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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Human ecology, crime, and crime control: linking individual behavior and aggregate crime.

The paper extends previous research published by Cohen, Machalek, Vila, and others on the evolutionary-ecological paradigm for understanding criminal behavior. After reviewing literature related to human ecology and crime, the paper focuses on elements relevant to human ecology-biology, development, and ecological factors--and their role in criminal behavior. Major emphasis is placed on the linkages between individual factors and macro-level crime using chronic offending as a case in point. The principles of evolutionary ecology then are used to discuss counterstrategies to crime, and the prospects for protection/avoidance, deterrent, and nurturant strategies in light of evidence on chronic offending.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed2005

Crime victimization in adults with severe mental illness: comparison with the National Crime Victimization Survey.

CONTEXT: Since deinstitutionalization, most persons with severe mental illness (SMI) now live in the community, where they are at great risk for crime victimization. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and incidence of crime victimization among persons with SMI by sex, race/ethnicity, and age, and to compare rates with general population data (the National Crime Victimization Survey), controlling for income and demographic differences between the samples. DESIGN: Epidemiologic study of persons in treatment. Independent master's-level clinical research interviewers administered the National Crime Victimization Survey to randomly selected patients sampled from 16 randomly selected mental health agencies. SETTING: Sixteen agencies providing outpatient, day, and residential treatment to persons with SMI in Chicago, Ill. PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected, stratified sample of 936 patients aged 18 or older (483 men, 453 women) who were African American (n = 329), non-Hispanic white (n = 321), Hispanic (n = 270), or other race/ethnicity (n = 22). The comparison group comprised 32 449 participants in the National Crime Victimization Survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: National Crime Victimization Survey, developed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. RESULTS: More than one quarter of persons with SMI had been victims of a violent crime in the past year, a rate more than 11 times higher than the general population rates even after controlling for demographic differences between the 2 samples (P<.001). The annual incidence of violent crime in the SMI sample (168.2 incidents per 1000 persons) is more than 4 times higher than the general population rates (39.9 incidents per 1000 persons) (P<.001). Depending on the type of violent crime (rape/sexual assault, robbery, assault, and their subcategories), prevalence was 6 to 23 times greater among persons with SMI than among the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Crime victimization is a major public health problem among persons with SMI who are treated in the community. We recommend directions for future research, propose modifications in public policy, and suggest how the mental health system can respond to reduce victimization and its consequences.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Perceived crime, fear of crime, and walking alone at night.

This study examined longitudinal patterns in public opinion about crime, fear of crime, and walking alone at night. Data sets from the Winnipeg Area Study of 4050 randomly selected adults who were interviewed in their homes were used. The data reflect high concern by respondents for increasing crime rates. Analysis suggests that perceived crime in the city and in Canada were not associated with fear of crime and walking alone at night; perceived crime in respondents' neighborhoods showed a weak association. Implications for measures of perceived crime are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Local crime as a natural hazard: implications for understanding the relationship between disorder and fear of crime.

Local crime rates are similar in several respects to natural hazards. The points of similarity include objective and subjective features and responses to both. These comparable characteristics may help explain a continuing conundrum in the responses to disorder literature: the loose coupling between crime and fear levels at the local level. The proposed analogy may also be relevant to the relationship between local crime and behavioral responses to disorder. The points of analogy between crime and natural hazards lead to theoretical expectations supported by results from recent studies on responses to disorder. The perspective developed here helps explain why instrumental responses to crime elevate fear over time. We discuss the policy implications of the analogy, and suggest future areas of research and theoretical development.

Crime↗
PubMed2003

Zoning out crime and improving community health in Sarasota, Florida: "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design".

Sarasota, Fla, used Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to guide revitalization efforts in its crime-ridden North Trail area. A team of city planners, police officers, and architects examined land use and crime data and sought input from local businesses, residents, and community leaders. Beginning in 1990, interventions included increased police patrols to reduce prostitution and the creation of a new zoning district to encourage area redevelopment based on CPTED principles. Compared with the rest of Sarasota, from 1990 to 1998 the North Trail Corridor experienced decreases in calls for police service (P <.005), crimes against persons and property (P = not significant), and prostitution (P <.05). These results suggest that community design may be a useful tool for decreasing crime and improving community health.

City Planning↗
PubMed2000

The development of an assault patient questionnaire to allow accident and emergency departments to contribute to Crime and Disorder Act local crime audits.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and refine an assault patient questionnaire to facilitate the contribution of accident and emergency (A&E) departments to Crime and Disorder Act local crime audits. METHOD: A brief nine item questionnaire was devised in collaboration with the authors of the Home Office British Crime Survey. A prospective sample of 46 consecutive assault patients who attended Cardiff Royal Infirmary A&E department were interviewed by either reception staff or triage nurses. The questionnaire was revised appropriately. RESULTS: The collection of information in A&E departments about the circumstances of violence was straightforward. Questions about motive for violence and about relationships between the injured and their assailants were problematic. CONCLUSION: The collection of information relevant to Crime and Disorder Act crime audits was possible without extra resource. Receptionists were found to be the most appropriate staff to record information.

Emergency Service, Hospital↗
PubMed1992

A longitudinal study of the effects of various crime prevention strategies on criminal victimization, fear of crime, and psychological distress.

Examined the effects of precautionary behavior on subsequent criminal victimization, fear of crime, and psychological distress. A sample of 538 adults was interviewed three times at 6-month intervals. Four different aspects of precaution were assessed: vigilance (alertness), locks (access control), neighbors (informal cooperation), and professionals (formal programs). In logistic regressions that controlled for 14 risk factors, precaution had no preventive effects on the occurrence of subsequent crimes. LISREL models revealed that use of neighbors was the only precaution not to increase fear of crime, although both locks and neighbors showed a capacity to buffer the effects of fear on generalized distress. It was concluded that the most promising strategy was protective neighboring. Altogether, however, the promotion of citizen-initiated prevention appears highly inadequate as a policy response to problems of crime and fear.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The impact of crime victimization and fear of crime on attitudes toward death penalty defendants.

A 1983 telephone survey of 610 respondents in two Maryland counties found that the general disposition of the respondents toward the criminal justice system was a better predictor of abstract attitudes toward the death penalty than either the respondents' fear of becoming crime victims or whether they had been victims of crime. Yet respondents' fear of crime victimization was a better predictor of their willingness to impose the death penalty or to accept mitigating circumstances during the penalty phase of a capital case than their abstract attitudes toward the criminal justice system. Respondents who were "somewhat" afraid of crime victimization were less likely to support the death penalty than were respondents who were "very" afraid or "not" afraid of victimization. These finding indicate that previous research on the death penalty may have been flawed because the wording of the questions asked was too abstract and unidimensional.

Attitude to Death↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The genesis of crime according to dialectic criminology. II. Comments on the genesis of crime].

Prof. Lyra discusses in this article the basic problem of criminological sciences, stating that its essential object of study is the determination of the genesis of crime. The Author states that, before defining the crime genesis, it is necessary to outline, through a synthesis of epistemological restructurization of criminology itself. This way, we can develop a conception of Dialectic Criminology, where the term "dialectic" does not necessarily coincide with a marxist posture, but it extends along much more complex and comprehensive parameters. Dialectic Criminology is defined, in Lyra's conception, as a Classified Criminology, synthetizing both the psychological approach (clinical criminology, or micro-criminology), and the sociological approach (sociological criminology or macro-criminology), according to an anthropological basic frame of reference, which constitutes the new and original prerequisite. To this aim, according to Prof. Lyra, it is necessary to overcome merely biological or psychological theories, and the new sociologisms, which cannot explain deviant behavior without falling into dogmatism or relativism. It is necessary to give back to criminology its original ethico-philosophical roots, and to place the problem of crime within a new "praxis" concept, which takes into account the authentic freedom of man, interracting with historical evolution. This way, through Dialectic Criminology, we can overcome the conception of crime and delinquency viewed as counterparts of the concept of Law.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMed2006

A cure for crime: can mental health treatment diversion reduce crime among youth?

Youth crime is a serious social problem, as is the high proportion of young offenders in the juvenile justice system who have mental disorders. A recent policy innovation applies the theory of therapeutic jurisprudence and diverts youth with mental disorders to treatment in lieu of further court processing. The expansion of mental health diversion programs reflects an increasingly popular view that there is a causal relationship between youth mental disorders and crime. Policymakers who share this view place greater emphasis on rehabilitation and treatment as a way to reduce crime, rather than on stricter punishment. This paper considers the policy issues around youth mental health diversion programs. In addition, it evaluates the effect of a mental health diversion program for youth that was implemented in Texas. The paper finds that mental health diversion can be used effectively to delay or prevent youth recidivism.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Victims of homicide crimes--social conditions and circumstances of the crime].

152 autopsies were performed in cases of homicide at the Institute for Legal Medicine of the Hannover Medical School and the documents concerning the social situation of the victims, the relationship between offenders and victims and the circumstances involved in the crime were analyzed. Among the victims who were employed, workers and craftsmen followed by the group working in the service industry and trade were most commonly involved. Foreigners were victimized in 8% of the cases. In 129 cases (88.4%) there was a single and in 11.6% multiple offenders. 78.3% of the victims were murdered by a person they knew. Among relatives (38.7%), parents were most frequently implicated (56.5%). Arguments were the most common reason followed by quarrels within relationships, robbery and sexual offences. In most cases, the location of the crime was the home of the victim or of the victim and offender. In 92.8% of the cases, the corpse was found at the location of the crime.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Crime and punishment. Instead of a slap on the wrist, crooked healthcare executives now are being sentenced to prison thanks to a crackdown on white-collar crime.

Lawmakers wondering how to handle white-collar crime might look to the healthcare industry, where crooked executives are being held criminally accountable for shady business dealings and corrupt practices that previously may have resulted in quiet dismissals. A confluence of factors has driven the crackdown, from escalating whistleblower lawsuits to a decade-long effort to halt Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

Chief Executive Officers, Hospital↗