waste operators. The study also considers waste crime from the perspective of particular waste streams that are often associated with illegal shipment or through illegal treatment and disposal. For each, the nature of the crime which occurs is shown to differ, but for each, vulnerabilities to waste crime are evident. The paper also describes some approaches which can be adopted by regulators and those involved in developing new legislation for identifying where opportunities for waste crime occurs and how to prevent it.

The paper aims to investigate the factors that influence or spurs criminal activities in Greece given its economic circumstances for the time period 1991-2010. Data were collected by international databases and published reports of the Greek Ministry of Order and were employed under statistical analysis. First, six independent variables (economic and demographic) were included in the research and it was investigated which affect the aggregate criminality. Results denote that the unemployment rate considerably affects the overall criminality. Moreover, criminality is sufficiently affected by the level of the average monthly wage and the level of population. The second point was the appointment of the factors that affect specific type-crimes. The assumption that recession would be reflected to a rise of criminality was not confirmed. Thieveries/burglaries and robberies (including robberies in banks) were not associated to any factor under study. Homicides, frauds, rapes, forgery, beggary, sexual assault, property rights crimes and illegal antiquities dealing, were not found to be associated to any economic factor. Only the crime of blackmails was found strongly associated with the level of the average monthly wages ( p = 0.005). Finally, animals' theft was associated to the amount of the general population and smuggling was found to be negatively related to the existing offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public safety is an important factor in both public and private life. Simultaneously it is one of the most regionally diverse sectors, due to historical, cultural, social, legal, and financial differences.Therefore, it is very difficult to compare public safety policies and facilities directly. However, assessment and comparison are crucial factors for defining the best practices and implementing the 'learning-from-the-best' policy, which is important in the process of regional development and globalization. Fortunately some quantitative methods, such as DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) enable this kind of research. DEA allows for analyzing relative effectiveness based on inputs and outputs, without incorporating procedural specifics of public safety. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to perform a regional analysis of the technical effectiveness of public safety systems in European states in 2003 and 2012 by utilizing an optimization method of DEA. Based on the results of this research countries are divided into two groups - effective and ineffective. Countries with effective systems are considered leaders. They present best practices which should be treated as benchmarks for the countries with ineffective systems, i.e. followers. In the research, inputs of the Data Envelopment Analysis consist of human and financial resources, as these are crucial for the functioning of public safety systems. The outputs are transformations of major crime categories. The analysis has been carried out for selected European countries in 2003 and 2012. This analysis indicates that among the countries with effective public safety systems are Finland, Norway, Romania and Poland.The worst technical efficiency could be observed in Belgium, the UK, Estonia, and Italy, which are underperforming and wasting a large proportion of their resources. This research indicates that despite many differences among states' public safety policies, improvement and regional development can be stimulated and achieved by implementing the 'learning-from-the-best' policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the symposium of critical terrorism studies in Europe. It is said that this symposium has emerged as a response to recent developments in the field of terrorism studies. Moreover, the paper discusses the three developments in terrorism studies such as the tremendous growth in terrorism-related research and teaching activities, the growing dissatisfaction with the state of the field and its voluminous output and the increased visibility of coterie of explicitly critical terrorism studies scholars, publications, doctoral research projects and teaching programmes.

In 2005, seven European countries signed the so-called Prüm Treaty to increase transnational collaboration in combating international crime, terrorism and illegal immigration. Three years later, the Treaty was adopted into EU law. EU member countries were now obliged to have systems in place to allow authorities of other member states access to nationally held data on DNA, fingerprints, and vehicles by August 2011. In this paper, we discuss the conditions of possibility for the Prüm network to emerge, and argue that rather than a linear ascent towards technological and political convergence and harmonisation, the (hi)story of Prüm is heterogeneous and halting. This is reflected also in the early stages of implementing the Prüm Decision which has proven to be more challenging than it was hoped by the drivers of the Prüm process. In this sense, the Prüm network sits uncomfortably with success stories of forensic science (many of which served the goal of justifying the expansion of technological and surveillance systems). Instead of telling a story of heroic science, the story of Prüm articulates the European dream: one in which goods, services, and people live and travel freely and securely., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Debatable of the death penalty based on the issues of justice, humanity, and the prevention of the possibility of crime. The reasons for the rejection of the death penalty are not justified in the view of life as well as humanitarian factors and the imposition of capital punishment will not be capable of preventing crime and reducing crime rates. But for those who agree with the imposition of capital punishment because of the sense of justice and peace that is in the community. The portrait is just a glance at the issues that colored the discourse on the pros and cons of the existence of capital punishment. The retentionist and the abolitionist against the death penalty have an argument based on his theoretical framework and norms. Indonesia as one of the countries with the European Continental legal system still applies the death penalty in the punishment system besides Saudi Arabia with qhisash which is applied in the Islamic Law system. Both countries have a legal standing built on the meta norms, their theories, and philosophies each, of course, has its urgency to be discussed in the middle of countries that condemn the existence of capital punishment. Here's an article that analyzes comparative relations to the applications of the death penalty in both countries that embrace different legal systems, this comparative study will contribute thoughts on the reforms of criminal law in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies describe the causal connection between poverty and criminality, but only recently (Phillips and Land, 2012) is a systematic analytical method proposed for US counties. In this paper we present a regression analysis on European data for the 1993-2010 periods trying to identify the relationship between four types of crimes and three different economic indicators. To make the analysis more accurate, trends in variables are also computed and the variation of the residuals are compared. Dummy time series are created with and without the same trend as the explanatory variables to verify the accuracy of the proposed methodology. Following the three step analysis we can conclude that correlation between crimes and economic indicators are not statistically significant. The small number of observed correlations has negative values for some countries between robbery and unemployment and positive for others, which involves a lack of causal relation between the indicators. Thus we conclude that an aggregate analysis of European countries is compromised, due the increased dispersion of the variables. As a result we consider per-country analysis more appropriate. In some particular cases even regional groups of states with the same trend can be established, showing higher values of correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of the "dark figure" for any crime (the number of actual instances of a specific crime committed minus the reported cases of that crime within a population) has primarily rested on the ability to conduct random sample crime surveys. Such surveys are based on the assumption that victims experience crimes that are discrete, time-bound, and of relatively short duration. The crime of enslavement, however, presents a special challenge to estimation because it is of indeterminate duration. This challenge is compounded by the fact that victims of slavery are also often isolated by the stigma linked to sexual assault, or a sense of shame over their enslavement. Using a unique dataset, based in part on the random sample surveys of Julia Pennington et al. (2009), and extended through a process of extrapolation, this paper estimates the numbers of victims of slavery and human trafficking for thirty-seven countries in Europe. These estimated numbers of slavery victims are then compared with reported cases of slavery and trafficking for the same countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on presenting the issue of the so-called penitential crosses, i.e. stone crosses with carved images of implements of crime. The author compares medieval homicide implements with contemporary ones. The result of this examination demonstrates that implements used to commit crimes in Middle Ages did not undergo substantial changes over the centuries, with the medieval sword, knife and battleaxe having been replaced by a modern knife and a hatchet. Penitential crosses are also presented from the historical perspective. The report describes legal and criminological aspects of penitential crosses, referring such aspects to contemporary penal regulations. Furthermore, this paper is illustrated with photographs showing penitential crosses with carvings of crime implements.

The mainstay of the paper is formed by an analysis of the mechanisms that lead to tax aversion, the measurement of tax morale, Switzerland's refusal to cooperate in countering tax evasion, and the moral wrongfulness of tax evasion. The results of the current study converge with prior research on negative correlations between the level of tax morale and the size of the shadow economy, citizen's willingness to pay taxes, and tax morale as a crucial determinant of taxpaying behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for the value of new approaches to policing in the United States and Europe. These new approaches focus upon building police legitimacy among members of the public with the goal of encouraging widespread voluntary compliance with the law, acceptance of police authority and deference to police decisions, as well as a general willingness to cooperate with the police to fight crime. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents the findings of a comparative study that explores the linkages between the use of imprisonment in 30 countries and a range of potentially explanatory factors for variations in this measure of punitivity, including: crime levels; social indicators, such as those measuring investment in welfare programmes and income inequality; trust in other people and trust in political institutions; public fear of crime and public punitivity; and variations in political structure and forms of democracy. The main conclusions are that moderate penal policies have their roots in a consensual and corporatist political culture, in high levels of social trust and political legitimacy, and in a strong welfare state; and that more punitive policies that make more use of imprisonment are to be found in countries where these characteristics are less in evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Crimes of everyday life, often referred to as unfair or unethical practices committed in the marketplace by those who see themselves and are seen as respectable citizens, have burgeoned as a result of the transformations in the European economy in the late 20th century, namely the transition to neo-liberal markets and the emergence of consumer society. A ‘cornucopia of new criminal opportunities’ has given rise to a new range of crimes such as ripping software, making false insurance claims or paying cash on hand to circumvent taxes. These shady behaviours (legal or not) are part of people's experience, albeit they are collectively regarded as morally dubious. Taken collectively, crimes of everyday life are indicators of the moral stage of a particular society and therefore a valuable instrument for social and political analysis. This paper addresses the question of whether and under which conditions feelings of economic hardship trigger crimes of everyday life. A multilevel theoretical and empirical perspective that integrates theories stemming from political science, sociology, and social psychology is adopted. I start by exploring the embeddedness of economic morality in social institutions, followed by an elaboration of the concept of market anomie to account for deviant behaviour in the marketplace, to finally step down to the examination of the correspondence between social attitudes and consumer behaviour, as postulated by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The empirical study relies on micro data from the European Social Survey (ESS) (Round 2) and attempts to model, for each country, a formative measure of crimes of everyday life based on socio-demographic variables and the current economic situation, as it is perceived by the individual (taken as a measure of relative deprivation). The resultant country-specific regression coefficients are mapped onto the broader economic and normative context of 23 European countries. The results reveal that crimes of everyday life are driven by feelings of economic hardship only in countries where normative factors dictate their deviance. In countries where fraudulent behaviour is more generalized, inner motivations to offend play a secondary role as the more privileged consumers are more likely to commit fraud as they interact more often with the market. In turn, normative aspects result from a dynamic interplay of cultural and economic factors. As the economy grows faster, the tendency to offend in the market becomes more visible, but only in countries whose gross domestic product (GDP) stands above the European average. In countries with low GDP, the normative landscape is shaped by cultural factors that seem to obfuscate the power of economic factors favourable to consumer fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the costings of crime often sidestep the issue of what constitutes “crime”. This is problematic both because it fails to render explicit the policy significance of the categories of offences used in the costings exercise and because, within international and comparative contexts, differences between national definitions may give rise to misleading conclusions. In this paper we elaborate on these problems, indicating the possibilities for resolving them, thus facilitating the evaluation of the costs of crime and enabling more reliable interpretations to be placed on such evaluations. After some general observations on legal definitions of crime, we consider in turn the descriptive definitions used in criminal codes and, external to legislation, by the courts and the police. We continue by briefly considering the relevance of prescriptive definitions for crime costings. We then conclude with some indications on how the definition problem may impact on the costings of crime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Criminal Investigation & Criminology / Revija za Kriminalistiko in Kriminologijo is the property of Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia, Police 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.)

Background: Cryptomarkets, or illegal anonymizing online platforms that facilitate drug trade, have been analyzed in a rapidly growing body of research. Previous research has found that, despite increased risks, cryptomarket sellers are often willing to ship illegal drugs internationally. There is little to no information, however, about the extent to which uncertainty and risk related to geographic constraints shapes buyers' behavior and, in turn, the structure of the global online drug trade network. In this paper, we analyze the structure of a complete cryptomarket trade network with a focus on the role of geographic clustering of buyers and sellers.Methods: We use publicly available crawls of the cryptomarket Abraxas, encompassing market transactions between 463 sellers and 3542 buyers of drugs in 2015. We use descriptive social network analysis and Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGM) to analyze the structure of the trade network.Results: The structure of the online drug trade network is primarily shaped by geographical boundaries. Buyers are more likely to buy from multiple sellers within a single country, and avoid buying from sellers in different countries, which leads to strong geographic clustering. The effect is especially strong between continents and weaker for countries within Europe. A small fraction of buyers (10%) account for more than a half of all drug purchases, while most buyers only buy once.Conclusion: Online drug trade networks might still be heavily shaped by offline (geographic) constraints, despite their ability to provide access for end-users to large international supply. Cryptomarkets might be more "localized" and less international than thought before. We discuss potential explanations for such geographical clustering and implications of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the impact of work shifts in contractual arrangements, the relation between criminal justice and family support and the different aspects of mental health.

While previous synthesis research studies have found income inequality to be the most consistent predictor of crime at the cross-national level, recent comparative research studies in Europe have implied that the magnitudes of income inequality-crime association might be different in cross-national studies depending on sample composition. Employing a systematic review and meta-analysis, this study aimed to systematically estimate the strength and variability of income inequality-crime association in Europe across multiple published articles and to investigate the intervening role of regions in this relationship. Additional analyses were conducted to detect the regional differences within Europe using the official secondary data of 36 European countries. Income inequality in Europe had a small impact on crime (Mr =.171, k = 10), indicating that income inequality accounts for only 3% of the variance in crime outcomes. While the income inequality-crime association was significant in Eastern/Northern Europe, income inequality had little or no effect on crime in Western/Southern Europe. The small association between income inequality and crime in Europe may be due to the well-developed welfare system, which helps to buffer the adverse effects of being poor. This study's findings highlight the importance of incorporating geographic characteristics into cross-national research using purposive sampling techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban security has become a pressing political issue in many European cities. This study seeks to understand why some city governments consider urban security to be a policy priority, whereas others do not. Using data from a recent survey of 2674 city mayors in 28 European countries, we test four hypotheses on factors associated with the prioritization of urban security by local politicians. The results show that European mayors' emphasis on urban security as a policy goal varies strongly across countries, as well as across cities within countries. Besides contextual factors related to national political culture, welfare regimes and local autonomy, we find that mayors' preferences on security policy are most strongly associated with political ideology, that is, their self-placement on the left–right spectrum. In addition, crime trends and public opinion about crime play a role. The study demonstrates that there is no convergence of political agendas on urban security issues across European cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article constitutes the first comprehensive review of the EU's export of crime control policies and 'aid to internal security' across regions over the last 15 years. Drawing on both International Relations and criminology, it develops an analytical framework to identify the political rationalities and technologies of crime control that the EU attempts to transfer across the Eastern and Southern (extended) neighbourhoods. By scrutinising 216 projects aimed at combating transnational crime beyond Europe's borders, spanning law enforcement, border security, criminal justice, and the penitentiary sector, the empirical analysis is geared towards detecting and systematising the ways of thinking and doing crime control that the EU seeks to promote and export. Moreover, it investigates the 'action at a distance' whereby it does so. It is argued that in shaping third countries' ability to criminalise, police, indict, convict, and punish, the EU is simultaneously defining its own security actorness, specifically consolidating its role as a 'global crime fighter'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]