In Britain, there have been growing concerns over the increasing female prison population and treatment of girls and women by the criminal justice system (see Carlen and Worrall, 2004; Hedderman, 2004; Batchelor, 2005; Hutson and Myers, 2006; Sharpe, 2009). In particular, there has been a rising female prison population in Scotland which has been associated with greater punitive controls over the behaviour of women (McIvor and Burman, 2011). The British press have depicted a social problem of certain young women becoming more violent and have attributed this to women’s liberation, particularly in the night time economy (MacAskill and Goodwin, 2004; Gray, 2006; Evening News, 2008). These concerns have attracted widespread media and political attention leading to a steady growth in academic research exploring the apparent rise of violent young women (Burman et al., 2003; Burman, 2004b; Batchelor, 2005). Despite this, there are relatively few studies that examine responses to young women with an emphasis on violent offences. Furthermore, there is a lack of research that has examined the role police officers have played in the control and depiction of young women’s violence. This research investigates the perceptions of and responses to young women depicted as violent from police officers in Scotland. Thirty three qualitative interviews were carried out with front line police officers in 2008 to investigate social control mechanisms employed to regulate the behaviour of young women. The research utilised feminist perspectives to develop an understanding of how young women deemed as violent face formal and informal mechanisms of social control from police officers. The study challenges the apparent increase in violence among young women and instead argues that institutional controls have contributed to young women being labelled as violent. Changes in police practices and zero tolerance approaches towards violence have resulted in a net widening effect that has impacted on the number of young women (and men) being brought to the attention of the police for violent offences. It is argued that this mechanism of institutional control could be a contributing factor towards the rise in the number of young women being charged for violent offences. Police discretion on the basis of gender did have an influence on arrest practices for some of the officers, but there was insufficient evidence to suggest the police officers responded any harsher or more lenient towards women. However, what was apparent was that police officers believed women needed to be ‘controlled’; they perceived them as more unmanageable than men and this defiance towards authority resulted in women being arrested. Women depicted as violent remain to be categorised on the basis of socially constructed gender norms and it is argued that this mechanism of discursive control continues to locate violence within the realm of masculinity. In conclusion, women who are depicted as violent are portrayed as unfeminine and in need of greater social control which is exercised through both formal and informal measures by police officers.

Much recent UK gang research has failed to adequately answer: do gangs exist and if so, are they organised? internal gang dynamics, criminal behaviours and motivations for joining remain largely unexplored; as does the upsurge in violent crime in gang-affected areas of south London. This research set out to answer these questions by investigating gangs in Lambeth, their activities and the daily experiences of those affiliated to them. The study begins by profiling the case study area, currently prevalent street gangs and links to violent crime. The investigation then examines in detail inter-gang and intragang dynamics and community relationships. A further objective is to establish whether, and if so to what extent, gangs were expanding and becoming more deeply embedded in the neighbourhood. This work situates contemporary UK gang research within the literary arc of classic and contemporary US gang research, from Chicago School to Hagedorn. Current UK studies are categorised into three distinct arguments, then critiqued from a Left Realist perspective. Addressing the question, how do we explain an increase in gang related violence?, the work establishes the gang as a social arena (field) of competition where actors struggle for distinction. But what are the characteristics and boundaries of this social -Field? What motivates young people to enter it, and how do you succeed within it? How significant are personal relationships and networks? What is the role of social capital and how do you become a competent actor in this field? These issues are explored using the theoretical perspectives of social field analysis and habitus from Bourdieu alongside various elements of social capital theory. An inductive ethnometholdogy was adopted. The paper presents findings from 30 qualitative interviews of residents, professionals and gang -affiliated young people in Lambeth. The ethical challenges of gang research, such as access and anonymity are addressed. The findings support the proposition that gangs in south London exist, are active and internally organised into three structural tiers. Success within the field is determined by building and maintaining Street Capital -a tradable asset. To acquire this, members strategise by employing tested techniques from the Gang Repertoire, derived from the habitus. Youngers and Olders employ different Repertoires. All actors within the social field are subject to sanctions with new arrivals at increased risk. The field is highly gendered and girls are central to the gang strategising using information and the gang Network. Importantly the findings support the argument that gangs in Lambeth are evolving and becoming more embedded. Increased gang related violence is an outcome of new dynamics in social field, including the imperative to acquire Street Capital and the role of new technology. Increased tensions and violence have cumulative stressful impacts for young people. To address this, they increasingly risk manage their lives through self exclusion or a fatalistic immersion in the social field.

The purpose of this study is to show how violent crime and social problems have an impact on society. This study particularly concentrates on the five boroughs of New York. The problems associated with the five boroughs of New York are violent crime and social problems. The violent crime for the study involves; felony assaults and robberies. Whereas, the social problems for the study involves; population below the poverty line and male population who are 18-24 years with less than high school graduation. These problems were expressed through the usage of ArcGIS Pro. Using ArcGIS Pro provided an efficient way that displays spatial data. The results from this study show that felony assaults and robberies occurred in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Queens. Whereas, it was also discovered that the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn experienced social problems related to poverty and education. The spatial coincidence between violent crime and social problems were expressed using overlay analysis. The findings show that the violent crimes and social problems spatially coincide within the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn. This study provides a way in which society can be better managed in dealing with these problems.

"The Issue of an Offender's Personality in Criminology" The main purpose of this thesis was to enlighten the offender's personality in terms of the causes of criminal behavior. The opening chapter clarifies the basic terminology used in the thesis. These are specifically criminology, criminality and delinquency and the term offender - there is explanation of the difference between criminological point of view and the viewpoint of criminal law. Criminology deals with the personality of offender and with searching of characteristics typical for the offenders already over one century, therefore the next chapter focuses on criminological schools and significant criminological theories. However, the efforts to create complex typology which could identify the offender and distinguish him from the rest of the population were abandoned. Third chapter describes current approaches to offender's personality, its psychological research and there is also mentioned motivation of offenders for committing crimes. Main topic of the second half of this thesis is personality of offender of violent crimes with the specific focus on personality of offenders of domestic violence crimes. Unfortunately, there are no specific signs of these offenders and offender of violent crimes including domestic violence can be...

Background: The media have an influential role within society and with media becoming increasingly more accessible over a number of different platforms it is important to comprehend what information is being received by audiences in order to then understand the consequences. Sweden has a reputation of being one of the most reputable countries, however a new, less flattering image has been emerging. There is a growing interest in what is happening in Sweden, especially since US President Donald Trump made his illusive comments in February 2017. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore how news sources in the Western world portray crime in Sweden. Two central questions are examined, (1) what crimes in Sweden are reported in western newspapers, and (2) what are the dominant themes in western newspaper’s discussions of crime in Sweden? Method: Qualitative content analysis was employed to evaluate 249 newspaper articles gathered through NewsBank database. Content of these articles became data which was coded via a data-driven coding frame. Data was partially double coded in an attempt to check consistency. Results: Part one results find that the most popular crime type in Western media crime in Sweden reports are violent crimes. A total of 111 articles in the sample written exclusively about specific events, 76 of which are violent offences. Part two of results explores the broader discourse. Conclusion: The focus on violent crimes is linked to a political discussion surrounding growing support for populist politics. The predominant narratives are, that immigration is to blame for rising crime levels, and Sweden’s identity crisis.

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The primary aim of this thesis is to assess whether and to what extent serious crime and specifically violent and organised crime, poses a national security threat to South Africa since 1994. To achieve this, the study focuses on serious crime in South Africa before 1994; serious crime trends and characteristics between 1994 and 2009; crime prevention and national security polices developed after 1994; public perceptions of safety and security after 1994; and the consequences of serious crime. In this regard three assumptions were formulated for assessment namely: − South Africa exhibits many of the national security issues of the developing world, as manifested in predominately internal threats to security. − Serious crime is one of the main threats to South Africa’s national security, and continues to have an extremely negative impact on all spheres of life, especially on the country’s social, economic, security and political environments. − There has been increasing concern over the occurrence of crime, particularly serious crime, in South Africa since 1994, despite certain statistical decreases. All three of the assumptions could be verified in the study. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Political Sciences / DPhil / Unrestricted

This research explores the beliefs and behaviour of individuals who have suffered a traumatic experience, specifically the violent crimes of assault, motor vehicle hijackings and armed robbery. The researcher focuses on the occurrence of residual, subclinical symptoms of PTSD that individuals experience subsequent to the specified violent crimes. By identifying and describing trends in commonalities that exist between research participants’ accounts of such residual, subclinical symptoms the research aims to explore and describe these trends, enabling a common understanding and awareness of the longstanding effects that these experiences have on individuals. The qualitative research design allowed for an exploration aimed at understanding the meaning that individuals ascribe to specific events. Three case studies were examined. The researcher ensured the exclusion of individuals who met the criteria for PTSD by making use of the PCL-S. From this approach a thematic analysis was done using the transcriptions of audiotaped interviews with the participants. The three participants chosen for the study were aged twenty-nine (29), thirty (30) and thirty-one (31) independently. Two of the participants experienced an armed robbery, which were, independently, followed by non-violent crime of housebreaking and theft. A third participant experienced an armed robbery during her early childhood, and an additional crime of aggravated robbery in adulthood. The studied violent crimes had taken place between one year eleven months and six years prior to this study. None of the participants have received therapy following their traumatic experience. Five important findings were identified and discussed. Firstly, some individuals still meet the requirements for a diagnosis of PTSD, even years following their experiences with traumatic events. Secondly, following the experience of a violent crime some individual’s core cognitive schemas regarding themselves, their world and their relationships undergo various changes. Thirdly, some individuals experience numerous posttraumatic symptoms, which are not extensive enough to validate the diagnosis of PTSD, but that affect the individual’s life on a regular basis. Nine symptoms were identified in this study. Fourthly, some individuals may experience additional effects following exposure to violent crimes, e.g. physical illness, that is not classified as posttraumatic symptoms. Fifthly, a few individuals who have been the victim of more than one crime may experience cumulative or diminished effects when one explores the overall effects of revictimisation. Results also indicated that individuals may experiences similar posttraumatic symptoms, but that the presentation of these symptoms are unique and are influenced by an individual’s history, cognitive schemas and the characteristics of the crimes that they have experienced. Finally, these findings explored and described the phenomenon of partial posttraumatic stress disorder in order to expand the understanding of this occurrence. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

The myth of the “super-predator” offender was adopted by newspaper media in the mid-1990s characterizing “violent”, urban, and minority juvenile offenders. The phrase originated from newspaper headlines of the 1980s and 1990s, but limited research has identified whether this con-struct predated DiIulio and Fox’s crime surge prediction. This study sampled juvenile crime news items from The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times (N=2,008) 1985-1995 with defined search criteria of juvenile actors, “violent” juvenile crime, and/or juvenile drug crime. A descriptive analysis of the data determined reporting trends sought for a “period effect” caused by the publicity of the prediction and searched for the pre-existence of “super-predator” construct. Finally, a series χ2 test determined the statistical independence of “super-predator” offender, the victim, and crime characteristics, from variables of news article prominence. This study found support for identifiable trends in juvenile crime reporting, no identifiable “period effect” and mixed, but ultimately null findings, in pre-establishing the super-predator media construct. The χ2 test determined the statistical independence of “super-predator” offender, the victim, and crime characteristics, found some characteristics were statically independent of variables of article prominence, but that these relationships are weak.

In his article, "Cycles of Deviance" (1996), Hawdon demonstrates how varying rates of social mobility correspond to cyclical patterns of drug use in the United States between 1880 and 1990. He proposes that social mobility alters the "deviance structure" of a society by changing the rate at which certain behaviors are labeled deviant, and thus, the rate at which people engage in those behaviors. This study provides an updated assessment of the cycles of deviance model to determine whether it can account for rates of violent and economic crime. I use social mobility to predict homicide, burglary, and overall rates of drug use from 1970 through 2010 using a time-series analysis. Crime data are obtained from the FBI\'s Uniform Crime Reports and Monitoring the Future. Social mobility data are obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau. I also control for several well- established correlates of crime -- namely, economic and demographic factors, police size, illicit drug market activity, and firearm availability. Results show moderate support for the cycles of deviance model in predicting rates of homicide and burglary. However, social mobility\'s influence with respect to drug use appears to vary with the size of the youth population. / Master of Science