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Previous research has shown that terror attacks affect a variety of outcomes. However, one outcome that has remained relatively neglected is crime. In the current study we examine the immediate effect of terrorism on crime, and discuss several behavioral mechanisms that might explain this effect.

We use data from 190 Israeli localities over 12 years (1999–2011). Applying a fixed-effects Poisson regression model, we assess the effect of terror attacks on recorded crimes of three types – property, domestic violence, and fraud – on the days following the attack. We also examine whether the effect is conditioned on geographical proximity to the attack.

We find the occurrence of terror attacks has a significant and negative effect on recorded cases of the three crime types. This effect grows stronger as geographical proximity to the attack increases.

Our results suggest that terrorism has an immediate negative effect on crime. This effect might be explained by changes in the behavior of police officers, offenders, and citizens.

The objectives of this study are to (a) identify spatial and temporal crime concentrations, (b) supplement the traditional place-based analysis that defines hot spots based on counted incidents with an analysis of crime severity and (c) add to the research of hot spots with an analysis of offender data.

This study explores crime concentration in mass transit settings, focusing on Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations in 2017–2022. Pareto curves are used to observe the degree of concentration of crime in certain locations using multiple estimates; trajectory analysis is then used to observe crime patterns in the data on both places and offenders.

A total of 16.3% of stations accounted for 50% of recorded incidents. Train stations with high or low crime counts and severity remained as such consistently over time. Additionally, 3.6% of offenders accounted for 50% of incident count, while 5% accounted for 50% of harm. We did not observe differences in the patterns and distributions of crime concentrations when comparing crime counts and harm.

Hot spots and harm spots are synonymous in low-crime-harm environments: high-harm incidents are outliers, and their weight in the average crime severity score is limited. More sensitive severity measures are needed for high-frequenty, low-harm enviornments.

The findings underscore the benefits of integrating offender data in place-based applied research.

The findings provide additional evidence on the utility of place-based criminology and potentially cost-effective interventions.

Intellectual property (IP) theft is an increasing threat that can lead to large financial losses and reputational harm. These attacks are typically noticed only after the IP is stolen, which is usually too late. This paper aims to investigate the psychological profile and the socio-technical events that statistically predict the likelihood of an IP threat.

This paper analyses 86 IP theft cases found in court documents. Two novel analyses are conducted. The research uses LLMs to analyse the personality of these insiders, which is followed by an investigation of the pathways to the attack using behaviour sequence analysis (BSA).

These IP theft insiders scored significantly higher on measures of Machiavellianism compared to the normal population. Socio-technical variables, including IP theft via photographs, travelling overseas, approaching multiple organisations and delivering presentations, were identified. Contrary to previous assumptions that there is a single pathway to an attack, the authors found that multiple, complex pathways lead to an attack (sometimes multiple attacks). This work, therefore, provides a new framework for considering critical pathways to insider attacks.

These findings reveal that IP theft insiders may come across as charming, star employees rather than the stereotype of disgruntled employees. Moreover, organisations’ policies may need to consider that IP theft occurs via non-linear and multiple pathways. This means that sequences of events need to be considered in detecting these attacks instead of anomalies outright. The authors also argue that there may be a case for “continuous evaluation” to detect insider activity.

This paper offers a new framework for understanding and studying insider threats. Instead of a single critical pathway, this work demonstrates the need to consider multiple interconnected pathways. It elucidates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and provides opportunities to reconsider current practices in detection and prevention.

Knife crime and serious violent crime (SVC) among youth has been growing at an alarming rate in the UK (Harding and Allen, 2021). Community and school-based intervention and prevention services to tackle knife crime are being developed with some evaluation; however, these are independent and of varied quality and rigour. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to record the approaches being developed and synthesise existing evidence of the impact and effectiveness of programmes to reduce knife crime. In addition, the complex factors contributing to knife crime and SVC are discussed.

A systematic approach was used to conduct this knife crime intervention evidence review using two search engines and four databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to ensure focus and relevance. The results of searches and decisions by the research team were recorded at each stage using Preferred Reporting Items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA).

Some evidence underpins the development of services to reduce knife crime. Much of the evidence comes from government funded project reports, intervention and prevention services reports, with few studies evaluating the efficacy of intervention programmes at present. Some studies that measured immediate impact in line with the programme’s aims were found and demonstrated positive results.

This systematic review specifically synthesised the evidence and data derived from knife crime and weapon carrying interventions and preventions, integrating both grey and published literature, with a novel discussion that highlights the importance of outcome evaluations and issues with measuring the success of individual level interventions and their contributions to the overall reduction of violence.

This paper aims to evaluate how five Operation Soteria Bluestone (OSB) participating forces integrated principles of procedural justice and proactive disruption of offending into their investigations, specifically during the closing stages of a case when considering exit strategy and longer-term prevention.

A mixed-methods approach was taken, including 32 semi-structured interviews with officers and 59 case reviews of recent rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). Data analysis methods included qualitative thematic analysis of interviews, while data from reviewed case logs was extracted and analysed using a bespoke case review tool.

Increased workloads, preparation of evidence and relational/communication difficulties with the crown prosecution service (CPS) were identified as barriers to implementing long-term disruption options. Dedicated resourcing, training and support are needed to promote suspect-focused investigative strategy and wider uptake of long-term disruption methods. Early investigative approach was also found to have “snowball” effects on suspect exit strategy, with initial lack of suspect focus and preoccupation with victim credibility, impeding consideration of long-term disruption and safeguarding options. Findings also point to a disparity between promising practice in relation to procedural justice for victims and (a relative lack of) proactive policing of repeat suspects.

The study represents a novel contribution to research on policing RASSO, illustrating the scale and nature of the obstacles to changing how these offences are investigated, even when under intense scrutiny from policy makers. It also highlights how increased organisational investment and support is linked to positive changes in practice in some forces.

This study explores the influence of police coercive actions during Stop, Question, and Frisk (SQF) encounters on citizen complaints of police misconduct in 76 precincts in New York City.

Using data from NYPD's SQF reports, Citizen Complaint Review Board, and demographic measures, the analysis focuses on specific coercive actions (frisk, search, summons, physical force, and arrest) and their association with citizen complaints (excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and offensive language).

Bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed frequent lower-level coercive actions, such as frisks and summons, are linked to increased citizen complaints. Surprisingly, higher levels of coercive actions involving force and arrests do not substantially impact complaints, challenging conventional assumptions.

The research underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and positive police-community relations. Addressing precinct-specific characteristics influencing the relationship between coercive actions and citizen complaints is crucial for fostering a more constructive and accountable policing approach in New York City precincts.

This study challenges assumptions by providing a distinctive perspective on the impact of police coercive actions during SQF encounters on citizen complaints. The unexpected finding that higher levels of coercive actions, typically involving force and arrests, do not substantially impact complaints contributes to the discourse on police-community interactions, offering a nuanced understanding of the relationship between specific coercive actions and citizen complaints.

This study aims to investigate the dynamics of cyberbullying among minority youths, focusing on its increasing prevalence in the digital realm, which does not necessitate technical expertise from the offenders. It explores a shift from conventional bully characteristics to individuals assuming new digital personas, merging traditional criminology with flag theory to analyze violent behavior online, specifically in educational environments, and studying the correlation between low self-control, affiliations with delinquent peers and the likelihood of cyberbullying occurrences.

The research uses structural equation modeling to examine survey data from 237 eleventh-grade students in St. Louis public schools, focusing on the relationships between cyberbullying, low self-control and association with delinquent peers within a comprehensive theoretical framework that includes the flag theory and demographic factors, as well as using multigroup analysis to investigate racial dynamics and confirming indirect effects using bootstrapping techniques.

The research establishes strong connections between low self-control, delinquent peer involvement, and cyberbullying, supporting the flag theory in digital violence contexts, while also showing that low self-control and peer engagement play a mediating role in cyberbullying incidents among minority youth, with racial composition having no significant impact on these dynamics.

The study is restricted by its focus on a particular geographical area, in conjunction with its reliance on self-reported information obtained exclusively from a specific age group. This specificity raises concerns about the applicability of the findings to diverse populations. Furthermore, the study’s dependence on a three-item assessment for cyberbullying, combined with the challenges encountered in achieving complete scalar invariance during multigroup analysis, emphasizes the need for more precise measurement tools and improved methodological frameworks.

This research discloses actionable insights fundamental to the advancement of cyberbullying prevention strategies. The finding that the connection between race and the effects of peer association and self-control on cyberbullying is minimal suggests that these interventions can be generally applied, transcending racial boundaries. Moreover, identifying self-control as a critical intermediary offers fresh avenues for cybercrime research, shifting the conventional focus from established predictors. By zeroing in on peer influence as a fundamental element, this study provides innovative angles to bolster the understanding of digital violence mitigation in educational settings.

This research emphasizes the urgent concern of cyberbullying among minority youths, along with its psychological and academic impacts. By elucidating the interaction between personal traits and social networks, the findings can guide comprehensive strategies aimed at cultivating safer digital spaces and bolstering social wellness within educational frameworks.

This research presents an original and ground-breaking method that combines various theories in criminology specifically in the context of cyberbullying among minority youths. By proposing a new and redefined role for self-control, which is not seen as the common main predictor but rather as a crucial mediator, this study provides fresh insights into the dynamics of cyber aggression. Through the detailed examination of the flag theory framework, the study uncovers the complex reciprocal relationship between self-control and peer engagement, revealing previously overlooked mechanisms in a broader landscape of digital violence.

The purpose of this paper is to integrate general strain theory and procedural justice in the context of research misconduct in university settings.

Drawing on media accounts and past research, the authors present data on the financial costs of research misconduct to universities and identify graduate school processes as a possible source of strain may lead to misconduct. Relevant research on procedural justice in organizational settings is also examined.

The available literature suggests that the use of procedurally just practices will help reduce strain, and in doing so, potentially prevent research misconduct in university settings. The authors present an integrated theoretical model that can be tested in future empirical studies of research misconduct and other forms of white-collar crime in universities. Directions for future theoretically informed research are discussed, along with recommendations for graduate program administrators.

Research misconduct causes significant financial and reputational costs to universities. While past research focuses on mentoring and training for preventing misconduct by graduate students, this study argues that the use of fair evaluations and other procedurally just processes is also important.

This paper applies novel techniques from the field of operations management to examine the allocation of patrol and investigative personnel to identify which is most effective in improving police performance around homicide clearance.

A panel sample of homicide clearance rates from the 100 largest US cities between 2000 and 2013 were analyzed in two steps: first, a random-effects regression model was performed to locate influential factors; second, optimum analysis was applied to locate the optimal values that yield maximal homicide clearance.

Both patrol and investigative personnel levels have a significant impact on homicide clearance. Maximal clearance can be achieved by allocating departmental personnel to investigative roles.

Given recent trends around “defunding” police and public sector austerity measures, future research should continue to explore the utility of optimum analysis for efficient allocation of policing personnel.

This study provides proof of concept for the use of optimum analysis in policing research.

Information security (InfoSec) policy violations are of great concern to all organisations worldwide, especially in the financial industry. Although the importance of InfoSec policy has been highlighted for many decades, InfoSec breaches still occur due to a low level of employee compliance and a lack of engagement and competence in high-level management. However, previous studies have primarily investigated the behavioural aspects of InfoSec policy compliance at the individual level rather than the managerial factors involved in constructing InfoSec policy and developing its effectiveness. Thus, drawing on neo-institutional theory and a transformational leadership framework, this research investigated the influence of external mechanisms and transformational leadership on InfoSec policy effectiveness.

The research model was implemented using field survey data from professional managers in the financial sector.

The results reported that neo-institutional mechanisms and transformational leadership shape InfoSec policy effectiveness in an organisation.

This study broadens current InfoSec policy research from an individual level to a managerial perspective and enhances the existing literature on neo-institutional and transformational leadership in the context of InfoSec. It highlights the need to evaluate InfoSec policy based on external factors and to support transformational leadership styles that promote InfoSec policy enforcement and effectiveness.