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Extant criminological research examining research questions oriented on understanding the spatial distribution of violent crime instances, such as homicide, have often employed the theoretical foundations of both social disorganization theory and routine activities theory. Though there is much research using these theories independently and in conjunction with one another, few studies have integrated the theories in analyses of homicide at multiple levels of aggregation. The current study is conducted to analyze homicide incidents in Baltimore, Maryland from 2014 through 2018. The analysis conducted considers both social disorganization and routine activities theory variables to test the explanatory power of each theory regarding homicide at both the census tract and block group levels of analysis. ArcGIS Pro 2.9.2 is used to display the results in a visual manner. Negative binomial regression analyses are conducted to examine the impact of theoretical variables of interest on homicide count within the metropolitan area of Baltimore city. The results of this study have further implications regarding our understanding of the theoretical applications of both social disorganization and routine activities theories in understanding the spatial distribution of instances of major violent crimes, specifically regarding homicide.

Crime scene examiners (CSEs) use analytical techniques to collect physical evidence on crime scenes. As such, they often have close contact with dead bodies and body fluids. Research on trauma and coping among CSEs is in its infancy in South Africa. The aim of the study was to conduct a phenomenological study on the trauma and coping methods used by CSEs at four Local Criminal Record Centres (LCRCs) in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. The objectives of the study were to investigate the nature of trauma experienced by the CSEs when interacting with violent and traumatic crime scenes, identifying the methods that CSEs use to cope with trauma experiences, and ascertain the usefulness of the coping methods CSEs use. A qualitative research approach was used as it focused on detailed descriptions of participants’ experiences and beliefs, and was fitting for a study with unquantifiable data. Thus, due to paucity of local studies regarding research problem, objectives articulated for the study prescribed the utilisation of transcendental phenomenology research design. Personal interviews were conducted with 25 CSEs, utilising a semi-structured interview schedule. The data was analysed to find a subjective meaning of different realities. The findings suggested that CSEs are potentially at risk of adopting maladaptive behaviour to cope with stress because of a lack of support. Noteworthy observations are that ineffective coping results to neglecting work details to avoid triggering stress, refusing to use debriefing and support programmes and self-isolation which often leads to severe depression and in some cases suicide. Key words: trauma; crime scenes; coping; forensic investigation; murder; crime scene examiners and City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. / Dissertation (MA (Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / 2022/12/31 / Social Work and Criminology / MA (Criminology) / Unrestricted

Social disorganization theory (Shaw 1942; 1969) suggests that communities with greater racial heterogeneity, residential mobility, and low socioeconomic status will be less organized, thereby less able to collectively repel criminal behavior. These characteristics describe many institutions of higher education (IHEs), so we should expect that IHEs would have higher crime rates than neighboring areas with greater social organization. However, recent explorations of social disorganization have considered the mitigating concept of collective efficacy. This research suggests that the characteristics of social control, social cohesion, and trust present in communities will mitigate crime (Sampson 1997). These community characteristics also describe many IHEs. The present research is well suited to explore the effectiveness of collective efficacy in mitigating crime in communities that might otherwise be characterized as socially disorganized. The data used to examine these issues come from law enforcement agencies, IHEs' Clery Act data, the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (Bureau 2020a), the National Center for Education Statistics, and publicly accessible data. The analysis was conducted using negative binomial regression and the hot spot analysis test of Getis-Ord Gi*. The effects of social disorganization on community crime are mediated by collective efficacy. This research highlights potential for Clery data to be analyzed using the same methodology as UCR and NIBRS data, IHEs to be included in research in the same manner as census tracts, and that spatial analysis of collective efficacy can provide a novel approach to studying the impact of social disorganization and collective efficacy on crime.

The emergence and continuous development of technology continues to create opportunities for people to communicate and keep track of one another. Numerous websites and cellular applications exist that allow individuals to anonymously send messages, track other's whereabouts, or expose private information. Many of these tools, while innocuously created to enhance friendships and make it easier to stay in touch, are being nefariously used to stalk and harass others through electronic means. The rise of stalking using electronic methods, also known as cyber stalking, gravely complicates the ability of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to adjudicate cases of stalking. This study examines the enforcement of cyber stalking cases in Central Florida through the lens of rational choice theory. In particular, the study evaluates the factors present in stalking cases -- specifically cyber cases -- which impact the rational choices made by law enforcement officers and prosecutors to pursue and process cases. The results of the study show that cases of stalking that involve both cyber and face-to-face components had the highest odds of an arrest occurring and/or charges being filed. Additionally, the study shows that cases of stalking, regardless of the method, had higher odds of arrest or charges if the victim took proactive measures to prevent future occurrences of stalking. Overall, the study found that various factors impacted the rational choices made by law enforcement officers and prosecutors in their decisions to move forward and continue pursing stalking cases. A major implication of this study is that victims should take proactive action to prevent stalking in order for cases to move forward in the criminal justice system.

Public mass shootings are the rarest type of mass murder in the United States. Nevertheless, the media tends to focus on mass murders that appear to be the most newsworthy. The most sensational mass murders are those that have the highest victim count, that target perfect victims, and that occur in a public location. Terrorism and mental health are two separate frames that are often used by the media when reporting a mass shooting event. This creates a lack of accurate reporting that displays a distorted image of mass shootings and affects the public's perception. This study evaluated frames used by the media specifically terrorism and mental health as well as others that came up as a result of this study. Using the Active Shooter Incidents in the United States report, a sample of 75 mass shootings were selected that occurred between 2007 and 2017. This was a qualitative study and consisted of a content analysis of news reports for each of the mass shootings in the sample. Findings revealed several themes that are commonly used by the media when reporting on the mass shooting events. The most common frames found were mental health, terrorism, domestic violence, financial/employment struggles, lack of social skills/loner, political attacks, and criminal/violent backgrounds. Mental health was the most common frame used by media reports to describe motive for the attack. In addition, offenders that were identified as Muslim in the sample were all investigated as having possible terrorism ties. This analysis allowed for an overview of major themes that are commonly present in media reports. The wide sample used in this analysis included the most recent mass shootings in conjunction with the commonly researched mass shootings that have occurred in previous years which supplements the overall literature in this topic.

Homicide is a major social issue that has been studied by many researchers worldwide. The vast literature available, however, has avoided distinguishing homicide characterized by excessive wounds as a particular category or type of murder. This is what is often referred to as overkill. It has been observed in a variety of incidents, but it has not been systematically defined or examined in the literature in regard to why it occurs. This study aims to define "overkill" based on the number and extent of injuries for LGBT homicides between the years 1969 to 2018 (provided by Dallas Drake, co-founder of the Center for Homicide Research) and, in doing so, develop a classification of characteristics of overkill. The purpose of this research is to gather information from literature and exemplary cases, which imply excessive wound infliction and may aid in defining and analyzing data on overkill. Developing a definition can help facilitate examinations of lethal incidents and encourage the exploration that overkill has to an individual person's death. This exploratory study will discover cut-off points per category (firearm, sharp instruments, and blunt force trauma) of the number of wounds that are to be labeled as overkill. A binary logistic regression analysis will focus on variables that will be used to formulate a definition of overkill. Results indicate cut-off points for firearms to be 3 wounds, sharp instruments 17 wounds, and blunt force trauma 6 wounds. Regarding excessive wound infliction, analysis reveals significant relationships in the use of blunt objects and the presence of multiple offenders.

While serial killings have been the focus of much scholarly research, the definition of what it means to be a serial killer has been debated by law enforcement agencies and academics for decades. This overall lack of understanding about serial killers and the murders they commit has contributed to the numerous limitations concerning the general knowledge about this unique form of homicide. Furthermore, serial killers have typically been examined using psychological models, psychiatric approaches, or the external drives/motives of the offenders, while the development of a sociological perspective has received less attention. This current research uses arguably the most complete dataset on serial killings, the Radford database, to fill several gaps in the current body of knowledge by empirically analyzing 1,258 serial killers operating between 1985 and 2016. Data related to the killings, offenders, and victims, in addition to social structural variables, are examined to evaluate how these factors, among others, may possibly be associated with the number of victims an offender killed. Analyzing past definitions and research, this study expands sociological models examining serial murder, and contributes valuable insight into some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the crime, and how they likely lead to linkage blindness and decreased homicide clearance rates. Most importantly, this study provides an updated and improved understanding of serial killings that has the potential to be a tool for law enforcement professionals to increase the identity of potential offenders, can ultimately aid their efforts to address sociological origins of serial killing behaviors and attempt to prevent them in the future.

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