Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Canterbury, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-204). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 130-134).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 130-134) Also available in print.

This thesis provides analyses on the spatial and temporal distribution of residential burglaries in Christchurch for the five-year period 1998/1999 to 2002/2003. The specific aspects of residential burglary that are explored are the geography of burglary and clear-up rates, the characteristics of burglars, the distance they travel and the characteristics of the burgled properties. It was important to research these aspects of residential burglaries in Christchurch as there has previously been minimal research conducted into burglaries in Christchurch. The research that has been conducted is almost ten years old and did not comprehensively cover all aspects of burglaries. This thesis provides up to date analysis of the current burglary problem in Christchurch. The residential burglary data was provided by the Christchurch Branch of the New Zealand Police Department. This data included the addresses of both burglary victims and offenders and demographic characteristics of offenders. Information regarding the burglary event such as the items stolen and the time and date that the burglary occurred, was also supplied. This data allowed for analysis into many aspects of burglaries. In order to substantiate the conclusions formed there is comparison with the results of international and national studies into burglaries. The key findings of this research were that Christchurch residential burglary rates decreased and were positively related to deprivation. The greatest percent of burglaries occurred during traditional work times, during the traditional workweek. Conversely, the clear-up rates increased and were inversely related to deprivation. The majority of offenders were unemployed European males, aged between 15 and 19 years of age. Generally, offenders travelled short distances to burgle, and the distance was found to be negatively correlated with the level of deprivation of the area in which the victim lived. There were also some interesting findings regarding the characteristics of the burgled and non-burgled properties and how they differed depending on whether the property was in a deprived or non-deprived area.

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is a set of six techniques that

This thesis provides analyses on the spatial and temporal distribution of residential burglaries in Christchurch for the five-year period 1998/1999 to 2002/2003. The specific aspects of residential burglary that are explored are the geography of burglary and clear-up rates, the characteristics of burglars, the distance they travel and the characteristics of the burgled properties. It was important to research these aspects of residential burglaries in Christchurch as there has previously been minimal research conducted into burglaries in Christchurch. The research that has been conducted is almost ten years old and did not comprehensively cover all aspects of burglaries. This thesis provides up to date analysis of the current burglary problem in Christchurch. The residential burglary data was provided by the Christchurch Branch of the New Zealand Police Department. This data included the addresses of both burglary victims and offenders and demographic characteristics of offenders. Information regarding the burglary event such as the items stolen and the time and date that the burglary occurred, was also supplied. This data allowed for analysis into many aspects of burglaries. In order to substantiate the conclusions formed there is comparison with the results of international and national studies into burglaries. The key findings of this research were that Christchurch residential burglary rates decreased and were positively related to deprivation. The greatest percent of burglaries occurred during traditional work times, during the traditional workweek. Conversely, the clear-up rates increased and were inversely related to deprivation. The majority of offenders were unemployed European males, aged between 15 and 19 years of age. Generally, offenders travelled short distances to burgle, and the distance was found to be negatively correlated with the level of deprivation of the area in which the victim lived. There were also some interesting findings regarding the characteristics of the burgled and non-burgled properties and how they differed depending on whether the property was in a deprived or non-deprived area.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Breslau.

There has been much debate over the last three decades on the relationship between design of housing and crime, dominated by Newman's 'defensible space' and Coleman's 'antidisadvantagement scales'. Their approach has caused much confusion due to their failure to distinguish between social and spatial 'causes'. This thesis presents research conducted on the relationship between design of urban housing estates and spatial vulnerability to crime, addressing this important design issue, from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. It examines the multi-disciplinary discourse on housing design guidance; design against crime and criminological insights on the spatial factors influencing the location of crime and selection of crime targets. It proposes a methodological framework applying the syntactic approach developed by Professor Bill Hillier and the former Unit of Architectural Studies at the Bartlett, University College London, through which the factors of spatial vulnerability can be identified and analysed in purely spatial and architectural terms. Based on a series of case studies on the locations of burgled dwellings in three London housing estates, the research identifies the two basic principles of vulnerability: accessibility and surveillability at the local level of articulation of space and the global level (of the spatial network as a whole), and the interrelationships between them, which ultimately determine the vulnerability of locations. Rather than condemning a list of block features, spatial layout is treated as a whole system, and the spatial factors of vulnerability are related to architectural choices at the various levels or stages of the design layout. Each estate design has its own individual set of combinations of spatial variables and constants in the layout and block/dwelling typology related to the parameters outlined above, which lead to a trade off between the likelihood of being seen or caught and the difficulty of getting in and out. Ultimately, visibility and accessibility are related to 'surveillability' in two forms: visual and social (active presence of people). However, it is not just visibility that is important, but also permeability (links via dwelling entrances), which allow direct active control over space (interception) The implications in terms of design for safer housing environments are, that simple recipes of good and bad design are highly questionable, since spatial configuration has to be examined as a whole. Thus understanding of the spatial principles and mechanisms of vulnerability as the intrinsic interrelationship between local and global factors, is the key to designing safer urban housing environments.

published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences