Co-authors: Keri Ka-Yee Wong (University College London, UK), Friederick Lösel (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany & University of Cambridge, UK) & Lawrence Sherman (University of Cambridge, UK)

David P. Farrington was awarded the 2013 Stockholm Prize in Criminology for his pioneering research on developmental and life course criminology, early-life interventions and the cost-effectiveness of developmental programs over the life-course. After his sudden passing on the 5th of November, a number of research initiatives were put in place in his honour. These include: (a) a double special issue in Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health with twelve longitudinal papers and four guest commentaries; (b) a forthcoming conference for the Home Office in 2025. This thematic panel touches on the research initiatives that are taking place to honour the legacy of David Farrington, alongside study finding from four individual empirical papers from the two CBMH edited issues in honour of David P. Farrington.

This session will review and celebrate David and his life’s work, its impact and influences both locally in the UK and abroad, the ‘Farrington Curve’. David’s legacy is far reaching, and he leaves behind with its many impacts in research, policy and practice. This session will, in the spirit of David, remind us why we do what we do and to continue to ask the important questions.

It is unlikely that David Farrington ever saw what I name in this commentary as the ‘Farrington Curve’, which plots the combined seriousness and frequency of reported offending among the most harmful suspects in any population. It is also unlikely that he ever knew just how extreme the difference can be in cumulative harm between median offenders and the most extreme outliers. Even so, without Farrington's years of pondering and publishing on such issues, I doubt that Sir Mark Rowley, a Cambridge mathematics graduate and current Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, would have even asked a vitally important question as he took office in 2022: Who are the hundred most dangerous people in London?

Co-authors: Mark Stemmler (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany) & Doris Bender (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany).

Research on developmental pathways of antisocial behaviour was one of the main topics of David Farrington. There are between two and seven (mainly 3–5) trajectories, a variation is due to the age of individuals, kind and seriousness of problem behaviour, data sources, etc. Reviews state a lack of research on very early starting problem behaviour, broad developmental outcomes, data from multiple informants and (beyond description) on risk and protective factors or potential causes of the different trajectories. The present study addresses these issues in a prospective longitudinal design and test of the concept of antisocial potential (AP) in Farrington's ICAP theory.

Data on more than 600 children and their families were gathered in a prospective longitudinal design over 10 years in Germany. To avoid potentially negative effects of criminal justice interventions, the study concentrates on child development from ages 4–5 to 6–7, 8–9, 10–12 and 13–14 years. General growth curve modelling (GGCM) across five time points was employed. The prediction and explanation of different pathways included family and child characteristics. We also tested accumulated factors in the Cracow Risk/Needs Instrument. The GGCM analysis revealed five trajectories: high-chronics (2.4%), high-reducers (7.9%), medium-reducers (22.4%), late-starters medium (8.7%) and low-chronics (58.6%). Although the group with high externalising problems across all time points was rather small there were significant social and individual differences between this and the other groups in line with ICAP theory. Differences between those youngsters that desisted from behaviour problems or started later were also found. The predictive validity of the Cracow Risk/Needs Instrument was very good when comparing the groups with persistently high versus no serious behaviour problems. The findings showed that different pathways of externalising behaviours already commence in early childhood, and underline the need for early developmental prevention.

Co-authors: Kim Riesing (University of Lincoln, UK).

Background: Mental health problems and criminal behaviour are frequently correlated, but the direction and nature of their causal relationships are less well understood. This study examines the potential direct effects between depression, anxiety and criminal behaviour over time and challenges common assumptions about their interactions.

Aims: To determine whether mental health symptoms (i.e. depression and anxiety at age 32) can predict criminal behaviour by age 48; and conversely, whether criminal convictions influence subsequent mental health outcomes.

Methods: Using data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, this longitudinal research employs propensity score matching to examine the treatment effects of: (a) mental health symptoms at Age 32 on offending at Age 48 and (b) offending at Age 32 on mental health symptoms at Age 48.

Results: The analysis shows no evidence of causal effects of mental health problems on criminal behaviour and vice versa.

Conclusions: The lack of causal relationships suggests that the association between mental health issues and criminal behaviour may stem from shared adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) rather than direct causal effects. These findings highlight the importance of addressing these underlying risk factors in both policy and practice to potentially reduce stigma and enhance intervention strategies by focusing on early identification and better resource allocation.

Co-authors: Jianghong Liu, Yi Yang, Haoer Shi & Adrian Raine (University of Pennsylvania, USA)

Background. Understanding changes in aggressive behaviour throughout child development is crucial for identifying effective intervention strategies. This study investigates children's aggressive behaviour in a longitudinal cohort and explores the role of environmental tobacco exposure and fish consumption as potential risk and protective factors, respectively, for persistent aggression in children.

Methods. This study involved 452 children from the Chinese Jintan Cohort. Aggressive behaviour was assessed at ages 6 and 12 years using the child behaviour checklist (CBCL) and the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), respectively. Information on lifestyle habits and living environment, including parental smoking, was collected via questionnaires. Linear regression was employed to investigate the association between childhood and adolescence aggressive behaviour with relevant covariates adjusted. Subsequently, we conducted interaction analyses to explore the moderating effects of parent smoking and fish consumption on the association.

Results. We identified no significant association between childhood and adolescent aggression in the entire sample. Interaction analysis revealed environmental tobacco exposure as a moderator for the association. Specifically, persistent reactive and total aggression across development was only observed among those with environmental tobacco exposure (reactive: β = 0.549, p = 0.020; total: β = 0.654, p = 0.035). Furthermore, within the parent smoking subgroup, freshwater fish consumption at the age of 12 showed a marginally significant interaction with childhood aggression (reactive: p = 0.061; total: p = 0.095). A significant longitudinal association for aggression was found only among those consuming fish less frequently at the age of 12 years (reactive: β = 0.927, p = 0.002; total: β = 1.082, p = 0.006).

Conclusion. Our findings suggest exposure to environmental tobacco as a contributing factor to the lasting presence of aggressive behaviour during children's development, whereas freshwater fish consumption shows potential protective effects.

Co-authors: Kirsten Besemer (Griffith University, Australia) & Shannon Walding (Griffith University, Australia)

We explore the burden of imprisonment and its unequal distribution for a wide range of places and contexts: For countries and prisoners there, for often disadvantaged communities and community life, for the well-being of citizens who live in these communities and for their engagement in their communities. Contributions look into the impact of unprecedented incarceration growth in Australia between 2010 and 2019: the unequal distribution and concentration in a small number of places; the impact on loneliness of people living in such communities; and the impact on civic engagement and solidarity in these communities. An analysis of prison conditions in European countries sheds light into the ‘inside’ of prisons and on the life of prisoners, identifying improvement and deterioration between 1995 and 2020.

Prison conditions are a cornerstone of any penal system and national regime of criminal punishment. They epitomise how we as societies punish. Prison conditions shed a light on the burden on people in prisons, and on their suffering. Reports and assessments of conditions in a country’s prisons provide information whether imprisonment is done lawfully or unlawfully, well or badly, equitable or inequitable. Notwithstanding their importance, data on conditions within prisons are rare. They are notoriously difficult to measure, and even more difficult to compare across time and countries. This contribution introduces the Index of Prison Conditions which is collected from the annual US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and covers most countries since 1995. Based on this Index, prison conditions in European countries between 1995 and 2020 are compared, improvement and deterioration identified and divergence and convergence across Europe and its regions discussed. The burden of imprisonment on prisoners is unequally distributed throughout Europe, with Scandinavian countries standing out for good conditions, and the Baltic states with most important improvements, while West European countries deteriorated.

Over the past decades, Australia’s incarceration growth far outstripped that of most other OECD countries. Australia now imprisons twice as many people as it did 30 years ago. This rapid growth in imprisonment coincides with high concentrations of imprisonment in a small number of disadvantaged communities. Researchers have made compelling theoretical arguments about the unequal burden that rising imprisonment levels may place on such “imprisonment hot spots”, including disruptions to community life, safety and wellbeing. However, we do not know how these dynamics have developed in Australia over time. We also do not know what communities are experiencing faster changes in imprisonment. A key question is whether rapid imprisonment growth is primarily affecting existing, highly disadvantaged “imprisonment hot spots”, or whether such growth also affects average or even affluent communities, in which an admission to prison would have previously been a much rarer event. In this study, we track where, when, and how concentrations of imprisonment have changed in Australian communities between 2010 and 2019. We identify trajectories and concentrations of imprisonment in communities with different levels of prison admission. This study lays the groundwork for a new, policy-relevant evidence base that links data on imprisonment to data on community safety and strength.

Loneliness is emerging as one of the most important health and well-being issues of current times. Strong and robust neighbourhoods provide an important reservoir of social connectedness for residents to draw from and contribute to, protecting against the contagious nature of loneliness. In neighbourhoods where imprisonment is concentrated, many people are forced to leave for and return from prison. Their families experience economic, social, and time pressures. This so-called coercive mobility damages the social relationships of people within those areas, regardless of whether they themselves are connected to a prisoner. These disruptions to social relationships result in a range of adverse outcomes in high-imprisonment communities, including negative impacts on social and economic life. This paper explores whether people who live in such high imprisonment communities feel more lonely. Australia has experienced decades of high and continuously increasing imprisonment in its jurisdictions. I examine the effects of levels of concentrated imprisonment in communities over 10 years from 2010 to 2019. My study is a timely examination of the unjust consequences of imprisonment policy that extend well beyond the prisoner, affecting community and individual health and wellbeing.

The burden of imprisonment and its growth is experienced by a small number of disadvantaged communities, where imprisonment concentrates. This unequal burden of concentrated imprisonment impacts on often vulnerable communities. With high numbers of people moving into and out of prison, community life is disrupted, by fractured networks, increasing disorganisation and decreasing collective efficacy. Civic engagement and solidarity are cornerstones of communities’ wellbeing, and beyond for society. This contribution explores the impact of Australia’s unprecedented incarceration growth on life in its most affected communities between 2010 and 2019. We use census data on voluntary action and support for others to identify the impact of levels and growth of imprisonment on disruptions of community life and social cohesion.

Co-author: Lawrence Kom (Core Scientific, USA)

The private sector has been growing revenue exponentially using data tools and techniques not yet adopted by the private sector. This includes massive amounts of data and proprietary tools focused on marketing and business purposes. With the adoption of consumer based IoT devices, and the increases in public surveillance technologies, private corporations have access to more data than ever. This begs the question, how would criminal justice investigations become more efficient with access to private sector tools along with data both in quality and quantity. Our study is to identify the top AI and marketing tools and data sources used by the private sector to keep strategic advantages and give predictions on how these tools and data sources would help crime solving efforts if used within the context of criminal justice investigations.

Co-author: Jan Ljungberg (University of Gothenburg, Sweden)

There are high expectations that AI will contribute to increased efficiency for law enforcement agencies combined with a strong political will to facilitate the use of new technology. Right now, we have a societal situation where a changing regulatory landscape is emerging with, on the one hand, new law proposals being introduced at a rapid pace providing law enforcement agencies with extended powers to use new forms of AI for surveillance. At the same time, new restrictive regulative spaces are emerging, not least through the AI ​​Act that will be implemented during 2025 with the aim of regulating the use of AI within the EU. The aim of this study has been to examine how Swedish law enforcement agencies, with the police as a key actor, are preparing for the implementation of the AI ​​Act and how they are navigating and handling their new powerful extended powers to use AI in relation to the new emerging regulations and policies. The results of this qualitative study makes a valuable contribution for decision-making, policy-making and governance around these current issues. In addition, the study's results will be relevant for the internal organization of work within law enforcement agencies.

With approximately 35,000 missing person cases reported annually in South Korea, including a troubling rise in elderly disappearances within rural locales, law enforcement faces significant operational challenges due to limited manpower. In response, the Korean National Police have started deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to enhance search and rescue missions.

This research presents an in-depth analysis of optimal drone methodologies and aircraft configurations tailored for missing person searches. We investigate five distinct search strategies: Sector Search, Expanding Square, Track Line, Parallel Sweep, and Contour Search, assessing their effectiveness across the varied South Korean terrain—from bustling urban centers to remote mountainous regions.

A notable aspect of this study is our proposition of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance drone operation efficiency. Utilizing historical search data and topographical factors, our AI model dynamically adjusts search patterns based on real-time environmental conditions and missing person characteristics. This innovative approach seeks to improve search outcomes and operational efficacy substantially.

Preliminary findings reveal that the Parallel Sweep pattern excels in flat, open spaces, while the Contour Search proves advantageous in mountainous terrain. Moreover, the AI-assisted system exhibits a 30% decrease in average search duration compared to conventional methods.

This research enriches the existing literature on technology's role in criminology and public safety, providing actionable insights for law enforcement agencies globally as they tackle similar issues of missing persons, particularly relevant for aging populations and diverse geographic settings.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to play a significant role in crime prevention in the future. Initial concepts for utilizing predictive analytics to identify high-risk areas, forecast potential criminal incidents, and optimize preventive measures are emerging worldwide. In some countries, research has been conducted on the possible implementation of such technologies in law enforcement—examples include experimental programs in the United States (PredPol), the United Kingdom (NDAS), and the Netherlands (CAS). In Poland, such solutions are not currently in use, and their prospective introduction must be assessed in terms of both benefits and risks to the criminal justice system.

This presentation examines the potential scenarios for implementing AI in crime prevention strategies in Poland.

The presentation will cover the following aspects:
1. Introduction – The possible benefits of AI applications in crime prevention.
2. Machine learning and crime forecasting – How predictive models could support law enforcement agencies in identifying threats.
3. Social network analysis in criminal investigations – The potential use of AI in detecting organized crime structures.
4. Challenges and limitations – Key legal, ethical, and technical issues that would need to be addressed before the implementation of these technologies.
5. Future directions – Prospects for the gradual introduction of AI systems into crime prevention activities in Poland and the role of international cooperation.

The objective of this presentation is to outline the prospects for the development of predictive analytics in criminology and forensics and to identify the barriers that must be overcome for AI to be effectively and safely implemented in crime prevention strategies in Poland.

Co-authors: Pablo Escobar-Hernández, Antonio López-Quílez, Miriam Marco & Marisol Lila (University of Valencia, Spain)

Objective: The aim of this presentation is to analyze the demographic patterns and temporal trends of cases of intimate partner violence against women reported to the police in Spain over 8 years.

Method: Data were cases of intimate partner violence against women reported to the police in Spain recorded between 2016 and 2023 (N = 645,729). Descriptive analysis and analysis of rate differences were conducted for different demographic groups: Age, nationality, and urban-rural area. Time series decomposition analyses were conducted to assess change over time, and seasonality for both all police reports and the different demographic groups.

Results: Rates of cases of intimate partner violence against women reported to the police were significantly higher among younger age groups, among foreign nationals, and in urban areas. Time series analyses showed a significant increase in cases of intimate partner violence against women reported to the police over the 8 years, both in general and for the different socioeconomic groups. A clear seasonal pattern emerged both in general and for the different socio-demographic groups (except for the older age group), with an increase in police-reported cases in July and August.

Conclusions: The increase in cases of intimate partner violence against women reported to the police suggests that the gap between reported and actual prevalence of this type of violence is narrowing in Spain. The high rates of cases of intimate partner violence against women reported to the police among younger women and immigrant women support research suggesting that these demographic groups are at greater risk of this type of violence. Seasonal patterns are discussed in terms of changes in behavior during the summer months.

Despite the enactment of China’s Anti-Domestic Violence Law in 2016, police responses to domestic violence remain inconsistent and often ineffective. This paper examines the structural and legal barriers that shape police decision-making in domestic abuse cases, drawing on interview data with law enforcement officers and domestic violence survivors. The findings highlight how entrenched legal constraints, discretionary policing, and sociocultural norms influence officers’ reluctance to intervene decisively.

Through interviews with police officers, domestic abuse victims, and participant observation in All-China Women Federation, this study reveals that officers often perceive domestic violence as a private family matter, leading to mediation rather than legal enforcement. Survivors’ accounts further expose the gaps in police intervention, as many report being discouraged from filing official complaints or seeking legal protection. Additionally, institutional challenges—such as the high evidentiary threshold for obtaining protection orders and the absence of clear enforcement mechanisms—limit the effectiveness of legal safeguards. This paper argues that the interaction between legal ambiguity, police discretion, and entrenched gender norms creates a system where victims struggle to access justice. By situating these findings within broader discussions of legal consciousness and institutional inertia, this study sheds light on the systemic barriers preventing effective police intervention. The analysis underscores the need for clearer legal mandates, improved police training, and enhanced victim-centered policies to ensure that domestic violence cases are treated as serious legal offenses rather than private disputes.

Co-authors: Enrique Gracia (University of Valencia, Spain), Elena Terreros (Asociación PSIMA, Spain), Cristina Expósito-Álvarez (University of Valencia, Spain) & Manuel Roldán-Pardo (University of Valencia, Spain)

Alcohol and drugs use problems (ADUPs) have been consistently identified as one of the factors that increase the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. Around 50% of the perpetrators referred to intervention programs with IPV perpetrators (PIPVP) have ADUPs, with ADUPs being one of the main predictors of dropout. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new motivational tool [i.e., individualized motivational plan (IMP) for participants with ADUPs: IMP-ADUPs] in order to increase participants’ adherence and PIPVP effectiveness. The study followed an experimental design with randomized assignment to two intervention conditions: (1) experimental (PIPVP+IMP-CPAD: n = 77), and (2) control group (PIPVP+IMP: n = 73). Measures were taken at baseline, at the end of the intervention and at 6 months follow-up. Multiple data sources (i.e., official databases, self-reports, facilitators) were used to assess primary outcomes [problematic alcohol and other drug use, IPV (i.e., self-reported physical and psychological violence, risk of recidivism assessed by facilitators, and official recidivism)] and secondary outcomes [variables linked to intervention adherence (i.e., dropout, intervention dose, active participation and motivation to change)]. The results showed an increase in the effectiveness of the intervention in terms of reduced alcohol consumption, and increased adherence to the intervention (i.e., active participation and stage of change). The results obtained highlight the capacity to improve the effectiveness of PIPVPs when addressing the specific needs of the participants and invite to continue designing tools that increase prevention in the field of IPV.

Co-authors: Alexander Engström & Manne Gerell (Malmö University, Sweden)

Do neighborhoods generate fear of crime? In their renowned study published in Criminology, Brunton-Smith and Sturgis (2011) examined this research question using data from three waves of the British Crime Survey (now the Crime Survey for England and Wales). The authors conclude that both neighborhood structural characteristics, signs of disorder, and reported crime rates independently affect individual-level fear of criminal victimization. By utilizing data from six waves of the Swedish Crime Survey, spanning 2018 and 2023, the current study partially replicates the Brunton-Smith and Sturgis study. Utilizing multi-level modelling of roughly 400,00 respondents nested in about 6,000 neighborhoods, the current study examines whether the original findings hold with more recent data and across national contexts.

Co-authors: Karl Kronkvist & Manne Gerell (Malmö University, Sweden)

This study examines place-based fear of crime by comparing two spatial data collection methods in semi-rural areas of Kristianstad, Sweden, specifically Tollarp and Åhus. The first method uses a digital sketch map integrated with open-ended questions, allowing participants to directly mark unsafe locations. Data was collected via in-person engagement at central locations and through online platforms, resulting in geographically precise data on perceived fear of crime. The second method involves a random sample survey, employing open-ended questions to identify unsafe locations and circumstances, with responses geocoded into points, lines, or polygons for spatial analysis. The study identifies similarities and differences in the geography of fear of crime derived from these methods, highlighting the advantages of combining digital and survey approaches. Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and Nearest Neighbour (NN) analysis reveal significant clusters of fear of crime in both areas, often overlapping with crime hotspots. The findings underscore the value of integrating multiple data collection methods to improve the geographic precision and reliability of fear-of-crime data, offering insights into targeted, place-based crime prevention strategies tailored to semi-rural contexts.

Co-author: Lars Güettler (Malmö University)

Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM), has become a fairly common tool for spatial crime analysis, but to date it has not been used as much for other outcomes. The present study examines place-based risk factors associated with fear of crime (FoC) using RTM. FoC data were collected from four Swedish municipalities—Trelleborg, Nacka, Arvidsjaur, and Karlskrona—each of which tracks residents’ perceptions of safety. Twelve functional places (e.g., bars, parks, and transit stations) were analyzed as potential risk factors. RTMDx was used to develop a model for each municipality, identifying significant place-based risk factors, such as bars or parks, and generating risk terrain maps that highlight high-risk micro-places. The study explores intra- and inter-municipal trends and discusses implications for future research. Findings demonstrate that RTM is a useful and effective tool for predicting FoC based on place-based risk factors.

Concerns about youth participation in and exposure to serious crime have attracted increasing attention in the Swedish political debate. Despite growing awareness of the issue, there is limited research on the spatial and temporal aspects of how Swedish adolescents experience fear of crime in their everyday lives. This study seeks to address this gap by employing a web-based application designed to capture youth perceptions of (un)safety in their daily environments. Through an interactive mapping tool, participants identify and describe locations they perceive as unsafe or safe, providing insights into the situational and spatial factors shaping these experiences.

Data were collected from eighth-grade students in five Swedish municipalities. The study adopts an exploratory approach, examining variations across gender and other individual characteristics while identifying patterns and environmental risk factors. In doing so, this study contributes to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal aspects of youth fear of crime.

Criminal justice punishment is unequally distributed. The UK has the highest rates of imprisonment in Western Europe, where ethnic minority people in prisons make up 27 per cent of prisoners compared to 13 per cent of the general population. While recent government reports have highlighted persistent ethnic inequalities in the Criminal Justice System, there is limited evidence on the causes of these inequalities. Contemporary criminology acknowledges intersectionality and cumulative disadvantage in driving ethnic disparities, yet most empirical evidence to date has focused on direct rather than indirect additive, or cumulative effects. Most research also concentrates on sentencing disparities failing to uncover the combined effect of disparities that accumulate across decision points prior to sentencing to create adverse justice outcomes. This paper draws on research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and linked cross-justice datasets developed through Data First (DF), a pioneering data-linking programme led by the Ministry of Justice. Multilevel modelling is used to examine ethnic inequalities using disaggregated ethnic categories at different stages of the justice system, including pre-trial detention, plea proposal and sentencing and to assess how different legal and extra-legal factors may interact to produce adverse outcomes. The findings contribute to a better understanding about the causes of ethnic inequalities highlighting which groups may be subject to cumulative disadvantage, how earlier decisions in the justice system shape later outcomes, and the factors that are associated with the accumulation of disadvantage.

Co-authors: Camille Gibson (Prairie View A&M University, USA), Sherill Morris-Francis (Prairie View A&M University, USA) & Marika Dawkins-Cavazos (University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley, USA)

This descriptive study offers the results of an archival academic investigation to document the extent to which formal and informal justice practices, culture, subculture, and conflict resolution in ancient West Africa are reflected in informal justice and conflict resolution practices in the English-speaking Caribbean. It connects practices in West Africa at the height of slavery with the remnants of this heritage across the English-speaking Caribbean. The promulgation of justice practices that reflect ancient West African traditions holds the promise of more buy-in and success as an approach to combat regional violence threatening the development of Caribbean prosperity and the well-being of its citizens. This would be by the engagement of justice and peace-making practices that are an alternative to colonial-based justice systems in which large segments of society have been marginalized and ill-served by inherently foreign approaches that invoke long periods of family separation for families in crisis and other delays in the administration of justice. Granted, some of this dysfunction may be attributed to inadequate infrastructures to invoke practices properly. Nonetheless, alternative conflict resolution and correctional practices have the potential of being fiscally conservative in terms of the potential input and outcome balance. If respected community persons administer the community systems of justice reflective of ancient West African restorative justice practices, the celerity, severity, and certainty in response could empower local Caribbean communities to solve many of their conflicts. Thus, this study is three-fold: First, it involves carefully documenting West African pre-colonial justice systems including correctional practices, plus culture and subculture relevant to conflict resolution. Next, it consists of identifying these practices in the English-speaking Caribbean, and finally, it requires a prescriptive roadmap informed by an empirical analysis of possible impact and recommendations for addressing violence in the region.

It is often assumed that youth who are charged with criminal offences will have their day in court. However, Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) emphasizes that cases should be diverted (known as ‘extrajudicial measures’ and ‘extrajudicial sanctions’) away from the formal court process as much as possible and when appropriate. The frequent use of official forms of diversion by police and Crown prosecutors away from the court process is largely responsible for the success of declining rates of youth custodial sentences. Through court observations and interviews with lawyers, the following paper explains that a concurrent, and relatively unknown form of diversion is operating: an informal, unofficial diversion process exists where lawyers’ negotiations with prosecutors can lead to some youth completing ‘upfront work’ in exchange for a withdrawal of a charge(s). While there is widespread literature focused on the processes and critiques relating to official diversion, there is a dearth of literature that recognizes informal youth diversion. It is not clear for which offences or young persons this unrecorded and discretionary process is more or less likely to be offered to, or the reasons why. The lawyers explain the process, its rationale, discretionary and collaborative decision-making, and variations in the opportunity for some young people to be offered informal diversion in the context of legal and extralegal factors. The results are discussed within the context of literature about discretion, diversion and inequity within the youth justice system.

The field of criminology is broadly conversant with the defining contributions of 2016 Stockholm Prize winner, Travis Hirschi. However, to the degree that criminology is careless with preserving its past, it risks making luminaries like him a victim of their own success. The dominance of Causes of Delinquency (1969) and A General Theory of Crime (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990) that comprise the bookends of his career tend to obscure the historical significance of many of his other contributions. This biographical effort, which is a forthcoming installment of Routledge’s Key Thinkers in Criminology series, works to bring his more overlooked scholarship into focus. The primary prism through which we examine his collection of work is that of the animating debates he prompted and pressed, in a process of creative destruction. His arguments advanced not only control theory, but ultimately the field writ large because it required his peers to craft better arguments. From his C. Wright Mills Award winning title, Delinquency Research (Hirschi and Selvin, 1967) published prior to his dissertation, to his commentary on IQ, validation of self-report methodology, raising pointed objections to attempts at theoretical integration, revising the fundamental understanding of the age-crime curve, critiquing the influential criminal careers agenda, challenging conventional wisdom on white collar crime research, and his penetrating opposition to theoretical approaches like strain, social learning, and life-course he provoked an active defense of the field’s boundaries. These ten debates were featured in vigorous exchanges in sociology and criminology’s leading journals and pit his arguments against a roster of leading intellectuals, several of whom contributed oral histories to the biography (Ronald Akers, Alfred Blumstein, Delbert Elliott, David F. Greenberg, and Jackson Toby). While many of these debates turned acrimonious, several whom we spoke with affirmed the vital importance of argument in propelling science forward.

This paper presents the initial findings of a genealogical study of the academic research on the genetic causes of crime, aggression, and antisocial behaviour published in English between 1950 and 2000. Based on a systematic review of the relevant criminological and other scientific literature, I trace the development of genetic discourses on crime and its antecedents in relation to scientific and technological advancements in the fields of molecular biology and genetics, such as the Human Genome Project. Rather than relitigate the perennial criminological debate on nature versus nurture, the aim of this paper is to highlight how the scientific concepts of genes and genetics gained (and lost) epistemic authority in biosocial approaches to criminology by the turn of the millennium. This study is part of the ERC-funded project ‘Digital DNA’ (PI Prof Mareile Kaufmann) at the University of Oslo’s Institute for Criminology and Sociology of Law.

In 1989, two inmates at San Quentin Prison in the USA, Donald “Twin” James and Reginald “Happy” Wilson, experience a cultural event that changes their lives forever. They are reluctantly cast in the prison’s theatre production of Waiting for Godot, directed by Jan Jönson.

Amidst daily violence and complete deprivation of freedom, rehearsals become a space for contemplation and self-reflection. The step onto the theatre stage turns out to be less daunting than expected – their upbringing in gang environments had already laid the foundation for acting. These were roles they never chose, but ones that led them to commit the crimes that resulted in their 30-year prison sentences.

Video links are widely used in criminal courtrooms worldwide but there is raising concerns that the reduced physical interaction they entail threaten trial legitimacy and fairness. However, whether these concerns stem from empirical realities or a fetishization of physicality, remains unclear. Given the central role of criminal trials in democratic societies, understanding how physicality - or its absence - affects legal security and trust in the justice system is crucial, especially as courts transition toward virtual reality trials.

In this paper, I present my ongoing research on VIRTUTRIALS which explores how physical presence shapes contemporary trials and whether legitimacy and fairness can be maintained in virtual formats. The paper focuses on three key themes: practices and experiences; virtual justice rituals; and the evaluation of credibility and remorse.

Employing an innovative abductive, multi-method approach—including ethnography, qualitative interviews, and textual analysis of judgments—VIRTUTRIALS uniquely applies an interactionist social science perspective. By challenging traditional notions of trials as inherently face-to-face, it provides essential insights into the evolving nature of criminal courtroom interactions in an increasingly digital world.

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new possibilities in various fields of law, including criminal procedure. In Poland, AI is currently not employed in criminal proceedings; however, in the future, it could potentially be utilized for evidence analysis, decision-making support, and the detection of criminal patterns. While such technologies offer promising advantages, they require a thorough dogmatic legal analysis in terms of their compatibility with the existing principles of criminal procedure and the protection of individual rights.

This presentation aims to outline the potential applications of AI in Polish criminal proceedings and assess its compatibility with the fundamental tenets of criminal procedure.

The presentation will address the following aspects:
1. Introduction – Technological capabilities of AI in criminal proceedings in light of global trends.
2. AI in criminal investigations and judicial proceedings – The potential use of AI for evidence analysis, risk assessment in criminal proceedings, and the automation of analytical tasks.
3. Principles of criminal procedure and AI – The relationship between AI and fundamental procedural principles, such as due process, the right to defense, the presumption of innocence, and the free evaluation of evidence.
4. Challenges and limitations – Issues related to accountability for AI-assisted decisions, the risk of algorithmic bias, and data protection concerns.
5. Conclusion and recommendations – To what extent could AI be introduced into Polish criminal proceedings without infringing upon their fundamental principles?

This presentation seeks to initiate a discussion on the future of AI in the Polish criminal justice system and highlight the key aspects requiring legal regulation before the potential implementation of these technologies.

Femicide is the gender-based killing of women. According to a report by the United Nations, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023 globally, and one woman was killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partners or other family members. In the United States, research indicates that Black females are murdered at a rate substantially higher than that of other females. Using 24 years of female homicide data from the Violence Policy Center (VPC), this presentation examines the nature and extent of Black femicide in the United States. It also uses an intersectionality framework to discuss how the overlapping identities of race, gender, and class and the interplay of multiple forms of oppression contribute to the disproportionate rate of black femicides in the United States. Recommendations are included.

Co-authors: Jane Palmier (Wellstar College, Kennesaw State University, USA), Charles Natuhamya (Uganda Youth Development), Anna Nabulya (Uganda Youth Development) & Kelly Murray (Tulane University, USA)

Background: Gender-based violence is a critical and largely unaddressed public health issue in Uganda despite the high prevalence and associated adverse outcomes among young women. Young women in urban Kampala often face adversities and intersectionality related to poverty, gender-based violence, discrimination and inequitable gender norms. In this prospective cohort study, we examine whether self-reported perceptions regarding inequitable gender equity norms and gender-based violence at baseline will change after a three-month socioeconomic strengthening training program (SeSTT).

Methods: In 2023 we recruited 300 young women, ages 18 to 24 years, to participate in a prospective cohort study across three sites in the slums of urban Kampala, Uganda to examine the social determinants and mechanistic pathways of mental health and illness . The intervention cohort (n=150) consists of women who received SeSTT through our implementing partner, UYDEL, and the comparison non-intervention cohort of 150 women who did not receive this training . At baseline assessment, participants completed a survey which included gender equity measures (GEM Scale) and the WHO Violence Against Women Survey in addition to demographic and psychosocial measures.

Results: Among the 300 women, 33% reported high levels of support for inequitable gender norms. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess the association between demographic characteristics, gender equity norms and gender-based violence measures. Higher levels of support for inequitable gender norms were associated with lower levels of education and fewer generations in the household. In addition, higher levels of inequitable gender equity norms were significantly associated with being a victim of sexual and physical violence.

Conclusion: The findings from the baseline assessment indicate relatively high levels of support for inequitable gender norms which were associated with both violence victimization and demographic characteristics. Post-intervention results will be presented to determine if the intervention empowers women in terms of gender equity norms and violence.

Co-author: Edna Erez (University of Illinois Chicago, USA)

Recent decades have demonstrated an increase in research addressing women’s victimization in sports, with studies conducted mostly in Western countries. In India, like elsewhere in the world, women’s sports and related victimization have increasingly become apparent, albeit under-studied. Guided by a feminist socio-ecological approach, this study examines women’s sports-related abuse experiences and risk factors by surveying a random sample of 436 women sports players residing in one state in India. The results indicate that one-third of the women athletes were subjected to some form of abuse, the most common of which was financial. The social, cultural, relational, and institutional factors associated with abuse are presented, and the abuse forms, perpetrators, and women’s reasons for not reporting their victimization are described and analyzed. The article concludes with theoretical and policy implications and recommendations.

Forced labor is a widespread phenomenon that threatens our civilization. Nevertheless some people still ask, “Does it really exist now?” There is some ground for understanding as it is difficult to imagine that this type of dependence in XXI Century. On the other hand the level of awareness about modern slavery of some societies in Europe is still very low. Such crimes as human trafficking and forced labor do not fit into the cognitive patterns of a modern person. It is difficult to be accepted, irrespective of age, education or legal knowledge. Reducing a person to the commodity is contradictory to the elementary principles of people co-existing. Also it is not a matter of public debate and the authorities’ interest is minimal.

No surprise that progress in eliminating forced labor in Europe is not impressive. Mostly because forced labor is difficult to be detected. And this is because it is not visible for both people and law enforcement. Among many features of this crime described in the literature, little is said about the fact that this behavior is well hidden behind several cultural and societal curtains.

The question is, whether it is worth changing the language that is used to describe forced labor? Maybe criminal justice “jargon” should be replaced by language typical for humanistic perspective (empathy, human dimension). For this reason, departing from classic, legal definitions I propose new, a five-factor model for the description and analysis of phenomenon of forced labor. Also to be used as a practical tool in combating this crime.

In general, parents are considered to be the most qualified individuals to raise their children. However, in practice, this is not always the case. The number of reports of child abuse continues to rise. Every year children die as a result of the actions or neglect of their parents. The government seeks to intervene in parenting where necessary. If no other option is available, the removal of the child from the family may be decided in order to protect the minor.

Although parents can also be criminally prosecuted for acts committed against their children, this is often limited to clear cases where serious offenses are involved. In most jurisdictions the mere fact of 'poor parenting' is not an offence. There are countries where the use of violence as part of parenting is not explicitly prohibited. As a result, it is necessary to rely on certain offenses explicitly listed in the criminal code. These, however, are too narrow, meaning that some acts cannot be penalized.

On the other hand, government intervention can also have a negative effect on children’s lives. Government's efforts can lead to distressing situations where children have no contact with their parents during criminal investigations, or where siblings are separated from one another due to insufficient space to accommodate them together.

During this presentation, the following research question will be addressed: to what extent should the legislator adjust the criminal (prosecution) policy concerning parents in order to serve the best interests of all children within the family?

Co-authors: Lindsay Graef (University of Pennsylvania, USA) & Greg Ridgeway (University of Pennsylvania, USA)

Recent criminal justice reform efforts in the United States have included calls to make prosecutors’ offices more demographically representative of the localities they serve, arguing that a prosecutor’s background may impact how they handle cases. However, there is little empirical evidence demonstrating how prosecutor characteristics such as race or experience affect their decision making, a critical ingredient to managing diversity within an office. We use data from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO) on over 400,000 case charging decisions made by 144 assistant district attorneys (ADAs) over ten years to estimate the relationship between prosecutor background and charging decisions. To account for potential non-random sorting of cases to prosecutors, we compare actual caseloads to benchmark portfolios of cases weighted using machine learning to simultaneously balance hundreds of contextual case factors—including all information observed at the time of case assignment--in a doubly-robust regression framework. We find that initial police charges tend to stick, but prosecutors also exert important influences on charges. Prosecutors with varying demographics and experience charge cases differently: white prosecutors and female prosecutors are more stringent in their charging decisions, while more experienced prosecutors and those who attended a top law school are more lenient. Diversifying charging units may influence how cases are charged, within limits.

Significance statement: Many reform-oriented prosecutors have sought to recruit a more demographically diverse workforce believing that varied life experiences might enrich how prosecutors understand and resolve cases. However, there is limited evidence demonstrating how prosecutor background characteristics affect their real-world decisions. This large-scale study focused on charging decisions demonstrates that background does matter—Black prosecutors, those who graduated from a top law school, and more experienced prosecutors charge cases more leniently than the average prosecutor. The level of diversity within an office thus does indeed shape the number and outcome of cases.

The field of prevention is characterized by its chaotic nature, with numerous actors, located at local, regional or higher levels of government, employing a wide variety of strategies aimed at different goals and target groups. This complexity often raises many recurring questions: Are schools and youth movements also forms of prevention? Should neighborhood social projects cooperate with the police? Is camera surveillance desirable in low-crime areas? To develop a sound prevention policy, it is essential to bring order and create a clear overview of the prevention landscape. To better streamline this chaotic field, we need clear terminology and tools that clarify where certain actors or strategies are most appropriate. The project presented here aims to achieve conceptual clarity in the field of prevention, based on an analysis of literature, numerous debates in a reflection group and visits to various prevention programs.

The expansion of publicly funded private security represents a significant shift in contemporary crime control strategies. This project examines the emergence of Private Security Officers (PSOs) in Sweden, focusing on their role in urban security governance through the case of Gothenburg. Drawing on a mixed-methods evaluation, including key informant interviews, approximately 100 short in situ interviews, ethnographic observations, survey data, and crime statistics, the study explores the conjunctive factors enabling the emergence of tax-financed private security in welfare states such as Sweden. Findings indicate that the deployment of PSOs operates within a legal grey zone, shaped by a perceived crisis in policing, increasing local government responsibility for crime prevention, and the broader marketization of security services. While PSOs have shown minimal measurable impact on crime reduction, their presence is politically legitimized through discourses of safety and penal populism. Despite the increasing presence of PSOs in public spaces, the evidence regarding their effectiveness in reducing crime and addressing public fears of crime remains inconclusive at best. The literature suggests that while PSOs may contribute to a sense of safety in certain contexts, their actual impact on crime rates is often minimal. The findings from various evaluations of PSO deployments in Sweden reveal a troubling disconnect between crime statistics and public perceptions of safety. Moreover, contradictions emerge regarding their role—expected to function as both enforcement agents and community guardians—despite limited training and high turnover rates. This study argues that the rise of PSOs reflects a broader transformation of the welfare state, where security provision is increasingly privatized. Greater interdisciplinary cooperation between criminology and welfare research is needed to critically assess this shifting landscape of public-private policing.

IntroductionI performed research on a collaboration between an NGO and Stockholm’s public transport system, SL. The collaboration mandated the NGOs so called “seekers” to move within, and around SL’s area, to perform their normal assignment— help and guide marginalized/homeless people to where they can seek assistance for various basic needs. Even though this was the same assignment the seekers normally had, the information surrounding the collaboration stated it had the goal of raising perceived feelings of safety and security, within SL’s area.

The focus of the study was to attempt to understand the collaboration, its purpose and goals, the actors within it, and how safety and security played a part in it.

MethodData was collected through a participant observation, where I followed the seekers when they were performing their work in and outside of the collaboration. I also performed interviews with representatives from SL, the NGO and the seekers themselves.

Results & ConclusionI found that the seekers had a duality in their work, when working on “SL-time”. They performed their normal duties, but also acted as an entity to provide safety and security, specifically to the “non-marginalized traveler”. By performing their normal duties, the seekers could also could eject people “softly” from SL’s area and “manage disturbing elements” (Wacquant, 2009:2-3). Essentially, ejecting through “helping/guiding”. The collaboration, and its goals, is in line with the how the area of crime prevention has widened, its focus on deviant behavior and safety and security in public places (Brandén et. al. 2021:82; Flyghed, 2003:95; Hörnqvist, 2003;102;108; Rönnblom et. al., 2021:6). The collaboration also illustrated the new roles that NGOs find themselves towards the state. The NGO became responsible to the state that contracts them as service providers, not to the groups which they are supposed to give voice to (Dagnino, 2003:218-219).

Statement of Purpose: Community-based violence prevention programs utilizing outreach strategies effectively engage at-risk youth involved in antisocial behaviors. Programs staffed by "credible messengers"—individuals in advanced stages of desistance with ties to high-risk communities and past criminal involvement—are particularly successful in connecting with young people embedded in violent, antisocial networks. These messengers are uniquely positioned to mentor youth, fostering desistance from crime. While peer mentoring initiatives such as Cure Violence and Safe Streets have demonstrated success in reducing street violence, less is known about the applicability of mentoring for high school-aged youth in preventing delinquency.

Methods: This study examined the perspectives of 24 at-risk high school students and school personnel regarding the role of mentoring in steering youth away from gangs and street activities. Three focus groups were conducted with school counselors, teachers, social workers, and security staff. Thematic analysis explored (1) at-risk youth perceptions of mentoring and (2) school personnel’s insights on the needs of at-risk students and strategies to leverage mentoring in gang prevention. We used a mix of deductive and inductive strategies.

Results: The interviews with at-risk students identified several themes around group belonging and alienation, suggesting at-risk students struggles with peer pressure and sustaining healthy self-esteem. The focus groups highlighted how students benefits from credible messengers as mentors who have experienced similar social challenges and hardships, especially considering that students often come from “broken homes” with few opportunities to engage with “positive role-models.”

Significance to the Field: This analysis suggests credible messengers as mentors may have distinct (and probably unique) opportunities to reach, engage, and motivate at-risk high school students away from gang recruitment and street activities.


The focus of the study was to attempt to understand the collaboration, its purpose and goals, the actors within it, and how safety and security played a part in it.

MethodData was collected through a participant observation, where I followed the seekers when they were performing their work in and outside of the collaboration. I also performed interviews with representatives from SL, the NGO and the seekers themselves.

Results & ConclusionI found that the seekers had a duality in their work, when working on “SL-time”. They performed their normal duties, but also acted as an entity to provide safety and security, specifically to the “non-marginalized traveler”. By performing their normal duties, the seekers could also could eject people “softly” from SL’s area and “manage disturbing elements” (Wacquant, 2009:2-3). Essentially, ejecting through “helping/guiding”. The collaboration, and its goals, is in line with the how the area of crime prevention has widened, its focus on deviant behavior and safety and security in public places (Brandén et. al. 2021:82; Flyghed, 2003:95; Hörnqvist, 2003;102;108; Rönnblom et. al., 2021:6). The collaboration also illustrated the new roles that NGOs find themselves towards the state. The NGO became responsible to the state that contracts them as service providers, not to the groups which they are supposed to give voice to (Dagnino, 2003:218-219).

Co-authors: Martina Vall, Anna-Karin Ivert, Joakim Ingrell, Manne Gerell & Caroline Mellgren (Malmö University, Sweden)

Police research is a matter of concern not only for academia and the police, but also for politics, policymakers, the public and society in general. Research on Swedish police and policing has been conducted for more than six decades, and several reviews of Swedish police research have been performed in the past. However, none have focussed exclusively on empirical research, and the scope and character of empirical studies has long been unclear. To contribute to fill this knowledge gap, and to facilitate an informed discussion on the current state of empirical evidence, gaps and future research agendas, we have conducted a scoping review of published research and grey literature reporting original results of empirical studies on Swedish police. Departing from the overarching research question What is the scope and character of empirical studies on Swedish police published between 2010 and 2024, and what changes can be discerned over time? we have examined empirical studies on Swedish police with a special focus on extent, topics of interest, broader research themes, methods, research actors and types of publications. The literature was located by systematic searches in bibliographic databases, targeted hand searches and requests to academic research environments. Utilising the software Covidence, selection of sources was conducted in two steps and a data extraction template was used to chart and extract the data. By paying close attention to specific research topics in the included studies, ten main themes emerged: Police organisation and profession; Collaboration; The police and the public; Maintenance of law and order; Criminal offences; Critical incidents and crisis management; Victims and witnesses; Social categories and the police; Environment and place; and Knowledge development. In this presentation we will give an overview of the scoping review results, and open for discussion on its potential application.

Keywords: police, police research, policing, Sweden, scoping review

Combatting organized crime is a top priority for the current Swedish government and security zones are one of several repressive policies implemented during the last years aimed at achieving this. Security zones are areas in which the police can stop and search people without suspicion of criminal activity and were implemented in 2024. They are based on a Danish model of visitation zones, which have never previously been evaluated. The legislation has faced a large amount of backlash. It has been speculated that it will primarily affect vulnerable areas and fears have been raised regarding the increased risk of stigmatization and discrimination security zones may lead to, as well as the potentially damaging effects it will have on trust in the police. It is therefore important to investigate, not only the crime-reducing effects of security zones, but the effects they may have on the relationship between the police and the public as well. Besides this it is also important to examine how police work is practically being conducted in security zones. In order to investigate these questions, semi-structured qualitative interviews with police officers who have worked in security zones have been conducted. This presentation will focus on preliminary results from these interviews.

Abstract: Although research finds that place-based crime prevention has been efficient in reducing crime and disorder, questions remain on how to identify places that should get attention and who should decide this. Citizens’ perceptions of unsafe places may align or digress with police knowledge and experiences of crime. On top of that, when crime analysis is employed, some other places might appear as hot spots. To answer these questions, the current study uses three different sources to map hot spots in one south Swedish municipality. In the first, citizens have marked unsafe locations. The next source is police-determined hot spots based on municipal meetings and prior police knowledge and analysis. The third source is applied data analysis of outdoor crime. Similarities and differences in hot spots identified by different sources will be discussed.

Keywords: crime hot spots, unsafe places, police, community, data analysis

Co-author: Niklas Jakobsson (Karlstad University, Sweden)

Since Sweden won the Eurovision song contest 2023 the event was organized in Malmö, Sweden, in 2024. Due to the tense situation and terror threat, this led to a massive police presence in Malmö. Media have reported that this was associated with a substantially reduced crime level, but whether this holds up for academic scrutiny is unclear. Furthermore, one could expect some crime types to go up due to increased police presence, whereas other crime types should go down. Police initiated crimes such as traffic or drug crime could be expected to increase with more police. The massive influx of visitors to the city could be expected to drive up non police-initiated crime, whereas the police presence should reduce it. In the present study interrupted time series analysis is used to identify whether crime differed substantially during Eurovision, and how that varies by crime type.

Keywords: crime hot spots, unsafe places, police, community, data analysis

Co-author: Hanneke E. Creemers (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands), Larissa Hoogsteder (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands & De Waag, Outpatient forensic mental health care center) & Jessica J. Asscher (Utrecht University, Netherlands)

Background: Interventions aimed at juveniles exhibiting challenging antisocial behavior often face motivation issues, high drop-out rates, and difficulties in achieving substantial and long-lasting effects. Gaining insight into how families experience these interventions may be a crucial step in obtaining more understanding of what does and does not work for clients in forensic youth care. The current study investigated the experiences of juveniles and caregivers with Forensic Outpatient Systemic Therapy (FAST), an intensive intervention aiming to reduce juvenile antisocial behavior and recidivism (risk). The study examined how families evaluated FAST in terms of the process of setting treatment goals, helpful components, points of improvement, their therapist, and a blended version of FAST that is partially offered online.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted after treatment termination with 24 participants from 16 families (9 juveniles, 15 caregivers). A purposive sampling method was used to yield a varied sample. Thematic analysis was done in three phases.
Results: Treatment goals were generally set collaboratively and agreement was often achieved, but juveniles were not always involved in treatment goal setting or in treatment in general. Evaluations of intervention success and therapists were varied but generally positive, with some reporting the need for more therapist responsivity. Most helpful treatment components were conversations with the therapist and, to caregivers, program specific components. The blended version of FAST increased treatment accessibility for some caregivers, but most participants preferred face-to-face treatment.

Conclusions: This study examined the experiences of juveniles and caregivers with FAST. It highlights how treatment is perceived, factors influencing engagement, and therapists' needs for practice enhancement. First, building a strong therapeutic alliance is important. However, initial safety interventions may be required. Second, engaging juveniles remains challenging and therapists should persist in connecting with them. Third, blended care may improve accessibility. Discussing its potential with families could enhance engagement.

Due to the difference between the life in juvenile training schools and the life after release, many of those who are committed in juvenile training schools are unable to sustain a healthy lifestyle after release, which may lead to re-offending. Therefore, it is conceivable that to actively implement activities and correctional education outside of the facility during their incarceration and to bridge the gap between the life in the facility and the life after release will be more effective for their treatment.

According to the results of questionnaire surveys for the inmates conducted after their social contribution activities at Kifunebara Juvenile Training School, examining the inmates' “sense of self-usefulness”, “willingness for rehabilitation” and “cooperativeness”, the activities implemented outside the facility, which entail communication with people outside, showed a better effect on all items than the one implemented inside the facility. Therefore, it shows that it is effective to proactively implement activities and education outside the facility while they are in the juvenile training school in order to improve their positive motivation and to lead them to a smooth reintegration into society after release.

This study will demonstrate the usefulness of communication in effective correctional education, by introducing how inmates received the reactions from people outside of the facility during social contribution activities and how these reactions led them to rehabilitation and positive behavior, based on examples from actual social contribution activities.

The conceptualization of youth offenders as a social problem can be understood through two primary perspectives: an objective, statistical approach and a social constructionist view, where definitions of youth offenders emerge from an inconsistent societal discourse. This study reviews the shifting discourse in policy around children in conflict with the law (CICLs), highlighting the increasing perception of children as potential future criminals, targeted not merely for acts committed but for their perceived trajectory toward criminality. Situating this phenomenon within the broader context of democratic backsliding and punitive criminal justice trends, such as lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the study examines how contemporary political and media narratives construct children as societal threats under terms such as “child soldiers,” overshadowing principles enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Despite these challenges, the implications of the UNCRC for criminal policy remain underexplored. Using Sweden as a case study, the research analyzes recent policy shifts that prioritize early identification of children deemed “at risk” of future criminality, representing a departure from earlier frameworks that framed vulnerable children as subjects in need of protection for their well-being. Contemporary policy constructs these children as risks to society, reinforcing a preventative logic that blurs the line between potential and actual criminality. This study interrogates how these reconceptualizations influence legal and social interventions, shaping policies that emphasize surveillance, classification, and preemptive control over rehabilitation. Consequently, the research contributes to the scholarship by exploring how political and societal pressures reshape understandings of children, leading to an expanded definition of “youth offender” that includes both juveniles who break the law and younger children presumed to be on the path toward criminality.

The session brings together diverse approaches, from crowdsourced data and smart data analytics to participatory methods and virtual reality models to better understand and improve safety in in public spaces.

Co-author: Renee Zahnow

The entrenched regularities associated with our daily mobility creates a unique social phenomenon termed the familiar stranger – an individual who we recognise but have never spoken to. Familiar stranger encounters hold important social implications for places and cities including maintenance of social norms and regulation of crime opportunities. Quantifying the location and timing of familiar stranger encounters at scale are of critical importance to the everyday social fabric of our cities, underpinning our sense of belonging, connection and ontological security. At a time where there is unprecedented global growth in urban populations, the need for an empirical measurement of familiar stranger encounters for our metropolises has never been greater. By measuring familiar stranger encounters for over 252 million public transit trips made by over 12 million individual smart cards across a metropolis over a 6-year period we unveil the rhythmic temporality of familiar strangers and how this differs across the system. By modelling the social implications of these encounters, we highlight that the presence of familiar strangers exerts important crime-protective effects. We then reveal how COVID-19 has acted to disrupt the level of familiar strangers, finding a sudden and dramatic decline in the volume of repeated social encounters following the onset of the pandemic. Familiar stranger encounters have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Notwithstanding the diversity of travel patterns, we unveil that for 60 percent of the weekday passengers' trips experience at least one familiar stranger encounter with that falling to 40 percent for those travelling on the weekend.

Co-authors: Vania Ceccato (KTH Royal institute of technology, Sweden) & Marcus Felson

This study examines graffiti as an incivility in Stockholm’s pedestrian tunnels and municipal approaches to tunnel safety. Analysing 1,281 tunnels—including pathways, cycleways, and stairways—using crowdsourced data, police records, field inspections, regression models, and GIS, we find that only about 25% of tunnels have graffiti reported to police. This suggests that incidents are concentrated in specific locations, with larger tunnels, especially cycling underpasses, showing higher levels. Associations with metro proximity, schools, and youth demographics are noted. A survey of 29 Swedish municipalities identifies insufficient lighting as the key factor contributing to tunnel insecurity, along with poor visibility, isolation, and graffiti. Common responses include cleaning, lighting maintenance, and anti-graffiti measures, with 68% emphasizing increased funding for tunnel projects. Overall, our integrated spatial and municipal analysis provides actionable recommendations for urban planners to enhance tunnel safety, manage incivility, and support urban sustainability initiatives.

Co-authors: Vania Ceccato (KTH Royal institute of technology, Sweden) & Per Näsman

Most research on fear and safety perceptions focus on adults, with limited attention to youth perspectives. This gap in research may not only obscure adolescent vulnerability but also risks reinforcing negative stereotypes, as young people are often framed as contributors to urban safety concerns rather than as stakeholders. This study explores the potential of mobile applications as a tool for capturing youth perceptions of neighborhood safety. Unlike traditional surveys, smartphone applications facilitate real-time data collection, allowing participants to provide geotagged safety assessments, images, and contextual insights. The study focuses on a small sample of young residents in the largely stigmatized Järva district of Stockholm, Sweden, using Street Eye, a mobile application developed to document and analyze safety perceptions in urban spaces. Following the data collection, a workshop was conducted with participants to further contextualize their experiences. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of how adolescents experience urban safety and its relationship with place stigma, while highlighting the continued relevance of mobile technologies in enhancing participatory research on the geographies of fear and safety.

Co-authors: Ute Besenecker, Martin Höglund, Hamid Eizadi, Per Näsman & Barak Ariel

Investing in a safe public transport system means promoting accessibility as a fundamental right for all city users. Lighting conditions are crucial in making public transportation accessible to everyone, as they impact an individual’s vision and safety perceptions. However, a deeper understanding of how lighting conditions (illumination in a particular place) affect an individual’s safety perceptions in subway stations is still lacking. This study examines the effect of lighting on passengers' safety perceptions in two distinct station environments: platforms and passages. The research focuses on changes in lighting conditions (intensity and colour) through experiments conducted at Fridhemsplan station in Stockholm, Sweden, and in virtual reality (VR) scenarios that mirrored the actual station. In this presentation, I share our findings from our ongoing research project funded by Region of Stockholm.

Historical and contemporary studies show how prisons, carceral institutions, and psychiatric facilities have merged under punitive logics of “care.” Today, the healthcare system, criminal legal system, and child welfare system are closely linked in processes of criminalizing care. However, limited research examines how legal cases within child protective services justify punitive interventions using the “best interest of the child” framework to address violence against women. Using a feminist abolition medicine, decolonial framework, and 28 photo-elicitation testimonios with Latina mothers involved with the child welfare system, I argue that definitions of “care” must center the intergenerational knowledge of families who have experienced the harms of violence. I discuss how care is medicalized and institutionalized in psychiatric facilities, domestic violence shelters, halfway homes, and drug rehabilitation centers via 1) framing the “crazy” or “loka” 2) unsafe contexts, and 3) intergenerational legal blame. In this article, I highlight the intricacies of care, safety, and abolition medicine to illustrate how the child welfare system perpetuates a form of medicalized carcerality that adversely affects the health of Latina mothers and their children. As we navigate the uncertainty of what constitutes safety for families in crisis, it is crucial to examine how various settings—such as domestic violence shelters and psychiatric facilities—can also foster insecurity, reinforcing cycles of abuse. This approach invites us to rethink the concepts and practices of safety and care and reveals how mothers draw on these experiences to cultivate intergenerational safety, shedding light on overlooked dimensions of organizational influence on family wellbeing.

This study examines how young women of color experience institutional gendered violence in the juvenile justice system, specifically group homes and, most recently, Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTPs).. Through testimonios/testimonies—life history interviews with twenty young women of color who have experienced the carceral system through juvenile halls, foster homes, and group homes in The Southern Inland Region and Los Angeles, California, I demonstrate that although group homes claim to replicate a home environment, they are not meeting the crucial requirements necessary for supporting young women’s mental and emotional well-being. Instead, these homes replicate corrective punishment by surveilling behavior while implying they do the opposite. Often treated as outside of the prison complex, I argue that group homes are part of a prison continuum that has long aimed to capture and incarcerate youth in what I term as corrective gendered spaces—where they have long embodied gendered incarceration for young women who are seen as delinquent and deviant punished by being domesticated into an ideal womanhood. This research centers a gendered crime perspective, in the ways that young women are treated differently, compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, this study centers on young women’s experiences through their testimonios— urgent voices of resistance that reveal social injustices through their own experiences of incarceration and placement in group homes.

Co-author: Janusz Bojarski (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland)

Until recently, the protection of sexual autonomy was not a priority for Polish legislators. The definition of rape in Poland mirrored that established in the inaugural Polish Criminal Code of 1932, which defined rape as induction by force, unlawful threat or deceit another person to engage in a sexual intercourse or another sexual activity. Consequently, the fundamental characteristics of this offence, have remained static, despite the profound transformations in social dynamics within the sexual sphere. A new definition of rape (induction another person to engage in a sexual intercourse or another sexual activity without his/her consent) was proposed in Poland to meet the requirements of the Istanbul Convention and the case law of the ECtHR. This definition met with the reluctant opinion of many academics and practitioners. Finally at present a rape is induction by force, unlawful threat, deceit or in another manner without his/her consent, another person to engage in a sexual intercourse or another sexual activity. It seems to be a reason of problem to execute the new law in practice.

The purposes of this paper are: firstly, to present the current Polish criminal policy regarding rape; secondly, to explore reasons for the low reporting rate (of just over 1,000 cases per year) in an 38-million-strong population; and thirdly, it will shed light on the difficulties faced by victims of this crime who have decided to report it to the authorities. There also will be an analysis of the new definition of rape and associated provisions related to the sexual abuse. Contrary to the ambitious assumptions of the drafters it is highly doubtful that this will result in the anticipated changes in the reporting, qualification and adjudication of non-violent behaviour, other than unlawful threats and deception, as rape. This is due to the conservative approach to the redefinition.

On 1 July 2018, changes were made in Sweden to the legislation concerning rape, meaning that the law is now based upon the absence of consent instead of the occurrence of violence, threats or the victim’s particularly vulnerable situation – the so-called ‘consent law’. The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) made a first study about the application already one and a half years after the amendments. To get a fuller picture the Government has commissioned Brå to make a new study of the application of the new rules and a report was published in February 2025.

The main questions in the study are: – How have the rate of police reports, prosecutions and convictions developed since the changes in the law? - How does the police work with rape cases? – Have there been changes in the way that the courts interpret the law? – What do different groups within and without the judiciary think about the new consent rules? What are the consequences of the sharpening of the minimum sentence for rape from two to three years?

In the study a wide range of data from different sources has been gathered: all 374 court cases from 2023 relating to completed rape against an adult, a sample of police reports and associated police investigations relating to such rapes from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, a questionnaire to people who acted as defense counsels in a rape case in 2023, interviews with prosecutors and group interviews with police investigators in nine units in different regions in Sweden. Finally, the minimum sentence for rape in Sweden has been compared with the sentence in other European countries where rape legislation is based on consent.

The study show that the new consent rules have had a great impact on what kind of rape cases that are reported to the police. Today one third of the reported cases don´t involve neither violence, threats or exploitation of the victim's particularly vulnerable situation. The main result in the study is that the courts over all are able to apply the new rules in a way that is in accordance with the intentions of the law and the requirements of legal certainty, but there are cases that illustrate difficulties when it comes to both deciding if an act is rape or not and deciding what is enough as proof for a conviction.

Youth crime and at-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse, delinquency, and gang involvement, are significant challenges in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, particularly among vulnerable adolescent populations. This qualitative study explores the antecedent factors contributing to these behaviors and identifies primary interventions to address them. Through in-depth interviews with 20 at-risk youth, and 3 teachers, the study examines the underlying causes of youth crime, including family dysfunction, peer pressure, socioeconomic deprivation, and lack of access to education and support systems. Participants highlighted feelings of marginalization, limited opportunities, and the absence of positive role models as key drivers of at-risk behaviors. Existing interventions, such as community outreach programs and school-based initiatives, were acknowledged as beneficial but often underfunded and inaccessible. The findings underscore the importance of addressing antecedent factors through targeted primary interventions, including strengthening family support networks, enhancing educational and vocational opportunities, and expanding community-based programs like mentorship and youth centers. Collaborative efforts between government agencies, NGOs, and local communities are essential to creating a supportive environment for at-risk youth. This study provides a foundation for developing culturally sensitive, context-specific strategies to reduce youth crime and promote positive development in Kuala Lumpur.

Keywords: Youth crime, at-risk behavior, antecedent factors, primary interventions, qualitative study, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Co-author: Beth Hardie (University of Cambridge, UK)

SATNAV:Compass is an evidence-backed programme of change centred around developing individual morality. The project is guided by Situational Action Theory, and the well-evidenced link between antisocial morality and adolescent crime and problem behaviour. SATNAV:Compass has a longitudinal, participatory, and co-produced research design and is being developed with continual practitioner collaboration. SATNAV Compass has delivered targeted individual-level moral development interventions in ten schools (nine in England and one in China) to date and is suitable for delivery in a range of youth settings.

This paper presents the process evaluation and early impact indicators from several school pilot trials of SATNAV:Compass. With focus on individual morality in combination with the moral context (as part of the wider SATNAV project), this work has the potential to contribute to child development meaningfully and comprehensively to encourage positive decision-making and give children opportunities to reach their full potential. These and wider benefits are expected to extend outside the school context and beyond adolescence and compulsory education.

This talk will be relevant for youth crime academics and practitioners in all types of youth organisations, including schools, youth work charities, and youth offending and youth justice settings. Attendees are invited to discuss potential new collaboration for delivery, implementation and evaluation of the SATNAV:Compass intervention programme in their respective youth organisations.

Dr Neema Trivedi-Bateman is Co-Principal Investigator of the wider SATNAV Project, and the Founder and Principal Investigator of SATNAV:Compass.

Dr Beth Hardie is the Founder and Co-Principal Investigator of the wider SATNAV Project, and Co-Investigator of SATNAV:Compass. Beth is also Managing Editor of The European Journal of Criminology.

Co-author: David M Day (Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada), Deborah M Capaldi (Oregon Social Learning Center, USA), Joung Yon Choi (University of Houston, USA) & Weiwei Wu (University of Houston, USA)

STUDY PURPOSE: Although interest in the economics of crime has grown across time (e.g., Cohen 2020), few longitudinal studies have disaggregated the financial costs of crime by distinctive offender trajectory groups. The purpose of this study was to provide updated estimates (in 2017 USD) of the financial costs of crime for a community sample of at-risk men in the United States using the willingness-to-pay (WTP) costing method. We hypothesized that the largest share of WTP-costs of crime would be concentrated in the highest-level offender trajectory group relative to other trajectory groups characterized by lower levels of criminal activity over a period of 27 years.

METHODS: This prospective study used data from 206 at-risk men who took part in the Oregon Youth Study. Approximately 90% of the sample was White. Official juvenile and adult court records provided annual counts of arrests across 27 years (from ages 10-11 to ages 37-38 years). Other recorded information included the type of charged offenses as well as court dispositions. Inflation-adjusted WTP-cost estimates were calculated for arrests with jail disposition based on Cohen and Piquero (2009).

RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS: Three arrest trajectory classes were derived via semiparametric group-based modeling in Stata (Nagin, 2005). A zero-inflated Poisson model that accounted for exposure time, intermittency, and mortality yielded the following classes: Rare offenders (62.8%, N = 129), low-level chronic offenders (21.6%, N = 46), and high-level chronic offenders (15.7%, N = 31). Classification quality was high (e.g., odds of correct classification exceeded the recommended value of 5.0 for each group, ranging from 21.77 to 130.94). As expected, high-level chronic offenders accounted for a disproportionate amount (about 70%; on average $1,536,544 per person) of the total inflation-adjusted WTP-costs incurred by the sample. Implications of the results will be discussed.

Community-violence intervention programs (CVIs) are data- and community-informed strategies for promoting public safety, while also addressing the root causes of violence and reducing reliance on police. While CVIs have expanded in recent years, funding remains a barrier—from scoping out key costs and components, to securing sustained resources and demonstrating cost-benefits and savings.

This paper presents costing analyses for three CVIs: Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs), Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs), and Alternative First Response (AFR). Methods include ingredients-based, bottom-up costing approaches, reviews of over 30 budgets, and interviews and focus groups of program staff. General assumptions include a mid-sized city, three years of funding, and a minimum of livable wages. SYEP-specific assumptions include 3,000 participants, six providers, at least 200 worksites, and youth stipends of $12.50 per hour. HVIP-specific assumptions include one emergency department, one community-based organization, 100 violent injury patients, and six to 12 months of engagement. AFR-specific assumptions include one call center and emergency department; 16 unarmed community crisis responders dispatched to low-level calls; and full geographic but partial time coverage.

Estimated annual costs of HVIPs are $1.1 million ($11,129/participant); SYEPs are $10 million ($3,338/participant); and AFRs are $2.4 million. Youth stipends are the largest budget category for SYEPs, while staff is largest for HVIPs and AFRs. Other unique costs include employment skills trainings for SYEPs, discretionary crisis support for HVIPs, and vehicles for AFRs. Up-front costs for all three programs are minimal, with budgets increasing by less than 5% over three years. Customizable costing workbooks were also developed. Cities can utilize this research to ensure sufficient funding is allocated within their annual budgets, and researchers can utilize it to inform future cost savings and benefits analyses.

This paper investigates how AI-generated images can shape and reinforce the "cult of personality" and the narrative of martyrdom surrounding terrorist figures, using the case study of Yahya Sinwar, the (former) leader of Hamas in Gaza (Lewis, 2019; Pisch, 2016). Following Sinwar’s assassination, a surge of AI-generated visuals emerged on social media platforms, idealising and glorifying him (Stenzler-Koblentz, 2024). Guided by the conceptual lens of cult of personality and drawing parallels with historical propaganda strategies, this research employs multimodal discourse analysis to identify key motifs — such as symbolic iconography, emotional appeals, and hagiographic portraiture — that imbue Sinwar’s image with heroic, near-divine attributes (Lewis, 2019; Loadenthal, 2014). By comparing such portrayals with concurrent counter-narratives, the study reveals how contemporary extremist groups and their supporters may leverage new media technologies to cultivate charismatic leadership myths, bolster ideological loyalty, and influence public perception. Ultimately, this inquiry highlights the role of AI-generated imagery in the dynamic interplay between propaganda, extremist ideology, and digital communication, informing ongoing efforts to counteract the proliferation of terrorist glorification in online spaces.

This paper explores the systematic malicious use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in online extremism (Tech Against Terrorism, 2023; Siegel, 2023; Siegel, 2024). It employs a theoretical and methodological framework that integrates theories around Online Extremism, Multimodal Argumentation and GenAI to investigate the ways in which AI technologies are shaping the landscape of online extremism (Gilbert, 2024; Groarke, 2002; Mardiana & Daniels, 2019; Stenzler-Koblentz, 2023). This research conceptualises extremism in argumentation using Hassan et al.’s (2023) definition, i.e. a radical position, either held by individuals or groups, aimed at challenging or changing the status quo. This position can relate to political or non-political matters and have positive or negative implications, characterised by a resolute adherence (Hassan et al., 2023). The thesis aims to examine how the development and deployment of AI might inherently encourage or facilitate extremist behaviours by offering new tools for propaganda and manipulation, shaping the understanding of power-relations, justice and crime as conveyed through the imagery (McClanahan, 2021). Through methods and approaches in Multimodal Argumentation, the paper analyses how AI-generated images act as arguments within online extremist communities, focusing on the visual elements, text, and layout that communicate, reinforce and persuade followers of extremist ideologies (Groarke, 2014; Waldek, 2021; Wintrobe, 2006). Such integration offers a comprehensive approach to studying the AI-generated extremist images, allowig for a detailed examination of both the content of images and their social role. Additionally, the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI are addressed, highlighting the importance of accountability, transparency, and the potential societal and individual impacts of these technologies. By doing so, this study contributes to the broader discourse on the ethical use of AI and offers insights into the prevention and mitigation of AI-assisted extremist activities online, as well as offers a new topical application in multimodal argumentation research within criminology.

This dissertation interrogates the fraught nexus of press freedom, state secrecy, and human rights through the lens of the Julian Assange case, probing its implications for democratic governance and the rule of law. It argues that Assange’s prosecution exemplifies a profound conflict between the reliance of the state on secrecy to safeguard power and the critical role of the press as a watchdog of government transparency.

Through doctrinal analysis, comparative legal evaluation, and a critical appraisal of political influence on judicial processes, this essay reveals how state apparatuses, particularly in the US and UK, weaponized legal frameworks to suppress dissent and investigative journalism. The research uncovers a pattern of punitive measures against Assange, from questionable legal proceedings to psychological torture, all executed under the guise of legality and national security. These practices, it argues, represent a strategic erosion of constitutional and international protections for freedom of expression, press independence, and the public’s right to know.

The dissertation advances the thesis that prioritizing state secrecy over fundamental rights undermines the very democratic principles it purports to protect. It critiques the systemic complicity of Western democracies in enabling such overreach, demonstrating how these actions threaten to chill journalistic inquiry and to shield state misconduct from accountability. Ultimately, this study calls for a recalibration of legal and ethical norms to ensure that the imperatives of transparency and justice prevail over political expediency, offering a critical blueprint for safeguarding democracy.

The detention of journalists and publishers abroad poses serious legal and diplomatic challenges, particularly when authoritarian regimes employ arbitrary detentions as a political tool. This paper critically examines Sweden’s response to the case of Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen and publisher detained in China, exploring the legal and criminological implications of his prolonged imprisonment.

Using Gui’s case as a focal point, this study analyses Sweden’s consular assistance, legal advocacy, and diplomatic strategies in light of international law and state responsibility. It interrogates the efficacy of Sweden’s adherence to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the European Union's consular protection mechanisms, and broader human rights obligations. The research highlights the limitations of diplomatic engagement in politically sensitive detentions and evaluates Sweden’s legal framework in advocating for its detained nationals.

This paper contributes to contemporary criminological discourse by situating state responses to politically motivated detentions within the broader framework of penal law development, international legal obligations, and human rights enforcement. The findings underscore the growing intersection between criminal justice, diplomatic strategy, and transnational human rights advocacy, emphasising the need for stronger international safeguards against the arbitrary detention of journalists and political dissidents.

The privatisation of correctional facilities has been a significant policy shift in the United Kingdom, raising questions about its impact on justice, rehabilitation, and the quality of prison services. This paper critically examines the operations of Sodexo Justice Services (SJS), a private entity managing UK prisons, through a case study of HMP Peterborough. By analysing corporate structure, financial incentives, and contractual obligations, the paper explores how the profit-driven model affects the delivery of essential services, including healthcare, safety, staffing, and rehabilitation programs.

Findings indicate systemic failures in prison management, including inadequate mental health care, staff shortages, improper strip searches, and breaches of duty of care, resulting in legal and ethical concerns. While privatisation is often justified on cost-saving grounds, this study highlights how cost-cutting measures have led to declining prison conditions and human rights violations. Additionally, the UK government’s reliance on private contractors introduces challenges in oversight and accountability, raising concerns about the state’s ability to ensure just and humane incarceration.

This paper contributes to criminological debates on justice and rationality in correctional policies, questioning whether the privatisation of prison management undermines fundamental principles of fairness and rehabilitation. The findings underscore the need for enhanced regulatory frameworks and oversight mechanisms to mitigate the risks associated with for-profit incarceration. The study ultimately invites further discussion on whether privatisation aligns with the objectives of an effective and equitable penal system.

Life imprisonment represents one of the most severe forms of punishment in modern legal systems, reflecting a jurisdiction’s approach to justice, deterrence, and rehabilitation. This paper examines the evolution and application of life sentences in Sweden, England and Wales, and Germany, analysing how their distinct legal traditions shape penal policies. Despite their shared commitment to the rule of law and human rights, these jurisdictions diverge significantly in sentencing practices, judicial discretion, and post-sentencing review mechanisms.

Sweden and Germany prioritise rehabilitation, allowing for structured review mechanisms that provide a pathway to release, while England and Wales maintain whole-life orders, emphasising retributive justice. The study explores the historical development of life sentencing, the legal and political factors influencing its evolution, and the role of international human rights frameworks, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights. The analysis highlights the tension between public safety, proportional sentencing, and the risk of excessive punitiveness, raising critical questions about the long-term consequences of life imprisonment.

The paper further assesses the impact of life sentencing on recidivism, prison conditions, and legal fairness. It examines the balance between the need for severe punishment in cases of grave offenses and the necessity of ensuring human dignity and reintegration prospects. The findings suggest that while life imprisonment remains a vital sanction, policies should incorporate mechanisms for review, re-socialisation, and proportionality to prevent undue hardship and uphold legal rationality. By comparing different national approaches, this study contributes to a broader discussion on the future of sentencing policies and the evolving role of life imprisonment in modern criminal justice systems.

This research qualitatively explores the types of strains and strain responses individuals experienced during the 2010-11 Brisbane floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, through the theoretical lenses of Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST). Agnew’s GST explains individual-level maladaptive behaviours as responses to strains and negative emotions. The broad principles of this theory render it adaptable and relatable enough to be applied to disruptive disaster contexts. A thematic analysis was first done on 45 interview transcripts (secondary data) for the floods study; and then on 22 interview transcripts (primary data) for the pandemic study. Themes were created from both studies to explore what constitutes as strain, and what are responses to strains, during disasters. These themes were then compared to answer how similar / different these strain experiences and responses were across the 2010-11 Brisbane floods and COVID-19 pandemic. To support comparative analysis, participants for the pandemic study were recruited from the same suburbs as the floods study – Chelmer-Graceville, Tennyson, and Goodna, in South-East Queensland. Comparative insights highlight distrust in disaster communications. Disaster strains compound and persist even after the disaster has passed, underscoring the importance of long-term support during this recovery period. Individuals’ subjective appraisals of disaster strains can function as coping mechanisms. Additionally, individuals display cross-hazard learning and cope by leveraging their work / social identities to manage uncertain times. Greater survivor-centric support and attention to mental health is also needed in disaster responses. Theoretically, these findings support the application of Agnew’s GST in non-criminological contexts. Disasters are often construed as one large objective strain – a traumatic event for an individual. Future studies should consider compounding strain effects, and aim to capture disasters strains as a "many-strains-in-one" situation, to understand how individuals subjectively experience disaster strains as well.

Accessing and gambling through overseas online casinos from Japan constitutes an illegal gambling offense.
In recent years,access to overseas online casinos from Japan has been increasing, and in 2024 the number of individuals arrested for gambling offenses tripled compared to the previous year.
The majority of users are not aware that it is illegal to gamble through these overseas online casinos from Japan.
In our presentation,we will cover:an overview of online gamblers and Japan's criminal law,and the findings from the Japanese Police's investigation into the actual use of offshore online casinos.
We will also discuss issues and countermeasures related to:
･gambling customers
･bets and payouts
･online gambling sites
･online gambling sites operations
Regarding online casinos,it has been pointed out that there is an increase in access from Japan and problems with gambling addiction.Online casinos have become a serious social problem.
In December 2022,"the Strategy to Make Japan the Safest country in the world 2022"(Cabinet Decision),clearly stated,within the section on promoting measures against various incidents that threaten public safety and security,the need for crackingdown on gambling crimes related to online casinos,confiscating criminal proceeds,and the disseminating the fact of its illegality(as items related to promoting measures against various cases that threaten the safety and security of society.)

Co-authors: Ask Elklit (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark) & Maria Louison Vang (University of Southern Denmark & Odense University Hospital, Denmark)

Introduction: This study investigated stalking victimization profiles among 476 help-seeking individuals in Denmark to identify distinct behavior patterns and associated psychological effects. It was hypothesized that multiple stalking behavior patterns would emerge, each linked to different mental health impairments.

Methods: Data were collected through the Danish Stalking Center from 2020 to 2023. Latent class analysis was used to identify stalking behavior patterns. Multinomial logistic regression examined predictors of class membership, while multivariate analysis explored associations between class membership and mental health outcomes.

Results: Four distinct classes of stalking behavior were identified: 1) ``High intensity stalking with gifts and moderate risk of physical aggression,’’ 2) ``High intensity stalking with physical aggression,’’ 3) ``Stalking with no gifts or physical aggression,’’ and 4) ``Stalking with gifts and low risk of invasion and aggression.’’ Victim demographics were minimal predictors of class membership, with intimate partner relationships and having children associated with specific class memberships. Mental health outcomes varied significantly across classes, revealing a dose-response pattern where higher intensity stalking behaviors corresponded to more severe mental health impacts. The ``High intensity stalking with gifts and moderate risk of physical aggression’’ class reported the highest levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, disturbances in self-organization (DSO) symptoms, anxiety, and social life impairment. The ``High intensity stalking with physical aggression’’ class showed the highest depression scores and greatest impairment in family life. There were no class-differences in risk of endorsing criteria for a probable diagnosis of PTSD or Complex PTSD.

Conclusion: The study reveals diverse manifestations of stalking behavior and their differential impacts on victim’s mental health. The findings suggest that the presence of gifts or physical aggression is associated with more significant psychological and functional impairments. These insights can inform targeted interventions and support strategies for stalking victims.

Policing worldwide faces many significant challenges. Volunteer policing exists on a large scale in many national settings and in many diverse forms and has the potential to play a major role in crafting new forms of policing, in resetting relationships between police and communities and in building new policing capabilities to meet these challenges. However, despite this volunteer police have often been peripheral to wider strategic considerations of policing futures and are often absent in discourse of police reform.

This panel looks critically across the current practices of volunteer police internationally. Papers explore the widely varying volunteer programmes across policing in Europe and in the USA. Examining the distinct strategic positionings, professional identities and operational roles of volunteer police in a range of national settings.

Volunteer policing has been an under-researched area although this is beginning to change with a growth in empirical studies in several national settings and the development of some international comparative research projects. The panel looks across this emergent research internationally with a focus on core aspects of strategic purpose and ‘fit’, leadership, experience, engagement and career longevity, and value.

The papers bring together key strategic questions about the future positioning and future strategic contribution of volunteer police. They point to a potential to rethink the importance of voluntarism in wider considerations of police reform and in future developments of policing capability, legitimacy, and leadership.

Co-authors: Oldřich Krulik (Ambis University, Czechia), Pál Kardos (Ludovika University of Public Service, Hungary), Ross Wolf (University of Central Florida, USA), Matthew Callender (Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton, UK), Marvin (Ben) Haiman (University of Virginia, USA).

Models of volunteering in policing are developing rapidly in many different forms across the countries of Europe, in some reflecting a centuries long tradition of volunteering and in others more recently emergent over the past forty years. This paper represents a first in bringing a comparative strategic perspective across this vibrant mosaic of volunteer policing practices. The paper explores the scale and nature, structures and operating models of volunteering across policing in multiple European countries. It examines the varying purposes and priorities of volunteer participation in different national settings, locating this within the distinct strategic milieu for civic participation and policing in the different social, cultural and political national settings. More detailed case studies are developed to explore in detail the strategic function of contrasting volunteer police practices in four European settings: England and Wales volunteer Special Constables, the Estonian assistant police ‘Abipolitseinik’, the auxiliary police Civil Guard (Polgárőrség) in Hungary, and the specialist volunteer police in the Netherlands. A provisional theorisation of a taxonomy of volunteer policing models is presented, alongside theoretical exploration of the relationship between police voluntarism and wider concepts of community, preventative, and problem-oriented policing. Consideration is given to future strategic direction for volunteer policing across Europe. The paper sets out a prospective agenda for furthering comparative research across the continent and identifies key opportunities and challenges. In conclusion, the paper identifies the potential of volunteer policing and indeed a central importance for volunteering in meeting core and collective strategic challenges for policing across Europe in coming years. It also acknowledges common occupational culture and organisational culture barriers within policing, headwinds in many national settings towards broader civic participation, and often a lack of strategic engagement in this agenda amongst executive police leaderships, at governmental level, across policing academia, and amongst policing policy stakeholders.

The Estonian ‘Abipolitseinik’ assistant police officer role began thirty-one years ago in 1994, creating a volunteer police role within the new policing arrangements of the post-Soviet era. The number of assistant police officers at over 1,200 (approximately 30% of paid service police strength) is high in respect of international comparisons and there are government ambitions for further growth. The assistant police perform a wide range of roles, from participating in uniformed patrols to supporting various specialist and crime prevention functions and involving in border guard responsibilities.

The paper draws on research recently undertaken to understand volunteer motivations, experience, and to study reasons for volunteer retention and exiting. Key understandings are developed about who volunteers in the assistant police and patterns of volunteer career longevity. Consideration is given to the future direction and potential of the ‘Abipolitseinik’. Options are explored for how volunteer police might contribute to the future of police delivery in an even broader range of ways, how training models may further evolve, and how the opportunity to volunteer can be best projected to engage diversely across communities.

The paper contextualises the development and future of the volunteer police role in Estonia within the unique national setting and the strategic policing and security challenges of the country. Learning is identified from this specific exemplar of volunteer police contribution that might be applied in other national settings.

The Estonian ‘Abipolitseinik’ assistant police officer role began thirty-one years ago in 1994, creating a volunteer police role within the new policing arrangements of the post-Soviet era. The number of assistant police officers at over 1,200 (approximately 30% of paid service police strength) is high in respect of international comparisons and there are government ambitions for further growth. The assistant police perform a wide range of roles, from participating in uniformed patrols to supporting various specialist and crime prevention functions and involving in border guard responsibilities.

The paper draws on research recently undertaken to understand volunteer motivations, experience, and to study reasons for volunteer retention and exiting. Key understandings are developed about who volunteers in the assistant police and patterns of volunteer career longevity. Consideration is given to the future direction and potential of the ‘Abipolitseinik’. Options are explored for how volunteer police might contribute to the future of police delivery in an even broader range of ways, how training models may further evolve, and how the opportunity to volunteer can be best projected to engage diversely across communities.

The paper contextualises the development and future of the volunteer police role in Estonia within the unique national setting and the strategic policing and security challenges of the country. Learning is identified from this specific exemplar of volunteer police contribution that might be applied in other national settings.

Co-author: Marvin (Ben) Haiman (Center for Public Safety and Justice, University of Virginia, USA)

Across the USA there is wide variation in volunteer reserve and auxiliary policing roles. Volunteer policing has a long history in the USA and exists in many agencies with collectively many tens of thousands of people volunteering. However, it has tended to be a neglected area of policing policy and of academic study. Practice nationally is complex, with a wide range of different models of volunteer police and with a highly variable picture. Some States have significant numbers and some little or no volunteer policing. There are significant gaps in knowledge nationally, with a lack of data at national level.

This paper shares the current research picture across US volunteer police, identifying different models of practice and summarising the nature of contributions that volunteer police make across agencies. The paper looks critically across future policy and practice directions in respect of volunteer police and identifies key challenges and opportunities.

Several themes are explored. Firstly, balancing between levels of operational training, powers and authority and the competence, capability, credibility and safety of volunteer police on the one hand, against the need for volunteer police roles to also be practically accessible and to be attractive and engaging for community part-time volunteers on the other. Secondly, the shift in many volunteer reserve programs to an increasing predominance of former paid service law enforcement personnel. Thirdly, volunteers also undertaking paid duties, and the hybrid professional space that represents. Fourthly, considerations of volunteer identity, role and value within law enforcement organisations. Fifthly, core challenges of sustainability with reducing volunteer numbers.

Consideration is given to the potential of volunteer police to address some of the key contemporary challenges for US law enforcement and how volunteer programs may need to adapt to meet those opportunities.

Co-author: Iain Britton (Global Foundation for Community Safety Volunteering, UK, Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton, UK), Ross Wolf (University of Central Florida, USA), Phaik Kin Cheah (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia)

Volunteer policing has historically been an under-researched area internationally. This is beginning to change with an emergent base of international empirical studies. The paper brings together strategically key research findings from this work and sets out priorities for future fieldwork across the practice of volunteer policing internationally.

The paper looks across four key areas. Firstly, volunteer leadership, drawing on an international interview-based study of volunteer leaders and also on extensive empirical work undertaken in the UK with Special Constabulary leaders. The strategic value of volunteer leadership in programme impact and sustainability is identified, together with cultural and role identity challenges faced by volunteer leaders in policing. Secondly, research on police volunteer experience, looking across findings from several survey-based and interview-based research projects, undertaken in the USA, UK, and Malaysia. Thirdly, volunteer longevity of service and volunteer careers research, based on projects undertaken across UK Special Constabularies. Fourthly, exploring the research-base on value and Return on Investment, drawing on empirical work undertaken in the UK, and in Florida, USA.

Looking across this body of research findings, the paper identifies several research-based conclusions for future volunteer programme growth and development. Bringing together a provisional ‘what works’ picture across police volunteer models internationally. This highlights key aspects of leadership, experience, wellbeing, support, recognition, deployment, training, role, safety, professional identity, strategic paradigm, organisational culture and professional identity.

The paper identifies current gaps in research knowledge, setting out priority areas for ongoing international research.

Drawn from first-person testimony by incarcerated writers, this paper offers witness to prison practices at once so brutal and generic that they short the communication circuits implicit in common notions of retribution. While many critics claim that US prisons fail to deliver any but law's retributive ends, prison witnesses unsettle unquestioned assumptions about the communicative effects conveyed when we measure justice by its ability to mete out suffering. The paper lays out as it offers testimony that documents the dismantling of key connections between criminal acts and their perpetrators: the connection between crime and punishment, between punishment and the punished, and between the punished and the returning citizen. Testimony will be drawn from The American Prison Writing Archive (APWA), the largest and first fully-searchable digital archive of non-fiction essays by currently incarcerated people writing about their experience inside prisons across the U.S. The paper addresses as well the shift in stakes and potentials for first-person prison witness in light of the very existence of the APWA.

Since the early 1990s, Sweden has faced persistent criticism from international human rights monitoring bodies regarding its pre-trial detention practices. This criticism has targeted the restrictive conditions of detention, the impoverished regimes imposed on pre-trial detainees, and lengthy detention terms, coupled with a lack of viable non-custodial alternatives. In practice, many legally innocent individuals in Sweden face conditions that effectively amount to solitary confinement—a practice with well-documented harmful consequences. Despite sustained criticism, the pre-trial practices have remained entrenched, with both the use and length of detention terms expanding in recent years. They have also tended to be overlooked in criminological and penological research. This doctoral thesis addresses this gap by mapping out the scope of Sweden’s pre-trial practices, analyzing the political discourse surrounding them, and examining how legal professionals perceive, justify and navigate these criticized practices. The presentation will explore these issues alongside recent punitive policy developments and reform pathways aimed at creating a more humane and just pre-trial system in Sweden.

Bryan Stevenson from the United States, who has been awarded the Stockholm Prize in Criminology in 2025, together with Frances Crook from the United Kingdom, has been of great importance to activists in the prison abolition movement in the United States. The organization Equal Justice Initiative (EJI ), founded by Stevenson in 1989, is behind The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, which opened in 2018 in Montgomery, Alabama. The Museum is closely linked to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a national memorial to victims of racial lynching from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. In a very concrete and systematic way, EJI makes clear the relationship between the prison system and racism in the United States, placing today’s mass incarceration in the historical context of slavery.

A year after the opening, I attended a conference in a Montgomery hotel with 700 participants from 200 organizations. The conference was arranged by a national network of formerly incarcerated women, who aim to abolish and reform the prisons system. Released women with families, friends and sympathizers gathered to participate in a wide range of panels, talks, speeches, workshops, poetry and music. According to the organizers, the Museum and the Memorial site were the reasons why Montgomery was chosen. There was an explicit intention to put the participants’ own individual experiences in the context of mass incarceration and in the historical context of structural racism and slavery. The Museum and the Memorial seemed to be a materialization of the ideas, thoughts and theoretical frameworks developed since long back by activist-scholars of the prison abolition movement in the US, such as Angela Y. Davis, Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Mariame Kaba among many others. This presentation will delineate meeting ethnography from the conference in the context of social movement theories.

Co-authors: Gabriel Gliori (KTH Royal institute of technology, Sweden), Catherine Sundling (Södertorn university, Sweden)

This session explores victimisation and safety in railway systems, focusing on crime reporting infrastructure, the experiences of travellers with disabilities, and the role of staff in enhancing safety. Using 28 municipalities from Sweden, it highlights the need for coordinated safety measures to improve station environments.

Co-authors: Catherine Sundling (Södertorn university, Sweden), Gabriel Gliori (KTH Royal institute of technology, Sweden)

One of the key challenges in Sweden’s railway system today is the lack of comprehensive, systematised information on crime and safety incidents affecting travellers—whether on trains, at stations, or on their way to them. For instance, if a passenger is mugged on a station platform, immediate support is often limited to calling the police, leaving gaps in both response and prevention. In this session/presentation, we present findings from a study on crime in railway stations and passengers’ perceptions of safety when travelling during the day and night, using southern Sweden as a case study. Drawing on police records, field inspections, interviews, and survey responses from 3,407 individuals, we examine 47 rail-bound stations across three railway lines serving 28 municipalities. While most stations meet basic safety standards, smaller stations face significant challenges. We conclude by reflecting on how the lack of coordination of stakeholders in a fragmented system post-deregulation affects travellers, especially those with particular safety needs.

Co-authors: Vania Ceccato (KTH Royal institute of technology, Sweden), Catherine Sundling (Södertörn University, Sweden)

In this presentation, we report the results of a study that assesses the influence of physical and social environment characteristics on victimisation and safety perceptions of individuals who use railway stations. Lack of personnel is one of the most important factors affecting victimisation and the safety of travellers. Poor illumination, lack of CCTV cameras, inadequate station maintenance, and the presence of drug-related activities also contribute to heightened vulnerability and insecurity for passengers. Well-maintained stations with proper lighting, clear signage, and social amenities such as cafés enhance feelings of safety by fostering social interaction and surveillance.

Co-authors: Kristoffer Aagesen (Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark), Freja Ilsing Magnussen (Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, University of Aarhus) & Patrik Olsson (The Sociology of Law Department, Lund University)

The panel presents currently funded research from Ulla V Bondeson fund on three different topics: rural crime, womens' drug crime and social media nicotine markets.

Ulla Bondeson was one of the most internationally famous and renowned Scandinavian criminologists. Her career spanned a half century, beginning in 1959 when she was employed at a Swedish Correctional Training School for young females. Her experience in this institution inspired her first English-language publication on “Argot knowledge as an indicator of criminal socialization” (Bondeson, 1968). She was appointed as a Lecturer in Sociology in the University of Lund, Sweden, in 1964, and became a Professor there in 1976. She was then appointed Professor of Criminology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1980, and taught there until her retirement in 2007.

Ulla Bondeson’s most famous English-language publications were Prisoners in Prison Societies (Bondeson, 1989), Alternatives to Imprisonment (Bondeson, 1994), and Nordic Moral Climates (Bondeson, 2003). These books present important and sophisticated empirical research projects. For example, Prisoners in Prison Societies (based on Ulla’s doctoral dissertation) was a comparative study of 13 correctional institutions with a 10-year follow-up. Some of her most important writings (and her full vita) were collected together in Crime, Punishment and Justice (Bondeson, 2007), which is a brilliant legacy. Ulla was extremely concerned about the damaging effects of imprisonment.

Ulla Bondeson received many honors, including the Sellin-Glueck Award of the ASC in 1995. Most recently in 2006, she became a Knight of the Dannebrog (the Danish flag), which is an extremely prestigious award conferred by the Queen of Denmark. She held many important positions, including President of the Scandinavian Council on Criminology (1983-85), Vice-President of the Scientific Commission of the International Society of Criminology (1995-99) and of the International Society Of Criminology (2000-05), and she was a member of the Crime and Justice Steering Committee of the Campbell Collaboration (2000-07). She was a Visiting Professor at several American universities, including Harvard, Yale, the University of Minnesota, UCLA, and the University of California at Berkeley and Santa Barbara.

This research investigates the impacts of language barriers, examining the experiences and perceptions of women victims of crime who have limited proficiency in English (WNESV) when accessing the criminal justice system (CJS). It will address questions relating to their rights, needs, and experiences, with particular focus on Latin American women who live in London, under the speaking umbrella of Portuguese and Spanish languages.

The literature review indicates that there have been a considerable number of initiatives geared at assisting victims of crime in England and Wales, however, there is very limited literature addressing the needs of (WNESV). Therefore, there is a need to carry out an in-depth investigation, more specifically, comparing the effects of language barriers and how this can impact on service provision, policies, reforms and perception of ‘justice’ outcomes and support for victims.

The main justification principles of this research stem from: 1)Language brings ideas of fundamental impact in people’s life, carries beliefs, conveys types of symbolic and cultural capitals, (Bourdieu, 1991). This is particularly important as London is the most linguistically diverse part of the UK, with the identification of 300 languages spoken, in London alone, (Baker, 2000), including Portuguese and Spanish; 2) The phenomenon of acculturation, when cultural beliefs and family traditions influence the way Latin American women seek help and support, which tends to be from family and their circle of friends. In contrast, this may have an impact in help-seeking in different ways,(Valentine and Mosley, 2000); 3) The Victim Support survey (2022) evidenced that WNESV have been mistaken by the police, not as a victim, but as offenders. Therefore, further investigation to differentiate and judge how language barriers impact the experiences, needs, rights and access to services for Latin American Women Victims of Crime in London, is essential.

After decades of applying different methods to respond to a crime that violates social norms and principles, it comes to the fact that the punishment is useless unless useful. It should not aim to take revenge on the criminal; on the contrary, it should seek to rehabilitate and reintegrate the perpetrator into the community by providing proper treatment to remove criminal behavior from them. They should be reformed through correctional methods of treatment.

However, imprisonment became the most popular sentence worldwide for convicted people regardless of the seriousness of their behavior. This extensive use of this sentence – particularly short-term imprisonment - has led to many negative consequences for the individual and society. The prison population, recidivism, high cost of incarceration, breaking family and social ties, and many physical and psychological diseases among prisoners are just examples of this ill-considered policy.

Therefore, the new policy of treating offenders has called for other forms of penalties that ovoid the above issues of imprisonment and, at the same time, achieve the legal goals of punishing lawbreakers, notably deterrence, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

The most significant examples of these alternative sanctions are community services, electronic bracelets and other forms of technology to apply for house arrest, restorative justice, and probation.

This paper found an essential need for the Omani legislature and other criminal justice policies to consider alternative penalties to treat criminal behavior of those who committed minor offenses such as misdemeanors and have no recidivism record.

In China, the widespread implementation of community corrections is a key strategy designed to reduce the burden on the criminal justice system. This strategy prominently features social participation as a critical element. This study delves into the effects of social participation on correctional practices by conducting in-depth interviews with a diverse group of stakeholders, including community corrections officials, judicial police, community workers, and counselors. Our findings reveal a predominant government-led approach to social participation, where government-funded social organizations play a major role. The research also highlights significant role conflicts and jurisdictional ambiguities within the system, which may arise from unclear criminal policies. These conflicts and ambiguities underline the challenges in the current implementation of community corrections. By examining these dynamics, the study suggests that refining the government-led model of social participation could provide more effective strategies for enhancing civic engagement and improving the efficacy of community correction.

This paper is about the alternative(s) to prison as the number of people held in penal institutions throughout the world, is more than 10.2 million. Across the world the median rate looks as following:

• United States has the highest prison population rate in the word with 716 per 100,000 of the national population. In England and Wales reaches the prison population rate around 178 per 100,000 people (Fair and Walmsley, 2023).
• Scandinavian countries have the lowest prison population rate in Europe: in Iceland is the rate about 29, whereas in Finland with 52 per 100,000 (Fair and Walmsley, 2023).

Another paramount element in the discussion of finding an alternative to prison is also the recidivism rate as it shows the effectiveness of the rehabilitation of ex-offenders into the society. Even though measuring recidivism bring certain challenges, because its definition differs from nation to nation, the figures show that the reoffending rate between one to five years varies between 15 to 45%. The recidivism rate in England and Wales varies from 46% to 76% respectively. Whereas in countries of European Union is between 25 to 50%. The statistics above show only a glimpse that one of the most important goals of prison, rehabilitation, is not only far of being reached but also increases the chances of reoffending. Prison has almost achieved a ‘hegemonic status’, making its function impregnable to serious criticism (Ryan and Ward, 2015). Therefore, finding alternatives to prison has become a necessity and it is a public intellectual deploying moral and political arguments to challenge hegemonic norms (Coyle and Scott, 2022). Even though, the abolitionists are often accused of naivety of ignoring the threat posed by serious offenders, the role of this paper is to open the path of alternatives solutions to the current incarceration system.

Co-author: Mats Trulsson (Police Region Syd, The Police Authority of Sweden, Sweden), Henrik Persson (Community Analyst, The City of Helsingborg, Sweden), Martin Grander (Associate Professor, Malmö University, Sweden)

Local safety measurements in the South region are carried out in collaboration between the police and all 58 municipalities, encompassing approximately 2 million inhabitants. In 2023, surveys were sent out to 82,800 respondents. Both the police and the relevant municipality have their logos on the cover letter. Each municipality has been divided into smaller areas in cooperation between the police and the municipality. The results serve as a crucial basis for planning operational work together, primarily focusing on crime prevention activities. Respondents, aged 16-85 years, are randomly selected from the population register. That allows the Police to track the development of different municipalities and areas over time, follow up on the effects of implemented measures, and identify where most problems are to set priorities.

The study on Malmö analyses the relationship between residents' perceptions of safety and residential segregation. It identifies geographical patterns and correlations between perceived safety and socioeconomic indicators such as employment, education, income, and election participation. The study finds significant differences in perceived safety across various socioeconomic areas, with drug dealing and youth gang-related unsafety in low socioeconomic areas, and motor traffic and low social cohesion in affluent areas.

The study on Helsingborg examines factors influencing perceived safety and fear of crime in residential areas. The city has participated in the police's survey studies since 2001 and has gradually expanded the studied areas to 34 by 2024. The report identifies three main factors affecting residents' sense of security: public disorder, socioeconomic conditions, and demographic mobility. Public disorder, such as open drug dealing and street violence, is the most significant factor contributing to residents' fear of assault and harassment. The study recommends a coordinated approach involving law enforcement, municipal authorities, and civil society to address local crime and strengthen social cohesion.

Local safety measurements in the South region are carried out in collaboration between the local police and all 58 municipalities, encompassing approximately 2 million inhabitants. In 2024, postal surveys were sent out to 82,800 respondents. The municipalities have been divided into 282 smaller areas in close cooperation between the police and the municipalities. Both the police and the relevant municipality have their logos on the cover letter. The results serve as a crucial basis for planning operational work together, primarily focusing on crime prevention activities.

Respondents, aged 16-85 years, are randomly selected from the population register. The survey is conducted by an independent survey company and is carried out annually. The company is not involved in the analysis or allowed to address anything other than technical details regarding the data collection.

We ask residents about their perception of problems or exposure to crime in the last 12 months. This allows us to track the development of different municipalities and areas over time, follow up on the effects of implemented measures, and identify where most problems are to set priorities. The survey is conducted over approximately eight weeks, from the time the questionnaires are sent out until the last response is recorded. Respondents can choose to answer the paper survey or the web survey, which is available in five different languages. After the final questionnaires are registered, various quality checks are performed on the results. We provide access to the results as soon as possible to designated individuals in the police and municipalities to start analyses. We also invite stakeholders to result dialogues in each local police district, where the local police and municipalities can begin a joint analysis of the results. It is advantageous to gather those most concerned for joint discussions.

This study analyses the factors influencing perceived safety and fear of crime in residential areas of Helsingborg, Sweden. The City has participated in the Polices survey studies since 2001 and has gradually expanded the studied areas, which in 2024 amount to 34. Compared to similar Swedish cities, Helsingborg stands out with a lower level of perceived safety. The report identifies three main factors affecting residents' sense of security: public disorder, socio-economic conditions, and demographic mobility. The findings show that public disorder—such as open drug dealing and street violence—is the most significant factor contributing to residents' fear of assault and harassment. Socio-economic challenges and high residential turnover reduce social trust and the collective capacity to address local issues, creating a vicious cycle of insecurity.

The study recommends a coordinated approach involving law enforcement, municipal authorities, and civil society, with targeted interventions to address local crime and strengthen social cohesion. Long-term improvements require structural efforts to promote education, employment, and stable residential environments. This research offers new insights into how local conditions interact to shape perceptions of safety and insecurity in urban settings, contributing to broader discussions on crime prevention and urban safety strategies.

The Local Safety Measurement System was introduced in The Swedish Police in the late 1990s. By 2024, more than 1.4 million respondents have responded to police surveys since 1998 in most of the Swedish Local Governments. 2000 municipal studies, divided into 5000 geographical parts, have been examined on each occasion if counted. The Police have conducted most of the studies. Data has been collected with the same questions, sequencing, and data collection methods, with the only changes being a couple of new questions, which, when introduced, are always placed last in the survey. Collaboration between the police in the South region, the city of Helsingborg, and Malmö University - developing the police's safety measurements has proven to be very important for developing our measurements.

The respondents' responses are simply intelligence of problems obtained by the best experts – the individuals who spend daily time in their neighbourhoods. The results were compared nationally via percentages to obtain a relative assessment of severity. In 2025, the Swedish Police decided to extend the survey to all 290 municipalities in Sweden to become a tactical tool for problem mapping and follow-up of the effects of the police's and the municipality's work against the biggest problems in each geographical area. In Sweden, the Local Governments have a statutory responsibility for crime prevention and are the main cooperation partner to the local police. Dialogue and collaboration are greatly facilitated by the results from the measurement, as previous 25 -years of experiences show.

This is a unique story about analysis using algorithms, The Clopper Pearson interval, confidence interval, forecasting science, and police experience. For the safety and best interests of the residents.

This study on the City of Malmö, Sweden, analyzes the relationship between residents' perceptions of safety (e.g., fear of crime) and residential segregation by comparing quantitative data from police safety surveys with various indicators of segregation. Malmö is one of the most segregated cities in Sweden, and also one of the cities which ranks highest in insecurity. The study identifies geographical patterns and correlations between perceived safety and levels of employment, education, income and election participation. The study finds that perceived safety is experienced very differently in different socioeconomic areas – where drug dealing and youth gang-related unsafety are highlighted in areas with low socioeconomic indicators, other types of perceived unsafety – such as motor traffic and low social cohesion displayed in more affluent areas. However, both kinds of areas might rank high in unsafety indices. Based on the results, the concept of safety is discussed results from a perspective of territorial stigmatization and discourses of (un)safety.

Co-authors: Stephanie Zellers (Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Finland), Terhi Maczulskij (ETLA Economic Research, Finland), Jaakko Kaprio (Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Finland)

Job loss and unemployment are associated with an increased risk of crime, but it remains unclear to what extent these statistical associations indicate causal effects vs. selection. Mass layoffs enable a quasi-experimental design, which can be used to more reliably rule out selection bias, where losing a job depends on the employee's personal characteristics. In this register study, we use employer-employee data, which covers information about extensive business closures and mass layoffs during the Finnish recession of the early 1990s. This information is combined with data on criminal convictions from district courts for 1977-2020. Using this comprehensive dataset, we study the effects of losing a full-time private sector job on crime over a follow-up period of up to 30 years. In addition to any criminal conviction, we separately examine violent, property and drug crimes, as well as the possible immediate and long-term effects of job loss. The data include approximately 591,000 workers who were aged 25–55 at the start of the follow-up period. We compare the risk of crime among those who lost their jobs to controls who did not lose their jobs, using Cox regression. To strengthen the causal interpretation, the analysis uses controls further matched on their background characteristics and criminal history. This study provides new information not only about the possible effects of job loss on crime, but also about the long-term effects of economic recession on people's lives.

Co-authors: Ligita Gasparėnienė (Vilnius University, Lithuania), Xiang Lin (Södertörn University, Sweden), Rita Remeikienė (Vilnius University, Lithuania)

This paper contributes to the literature on Crime and the economy and explores the relationship between homicides, the business cycle and inflation in several European countries (2008–2022). Research on aggregate crime trends focuses on the roles of several different types of societal macro-structures (e.g., Eisner, 2014; Lehti & Sirén, 2020; Nivette, 2021; Piatkowska et al., 2016). Recent developments in this tradition highlight the influence of economic factors. This view challenges traditional explanations of crime trends; the literature on Crime and the economy asserts that the economy dominates other social institutions in modern economies (Rosenfeld & Messner, 2013). Economic conditions therefore affect the development of both acquisitive and violent crimes (LaFree, 2003; Messner & Rosenfeld, 1997). Cross-country macro-level studies on crime trends remain limited (Nivette, 2021; Rosenfeld 2014; Stamatel 2017), and much research on the relationship between economic variables and aggregate crime trends has often focused on US conditions (e.g., Rosenfeld & Messner, 2012, 2013). Although macroeconomic factors are most likely to influence crime rates (LaFree, 2005), identifying the most relevant indicators remains inconclusive (Baumer et al., 2018; Rosenfeld & Fornango, 2007). Research on crimes and the business cycle suggests that economic downturns often lead to increased property crimes, while white-collar offenses rise during economic growth – and violent crimes may increase in times of economic downturns (Arvanites & Defina, 2006; Buonanno et al., 2014; Cook & Zarkin, 1985; Detotto & Otranto, 2012; Raphael & Winter-Ebner, 2001). Furthermore, inflation has recently gained scholarly attention, with rising prices undermining stability, causing higher rates of acquisitive and violent crimes, at least in the US (Nunley et al., 2016; Rosenfeld, 2009, 2014; Rosenfeld & Levin, 2016; Rosenfeld et al., 2018, 2023). Our analyses reveal significant effects from the cycle and inflation, showing regional variations across Europe.

As the most lethal form of violent crime, homicide remains a critical threat to public security and social stability. Among its various forms, mass killings have garnered significant social media attention due to their high civilian casualties. In recent years, research on mass killings has expanded, focusing on offender motivations, locations, and victim characteristics. However, studies remain heavily concentrated on U.S. mass shootings, largely due to their high prevalence and accessibility of firearm-related data. Despite this focus, the Chinese social context remains underexplored, despite offering a unique perspective due to its strict weapon control, advanced surveillance, and strong public security regulations. To address this gap, this study constructs an original dataset from media reports, systematically documenting offender motivations, weapon choice, demographics, victim-offender relationships, and locations. To further analyze temporal patterns, the study conducts a uniformity test and an interarrival test to determine whether mass killings in China occur randomly over time or exhibit clustering patterns, also assessing the potential presence of copycat effects. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression is employed to examine the correlation between motivations and weapon selection, exploring how offenders' decision-making processes influence their choice of weapons. By analyzing these patterns, this study aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the psychological and situational factors driving mass killings in China. The findings may have broader implications not only for the Chinese social context but also for other societies seeking to understand and prevent mass violence.

In 2024 The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention published a comprehensive report on the development of violence among Swedish 15-17-year olds since the year 2000. The report also sheds light on the demographic and socioeconomic background of adolescent violent offenders and victims, as well as the characteristics of violence in adolescence, with a special focus on violence that is directed to peers of the same age.

The report is based on a wide range of data, including the Swedish Crime Survey (NTU), the School Survey on Crime (SUB), register-based crime statistics, and the National Patient Register. Microdata from several registers were used to analyse the background of adolescent victims and offenders of violence. Crime classification codes were analysed to describe the specific circumstances under which violence in adolescence takes place.

Results show that the percentage of young people who report committing violence as well as those who report being subjected to violence has decreased since the beginning of the millennium, and that the decline is most prominent among boys. As regards the background of victims and offenders of violence, results demonstrate similarities for victims of violence when compared to other adolescents in Sweden. In contrast, differences emerge for adolescent offenders of violence, with an overrepresentation of boys, adolescents of foreign background, and young people from households with low levels of education. Results further show that of all the violent acts that adolescents are suspected of, half of them regard abuse of same-age victims, violence is mostly directed towards males and happen in a context where the victim and perpetrator know each other. Results differ somewhat when male and female suspects are studied separately, mainly when examining the victim’s gender and relationship with the offender.

There is currently considerable change and innovation across the landscape of volunteering and policing internationally. This panel draws upon several research projects exploring different new forms and directions of voluntarism in policing and across crime prevention, security and community safety. Assessing the potential of these explorative practices and new formations in the police volunteering landscape to lead to re-imaginings of the role and significance of direct civic participation in policing.

Police volunteering has long, and often proud, traditions in many countries. Typically, within any given country voluntarism across policing has a long set, expected, normative, legacy practice of volunteer roles and volunteer programme organisation, place and purpose. One paper presents strategic perspectives of volunteers themselves in current traditional volunteer police officer roles, as Special Constables in England and Wales, drawing on research of their perceptions of current challenges, opportunities and desired future directions.

The panel then looks beyond this, exploring volunteer practices that are disruptive of historically set thinking and of the traditional boundaries and constraints to volunteer contribution. Papers explore volunteering in emergent areas of newer terrain – relating to vulnerability, borders and modern slavery, to ‘cold case’ investigation and missing people, and to cyber digital and other specialist-skill volunteer models. There is consideration of the interface between policing professionalisation, evidence-based practice, and volunteers. The many potential implications – organisational, cultural, social, political, for policing and more widely - of these new formations of voluntarism are discussed. As well as the meaning of these new innovative areas of volunteer developments for legacy police voluntarism models.

Co-authors: Hannah Lewis (Department of Sociology, University of Sheffield, UK), Louise Waite (School of Geography, University of Leeds, UK), Rodrigo Campos (Department of Politics and International Relations, University of York, UK)

This paper presents the findings of a study on policing partnerships with civil society funded by the Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre, based at the University of York, UK. Police organisations must increasingly rely on volunteers and partnerships: from formal, well-established groups such as Special Constables to self-initiated civil society groups. These partnerships are especially evident in the complex task of policing vulnerability in relation to criminal activity. The police seek to mobilise diffuse publics through, for instance, public reporting apps and awareness campaigns, encouraging citizens to act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the police. Drawing on two empirical case studies in the UK - coastal borders and modern slavery - and fieldwork with different police organisations and partners, this paper advances three core arguments. First, there are important differences between organised volunteering and the mobilisation of diffuse publics, as well as between what is prioritised in vulnerability policing: the state or the individual. Second, volunteering is becoming increasingly mediated by technology and the generation of data from diffuse publics, which raises challenges around safeguarding, consent and data management of information regarding sensitive and complex dynamics of policing vulnerability. Third, policing partnerships are framed as important for empowering local authorities, allied agencies and citizens. However, given the multifaceted nature of vulnerability discourse, they also carry the risk of merging national security agendas with community policing priorities. This paper will provide insights on the current state of volunteer and public involvement in policing vulnerability and will raise key points for consideration for those seeking to improve public partnerships with police in the UK and beyond.

Co-authors: Iain Britton (Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton, UK, Global Foundation for Community Safety Volunteering, UK)

The Special Constabulary in England and Wales has deep historical roots having been part of the fabric of policing for nearly 200 years. The headcount, however, of Special Constables has been decreasing for some time despite there being successive plans for and rhetoric of strategic growth. At a time when a new strategy and vision for the Special Constabulary is being developed, there is significant threat concerning its future position, value and sustainability. This threat is not abstract, and it is likely that maintaining a Special Constabulary in some areas may not be viable as critical mass dissipates. This sets the context and need for different thinking, listening to the voices of and learning from Special Constables to inform a renewed campaign of growth within a refreshed strategic direction. Positively, there remains a core population of people whose commitment and dedication to volunteering in policing endures. Only by working with Special Constables can an opportunity emerge to transform the Special Constabulary to strengthen its position within the wider policing landscape, to reimagine the role and identity of the Special Constable, and to establish a more attractive and energising volunteer experience within policing.

This paper will explore the findings from a national survey conducted with Special Constables in England and Wales. The survey was distributed to all Police Services across England and Wales and participants were invited to share their experiences and their thoughts towards the future of the Special Constabulary. The content of the survey was informed by previous surveys conducted in 2016 and 2018, as well as from engagement with a range of strategic stakeholders. The focus of the presentation will be on the views of Special Constables towards the future development of the Constabulary, their position within it and the roles they fulfil as part of their volunteering.

During Chesa Boudin's 2.5 years in office as San Francisco's elected district attorney, incarceration plummeted - the number of people in the county jail fell by approximately 40 percent. Meanwhile both violent and non violent crime rates fell by double digits. Some of these changes may have been accelerated by COVID and police behavior. Did San Francisco create a virtuous cycle where decreasing incarceration feeds into decreasing crime? More broadly, California has safely cut its prison population nearly in half as crime rates near modern lows. What lessons can we learn from San Francisco and California's successful decarceration?

There are currently over 2,000 people sentenced to death in the United States. Many of them have spent decades without proper legal representation awaiting post-conviction proceedings. Court delays and inadequate legal defense in the past have left these men and women fearful and weary of attorneys and investigators alike.

When my team gets assigned a new case, the incarcerated person has typically spent an average of 25 years on death row, sometimes locked in a cell for 23 hours a day and deprived of human interaction. My role as an investigator is to build trust, establish rapport, and listen to my client so we can uncover new facts that may challenge the narrative presented by the prosecution. Through these conversations, we lay the groundwork for legal claims and actions that could ultimately save their lives.

Professor Haney will trace the recent history of the increased use of solitary confinement during what has been termed the ‘era of mass incarceration’ in the United States. He will discuss and illustrate the abject conditions of confinement to which large numbers of incarcerated persons have been subjected in the course of this trend. Relying on his own research and that of others, he will discuss the damaging psychological and physical effects of this form of penal confinement.

Co-authors: Qiushi Chen (The Pennsylvania State University, USA), Weijun Xie (Georgia Tech University, USA), Paul Griffin (The Pennsylvania State University, USA), Holly Nguyen (The Pennsylvania State University, USA), Joel Segel (The Pennsylvania State University, USA)

Early warning systems (EWS) serve as a model for identifying emerging and urgent threats to public health and safety, particularly in the context of disease epidemics and natural disasters. This model is also employed in detecting emerging substance use issues, including within the European Union and the United States. However, it’s important to note that these models are primarily designed for regional and national use.

This presentation delves into the creation of a localized EWS in Vermont, a state in the United States, specifically focused on addressing substance use issues. The model developed for Vermont leverages a data infrastructure previously established by the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (NEHIDTA), a program under the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Program. This infrastructure connects datasets from various agencies and sources, including public health, public safety, and first responders.

To enhance the effectiveness of the EWS, this presentation highlights a National Science Foundation-funded project that aims to leverage advanced data analytics and machine learning techniques utilizing the existing data infrastructure created by NEHIDTA. The project involves incorporating additional data sources and implementing machine learning and artificial intelligence models to identify emerging and acute substance use threats. The proposed analytical framework can be used to predict potential geographic spread and inform state-to-local interventions to address the identified issues. By moving beyond simple alerts, this model will provide prescriptive communications to state and local agencies, empowering them to better protect the public from harms and mitigate the adverse health impacts associated with substance markets and supplies.

A statistical/machine learning technique known as Risk Terrain Modelling (RTM) is currently being used as a software solution to diagnose the socio-environmental conditions that lead to crime in a specific area's geography (the Study Area) by geospatially and temporally analysing crimes by linking them to hotspots and analysing them into big data (criminal data). As a result, new predicting patterns of risks in the geographical area under survey (the Study Area) appear in the future, all for the sake of a prompt and efficient response by the Predictive Police. Prioritising the use of precautionary resources is necessary in two ways: first, to prevent crime and lessen potential dangers in the event that one does occur; second, to determine what must be done as soon as possible as a preventive measure to control the crime with the least amount of harm to the police forces. Leslie W. Kennedy and Joel M. Caplan founded the Risk Terrain Modelling at Rutgers University, and it has been systematically investing in the field of criminal investigation for over ten years. Currently, the model is being tested in more than 45 nations worldwide. Numerous analytical programs based on the geographic information system (GIS) have been introduced into the police institution in conjunction with an increase in methodological accuracy regarding crime-fighting initiatives and an increase in partnerships between programmers and legal experts (academics in the field of criminal justice) in an interdisciplinary research field, however, following spatiotemporal analyses that provide light on the connections between crime and the characteristics of socio-environmental data in areas where crime is concentrated, hotspots can be found on the crime map.

Co-author: Rohith Rao (Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, USA)

Every day in the United States, more than 120 people are shot and killed, and another 200 are shot and wounded. Despite this crisis, there is no government-run, real-time gun violence tracker. While federal agencies have developed live monitoring tools for public health emergencies like COVID-19 and influenza, the most reliable national sources for gun violence data—the FBI and CDC—report on delays of one to two years and often lack incident-level information. This data gap inhibits life-saving policy interventions and prevents researchers from conducting timely analyses.

This presentation will report on Everytown for Gun Safety’s new, publicly-available artificial intelligence-powered tool that parses news reports to create a comprehensive gun violence database. The novel system collects news articles from thousands of newspapers, local television stations, and other media sources using a news aggregation service. Artificial intelligence then groups articles describing the same incident and extracts over 50 highly-pertinent variables related to incident characteristics, as well as victim and shooter demographics. Researchers manually verify cases with conflicting information or other uncertainty. For the full year of 2024, the database contains over 30,000 gun violence incidents resulting in over 14,400 people killed and more than 20,200 people wounded. The final dataset is free to the public through an interactive interface, allowing users to filter incidents dynamically, explore the data in-depth, and download the data for their own use.

Beyond its immediate application, the database is a valuable resource for future text-based research. As artificial intelligence-driven research expands, text-rich datasets will be increasingly critical. The EveryShot database, containing thousands of news articles from diverse media sources, provides a unique opportunity to analyze trends in gun crimes, gun violence reporting, geographic disparities in media coverage, and other critical topics.

Presents empirical data on a new social-developmental model of radicalization among youth and young adults. The model is based on a systematic review of theories and research on risk and protective factors of radicalization processes. In general, we assume a three-step model of radicalization: 1. Ontogenetic social-developmental processes including the interaction of societal (e.g., social inequality), social (e.g., experiences of rejection and discrimination) and individual risk (negative self-concept, certain personality traits, early antisocial behavior) on the one and protective factors (bonding to democratic values) on the other side. 2. Proximal radicalization processes which will be established between early adolescence or middle adulthood with four interrelated but distinct socialdevelopmental processes: Antisocial attitudes and behavior, Prejudice/Intolerance, Identity problems and the acquisition of political or religious ideologies. 3. If these proximal processes are present to a certain extent, extremist attitudes and behavior becomes more and more likely. Empirical results stem from a cross-sectional school survey with more than 5.000 students aged 14 to 20 years. They showed that the risks for radicalized and extremist attitudes are continuously linked to the four proximal processes and that students with high manifestations on all proximal risk factors had a significant higher risk for radicalized and extremist attitudes. Several important implications of the social-developmental model will be discussed. For example, although we assume comparable processes for different forms of extremism (right-wing, left-wing, religious) and different degrees of severity (e.g., attitudes vs. terrorist acts), we will outline characteristic differences between those manifestations. In addition, the article summarizes the implication of this social-developmental model according to different forms of developmental prevention at different stages and subgroups for radicalization and extremism. We will conclude that a developmental perspective is necessary to supplement the more politically oriented approaches to explaining and countering radicalization and violent extremism.

This presentation discusses preliminary findings from an ongoing doctoral thesis that analyzes and compares criminal law developments regarding Islamic terrorism in the USA and Austria.

The launching of numerous terror attacks by the “Islamic State” and its sympathizers from 2014 onward has resulted in various counter-terrorism measures worldwide, including European guidelines. Austria has implemented those requirements as well as enacting its own counter-terrorism act after a terror attack took place in Vienna in 2020. It has become evident that criminal charges are frequently revised after terrorist attacks, resulting in a regression to a harsh, preemptive system. Following the guiding idea of the negative individual prevention, new pre-emptive terrorism offenses are introduced, and existing ones are aggravated to eliminate potentially dangerous offenders as a threat to society. Correspondingly, the possibility to continuously restrain terrorist offenders after the completion of their sentence, based on their risk assessment, was introduced in Austria after the terror attack in 2020. Notably, developments of that sort aren’t unprecedented but rather show similar tendencies to the US counter-terrorism legislation, which is known to be incredibly harsh and preemptive ever since the “war on terror” has been introduced by the Bush government after 9/11. Remarkably, US terrorism offenses allow for the same punishment whether someone perpetrates or conspires to commit a terrorist attack in order to impede a terrorist threat from materializing. Therefore, the question arises if the Austrian counter-terrorism legislation is becoming similar to the one of the USA? This talk aims to provide a brief overview of relevant legal developments while contextualizing them based on criminological research. Accordingly, the question of whether criminal law statutes are an appropriate prevention instrument or increasingly regressing to a tool of retribution will be discussed as well.

There is growing recognition in academia of the perceived reliance of terrorist groups on organized crime activities, such as kidnapping. This nexus between organized crime activities and terrorism has become prevalent in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, where terrorist groups resort to kidnapping for financing, recruitment, and intimidation purposes. Women and children are primarily kidnapped for recruitment and radicalization, to become brides to insurgents/terrorists, or to stimulate the government's emotional response or urgency.

Kidnapping is a serious crime that has a significant psychological and life-threatening impact on victims. The terror and horror experienced in captivity will keep being replayed in the survivor's mind, who will have to deal with guilt, trauma, rage, and other socio-psychological emotions. The survivors become prisoners of their thoughts and must deal with the emotional bondage stemming from their experiences. The importance and urgency of the immediate de-radicalization and gradual reintegration of survivors cannot be overstated.

However, a major concern is that victims may be criminalized, leading to an impasse in reintegration. Some victims are criminalized and radicalized during their abduction, subsequently believing in the cause of their abductors. Others are stigmatized by society after their release, while some are left on their own after the initial media frenzy following their rescue.

This research aims to critically analyze the various de-radicalization and societal reintegration programs for kidnapped women and children in the Sahel region of Nigeria.
Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DDRR) Programs in Nigeria: A Response to the Fallout from Mass Abductions"

The Nigerian Government, in partnership with the International Organization of Migration, adopted a widely criticized DDRR strategy (Demobilization, Disassociation, Reintegration, and Reconciliation) to handle and deal with the fallout and victims from the mass kidnappings.

In the last few years, several students in Sweden have carried out violent attacks on their schools, and questions have arisen about how this type of violence can be prevented and how it is linked to violent extremism. Since 2022, The Swedish Center for Preventing Violent Extremism (CVE) has handled several cases from schools around Sweden who have requested support and advice on how to act when they are concerned that a student might want to carry out a school attack. This has involved everything from early and vague concerns for a student to severe cases with concerns of a planned school attack. One of CVE’s initiatives is collaborating with Theatre Fryshuset, a civil organisation in Sweden, to address schools' concerns and worries through a theatrical performance about lone actor extremists to address preventative measures within the Swedish school system. The presentation will focus on how we form the government work with Theatre Fryshuset and their model, as well as on implementation strategies and outcomes.

Crime dynamics in contemporary society reflect an ongoing struggle between material (substantial) criminal law and intuitive criminal law, shaping public perception and legal legitimacy. While material law aims for consistency and deterrence, intuitive criminal law embodies moral instincts, influencing societal acceptance of legal norms. This tension becomes evident when ultima ratio legal principles diverge from moral intuitions, as seen in cases of overly lenient sentences for heinous crimes or disproportionate penalties for mala prohibita offenses. The mediation of subjective criminal law—bridging state-imposed legal frameworks and individual moral perspectives—plays a crucial role in maintaining legal legitimacy and societal cohesion.

Harmonizing criminal policy requires balancing legal proportionality with public sentiment, particularly in contexts where intuitive justice challenges legal codification. Similarly, excessive punishments, such as strict drug laws, often lead to public backlash and reduced compliance, fostering conditions of anomie. The intersection of intuitive and material law also surfaces in cultural and religious disputes, where traditions clash with modern legal principles, exposing tensions in global criminal policy.

To address these challenges, legal systems must integrate ethical considerations into criminal law to ensure proportionality and fairness. Flexibility in subjective criminal law allows for case-specific adaptations while maintaining overarching legal principles. Additionally, international cooperation is necessary to establish shared frameworks for mala in se crimes while respecting cultural diversity. By embedding ethical norms within material law and adapting legal frameworks to evolving societal values, criminal justice systems can enhance legitimacy, compliance, and social stability in contemporary society.

Co-author: David Melnikoff (Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, USA)

Criminal punishment is said to be justified, even warranted, by its promotion of desirable societal goals: restoring justice, reducing crime, reinforcing societal norms, and rehabilitating offenders. Yet, in a number of countries--most notably, the United States--these lofty goals are hard to reconcile with the massive and racialized incarceration regimen. We explore this tension by probing the concept of popular punitiveness, which is a major driver of punishment policy in the US. Specifically, we examine whether punitiveness may be influenced also by goals that diverge from punishment’s purported prosociality. Testing a sample of 480 US respondents, we measured how twenty-one different factors (culled from sixty-seven measures) interact with punitiveness and with one another. The findings reveal that punitiveness is a highly complex, yet relatively cohesive, psychological mindset that correlates strongly with a slew of beliefs, emotions, attitudes, personality traits, worldviews, ideologies, and racial sentiments. Most of these correlates are orthogonal—if not inimical—to the avowed prosociality of criminal punishment. Notably, we find that punitiveness is closely interrelated with vengeance, hatred, degradation, aggression, anti-egalitarian and anti-democratic sentiments, and more. These findings call for a shift in the prevailing discourse to include a frank acknowledgement that criminal punishment serves also to satisfy the punishing public’s own—often unsavory—psychic needs.

Despite internal contestation, the renown of Scandinavian penal exceptionalism has earned the Swedish prison system much admiration. In contrast to its positioning as an exemplar of effective and humane rehabilitation, recent sociopolitical forces have prompted the growth of punitive approaches that arguably stand in opposition to previous traditions. Driven by cultural narratives and a disproportionate rise in organised crime, Sweden’s evolving society appears beset by various social divisions that have instigated a reconceptualisation of punishment. As the country undergoes a historic penal expansion, the employed strategies and their practical implications are examined. This paper presents data from a PhD research project that has three aims: (1) to analyse Sweden’s penal trajectory within the framework of social marginality and political discourse; (2) to explore the punitive reorientation’s operational consequences for the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (SPPS); and (3) to assess the carceral regime’s ability to maintain its rehabilitative agenda. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, qualitative data was gathered through interviews with 35 SPPS correctional practitioners and non-affiliated community professionals in relevant roles. The participants reveal a shifting carceral landscape with expansive reconfigurations. An operational crisis emerges that undermines the authority’s treatment ambitions and compromises core tenets of Swedish penality. The paper asks whether there is ideological misalignment at play and urges policy reconsideration to prevent further erosion of Sweden’s rehabilitative penal philosophy. Ultimately, the study contributes to criminological debates around the relationship between punishment and broader sociopolitical contexts.

Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood is internationally known for its high levels of open-air drug use, homelessness, and crime. Many vulnerable individuals—including those experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health crises—seek refuge in subway stations, presenting significant public safety and public health challenges for riders and employees of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). In response, SEPTA implemented Project SCOPE, an innovative police co-response initiative designed to connect vulnerable individuals to social services while attempting to reduce police enforcement practices in transit spaces.

Unlike traditional co-response models where officers and social outreach workers are deployed together, Project SCOPE employs an "untethered" approach, stationing outreach teams in transit stations to provide services independently from police patrols. This study presents findings from a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing Project SCOPE’s impact on (1) service engagement for vulnerable individuals and (2) shifts in police enforcement actions, such as citations, arrests, and removals.
Drawing on one year of data from transit administration, outreach workers, and SEPTA police, results indicate that SCOPE teams increased service acceptance rates while also influencing officers’ responses to crime and disorder. Additionally, qualitative interviews with agency leadership and outreach workers highlight the complexities, challenges, and successes of engaging vulnerable populations in a transit environment. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions about balancing enforcement with public health strategies in high-risk environments, including public transit and marginalized neighborhoods.

Co-authors: Ross Coomber (University of Liverpool, UK), Tobias Kammersgaard (Aarhus University, Denmark), Charlie Lloyd (Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre, University of York, UK), Kate Brown (Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre, University of York, UK), Laura Bainbridge (University of Leeds, UK)

Vulnerability has become a core principle in British policing, shaping responses to public safety and helping form multi-agency partnerships. However, ambiguities around ‘vulnerability’ have created significant variations in how it is understood and applied in practice. This is particularly evident in police and partnership responses to victims of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) in drug markets.

This study draws upon 117 interviews with senior police officers, frontline officers, partner agencies and people with lived experience of CCE across the UK. The is evidence of a significant shift in policing and criminal justice approaches to vulnerable young people who are increasingly seen as victims of CCE, rather than simply as offenders. However, the extent to which, in practice, vulnerable individuals are seen as victims and safeguarded or, instead, criminalised varies between and within the 45 local police forces in the UK. This results in inconsistent policing practices with serious implications for procedural justice. Whereas some police forces utilise safeguarding-led approaches, others are still guided by enforcement focused responses. These differing approaches and values create tensions in the frontline culture, influencing the allocation of resources, multi-agency working, and consistency of safeguarding practices.

The presentation will detail the key policy suggestions which aim to promote greater consistency around the policing of CCE within drug markets across the UK. It suggests increased strategic coherence between safeguarding and enforcement, stronger inter-agency working, improved training provisions around the identification of vulnerable people, and more equitable distribution of funds to tackle this issue. These conclusions provide critical lessons for the improvement of British policing responses to CCE and important insights for global responses to the exploitation of children in illicit drug markets.

Prosecution of money laundering – illicit flows and cash flows – fails to achieve significant results across Europe. The presentation will focus on two structurally different innovative models of criminal assets confiscation that have proved to be highly effective in targeting and confiscating illicit financial flows. The Latvian model provides for confiscation proceedings in parallel with prosecution for money laundering. The Lithuanian model provides for post-prosecution civil confiscation of abandoned property. Both models include civil rules of evidence, which play a crucial role in boosting confiscation efficiency. Both models will be compared with the new model of unexplained wealth confiscation proposed in the Art. 16 of the Directive 2024/1260 on assets confiscation that is largely based on the German model of extended independent confiscation (Art. 76a(4) StGB). The latter has no civil proceedings component. It has proven to be effective in targeting drug-related cash flows but its capacity to target multi-layered money laundering remains questionable.

This study examines the effectiveness of Panama’s justice system in imposing meaningful sanctions on corruption and money laundering cases. Despite securing convictions, our analysis of judicial sentencing data from 2019 to 2024 reveals systemic failures in enforcing penalties and recovering illicit assets, leading to what we define as financial impunity.

Our research identifies critical offender sanction gaps by analyzing 452 judicial sentences—including convictions and acquittals. While most cases result in convictions (88% for money laundering and 67% for corruption), these outcomes often fail to deliver actual punitive consequences. The reliance on plea agreements (accounting for 85% of cases in the accusatory system) results in reduced sentences and alternative penalties, such as community service, which do not align with the severity of financial crimes. Furthermore, the justice system’s inability to systematically recover illicit proceeds exacerbates this impunity. Our findings show that while over $50 million in assets were subject to confiscation orders, enforcement mechanisms remain weak, allowing convicted individuals to retain wealth obtained through corruption and laundering schemes.

Financial impunity emerges as a defining characteristic of Panama’s judicial shortcomings. Unlike traditional impunity, which refers to the absence of prosecution or conviction, financial impunity highlights the judiciary’s failure to dismantle illicit financial gains effectively. Without stronger asset recovery mechanisms, Panama’s judicial system risks legitimizing economic benefits derived from criminal activity.

Our research underscores the need for institutional reforms, including stricter enforcement of financial sanctions and enhanced monitoring of asset forfeitures. Addressing financial impunity is critical for combating corruption and strengthening the rule of law in Panama.

Co-authors: Stefanie Bastani (Swedish Food Agency, Sweden), Linda Wågström (Swedish Food Agency, Sweden)

Food fraud is a pervasive global problem affecting the entire food supply chain, imposing substantial costs on societies every year. However, its consequences extend beyond economic losses; food fraud also threatens public health and food quality, causing losses for both consumers and businesses. Sweden, too, is exposed to criminal actors who deliberately commit offenses in the food supply chain for financial gain. The Swedish Food Agency recognizes that combating food fraud is essential for a safe and secure society. Through our work and collaboration with the authorities responsible for food controls across the country, we have observed that fraud occurs in both organized and unorganized forms. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate food crime in Sweden, providing a current overview of food fraud issues and discussing their impact on society.

To conduct this study, we begin by examining the legislation and ongoing projects aimed at fighting food fraud at both the European Union and national levels. This approach offers an overall picture of the issue and the tools available to address it. Moreover, we apply the Cost of Food Crime model used by the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom. This model identifies and measures the economic and social costs of food crime by employing a bottom-up approach that aggregates individual costs such as those related to victims, the justice system, market distortions, and prevention efforts. The model's output provides an estimate of the total cost of food crime per incident, which, based on available food fraud data, we aim to extrapolate to represent the total annual cost of food fraud in Sweden.

Co-authors: Stefanie Bastani (Swedish Food Agency, Sweden), Linda Wågström (Swedish Food Agency, Sweden)

Food fraud is a pervasive global problem affecting the entire food supply chain, imposing substantial costs on societies every year. However, its consequences extend beyond economic losses; food fraud also threatens public health and food quality, causing losses for both consumers and businesses. Sweden, too, is exposed to criminal actors who deliberately commit offenses in the food supply chain for financial gain. The Swedish Food Agency recognizes that combating food fraud is essential for a safe and secure society. Through our work and collaboration with the authorities responsible for food controls across the country, we have observed that fraud occurs in both organized and unorganized forms. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate food crime in Sweden, providing a current overview of food fraud issues and discussing their impact on society.

To conduct this study, we begin by examining the legislation and ongoing projects aimed at fighting food fraud at both the European Union and national levels. This approach offers an overall picture of the issue and the tools available to address it. Moreover, we apply the Cost of Food Crime model used by the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom. This model identifies and measures the economic and social costs of food crime by employing a bottom-up approach that aggregates individual costs such as those related to victims, the justice system, market distortions, and prevention efforts. The model's output provides an estimate of the total cost of food crime per incident, which, based on available food fraud data, we aim to extrapolate to represent the total annual cost of food fraud in Sweden.Animal hoarding is often mischaracterized as merely eccentric behaviour, yet it encompasses much deeper psychological and sociological implications. Animal hoarders are primarily perceived as individuals with mental disorders, or undesirable neighbours due to the mess and odor produced by many animals they shelter. The phenomenon of animal hoarding mostly falls within the domains of social studies, psychology, and veterinary medicine. Despite the poor physical state of animals, absence of vaccines, and elevated risks of epizootics that may also affect public health, animal hoarding does not fall under the purview of criminal law, as there is no subjective aspect to the offense. Hoarders claim that by providing stray and roaming animals a place to stay, they are rescuing them; therefore, inappropriate accommodations are not regarded as cruelty or violence and do not qualify as felonies. Additionally, many hoarders also experience distress due to the inadequate socio-economic conditions in which their animals reside. Therefor the status of companion animals as victims in this co-dependent relationship is also up to negotiation, although not within the realm of criminal law - primarily concerning the Animal Welfare Act or animal ethics. This situation poses a research question: can animal hoarding be seen as violence against companion animals (mostly cats and dogs)? Thirty semi-structured interviews were done in Latvia with animal rescue volunteers, veterinary doctors, and veterinary inspectors to obtain an answer. A review of police records about animal hoarding events in Riga, the capital of Latvia, was also conducted. The study's results are pertinent not only to social studies but also to discussions among criminology specialists. Examining societal reactions to hoarding cases can guide policies about intervention and prevention strategies, urging a re-evaluation of legal approaches to the complexities of human-animal relationships.

Co-authors: Emmely Delamillieure (Ghent University, Belgium), Maja Mallefeydt (Ghent University, Belgium), Lore François (Ghent University, Belgium).

Conduct problems, antisocial behaviors, and victimization in adolescents have a tremendous personal and societal impact. This panel presents four multimethod studies aimed at understanding heterogeneity among criminal justice-involved, youth care-referred, and community-residing at-risk adolescents. The first study examined how variants of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in boys with a conduct disorder diagnosis differ in individual (e.g., impulsivity and emotion processing) and environmental (e.g., maltreatment and parenting practices) factors. The second study investigated (sex differences in) the association between impulsivity and treatment engagement in adolescents who reside in a detention center or residential youth care facility. In a third study, it was explored whether teenage victims of pimp exploitation differ in individual (e.g., running away and ethnic origin) and environmental (e.g., socioeconomic status and sexual abuse) characteristics, relative to their non-victimized counterparts. In the fourth and final study, youth with conduct problems and CU traits were compared with youth who only display conduct problems in terms of sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward and other theoretically and clinically relevant features. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of key features such as CU traits, impulsivity, internalizing behaviors, emotion processing, and abuse/exploitation histories for subtyping youth who show antisocial behavior and severe conduct problems. Collectively, these studies tentatively underscore the need for tailored prevention and intervention strategies.

Co-authors: Olivier F Colins (Ghent Unversity, Belgium)

Background and Aims: Research on CU traits indicates that there is heterogeneity within youth showing antisocial behaviors. This led to the introduction of the ‘limited prosocial emotions’ (LPE) specifier for Conduct Disorder (CD) diagnosis in DSM-5. However, recent research indicates that additional heterogeneity exists in levels of anxiety within youth with CD who also meet criteria for the DSM-5 LPE specifier. This study is the first to test this in a sample of youth with CD and LPE diagnoses.

Methods: 271 detained boys with a current CD diagnosis were first assigned to one of three groups, being: CD Only group, primary- and secondary subtype. Groups were compared on theoretically and clinically relevant measures, using diagnostic interviews, self-report, and computerized experiments.

Results/outcomes: Findings indicate that the LPE specifier and cutoff scores for anxiety symptoms can accurately differentiate subtypes of CU traits in adolescent boys with CD. Significant differences were found for antisocial behaviors, substance use, impulsivity, empathy, emotion recognition, and environmental features between subtypes.

Conclusion: Findings support the distinction between primary and secondary LPE subtypes using clinically relevant instruments, encouraging future research to consider anxiety as a relevant feature when studying youth with the LPE specifier.

Co-authors: Lore Van Damme (Gemeenschapsinstelling De Zande, Belgium), Olivier F Colins (Ghent University, Belgium)

Background and Aims: Although impulsive traits and behaviors may hinder treatment engagement (TE), few studies have empirically tested this hypothesized association. This is surprising, given that TE is crucial for treatment success. The present study investigates the relationship between impulsive traits and behaviors and TE in a sample of 16- and 17-year-old adolescents who (allegedly) have committed crimes and/or exhibited conduct problems. Additionally, it explores whether these findings hold across sexes.

Methods: Boys (n = 322) and girls (n = 98) completed several questionnaires, including the Treatment Engagement Questionnaire, the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, and the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder. They also participated in computerized tasks such as the Stop-Signal Task, the Maudsley Index of Childhood Delay Aversion, and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task – Youth Version. Pearson’s bivariate correlation coefficients were calculated, and a series of multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between impulsivity and TE.

Results/outcomes: The findings indicated that certain impulsive traits and behaviors were significantly associated with indices of TE. These associations remained significant even after controlling for callous-unemotional traits. Few sex differences were revealed in the associations between impulsivity and TE.

Conclusion: The results of the present study emphasize the importance of assessing impulsivity in adolescents who (allegedly) have committed crimes and/or exhibited conduct problems, providing insights that enable clinicians to tailor interventions targeting impulsive traits and behaviors, thereby potentially enhancing TE and improving treatment outcomes.

Co-authors: Olivier F Colins (Ghent University, Belgium)

Background and aims: Girls who become physically and emotionally dependent on teen pimps through manipulation, deception, coercion, and violence have received substantial media attention. Yet, scientific research on victim characteristics, risk factors, and consequences of exploitation remains limited. This multimethod scrutinizes if victims and non-victims are significantly different with regard to individual (e.g., anxiety, impulsivity, and substance use) and environmental (e.g., abuse, neglect, and socioeconomic status of their family) characteristics.

Methods: Participants (N = 120) were 16- to 17-year-old criminal justice-involved girls with conduct problems who were referred by a juvenile judge to closed facilities (e.g., Secure Care). Characteristics were assessed using well-established standardized questionnaires and a diagnostic interview. Victim status was determined through a file study conducted within these institutions.

Results and outcomes: Preliminary findings indicate significant differences between victims and non-victims, both in terms of individual and environmental characteristics. For example, victims exhibited a higher number of different substances used, lower levels of physical maltreatment, and a greater likelihood of running away.

Conclusion: The results suggest that victims of teen pimps require specialized support and treatment strategies, focusing on both trauma processing and behavioral regulation. Future research should prioritize developing targeted interventions that can be applied both preventively and curatively to break the cycle of exploitation and criminalization.

Co-authors: Olivier F Colins (Ghent University, Belgium)

Background and Aims: To better understand the heterogeneity among Conduct Problems (CP), recent research has focused on Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits as a key subtyping approach. Individuals with CP, distinguished by high versus low CU traits, differ not only in the severity of their antisocial behavior and prognosis but also in their underlying etiological risk factors. The Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) model proposes that different forms of CP arise from discordance across sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward, yet empirical validation remains limited. This study examines whether adolescents with CP+CU differ from those with CP Only regarding sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward, along with other relevant characteristics.

Methods: To test the CU-based subtyping of CP, a community sample of 997 male adolescents filled in the STARS questionnaire, measuring sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward. Additional self-report measures assessed conduct problems, callous-unemotional traits, grandiose-manipulative traits, impulsivity, thrill-seeking, social dominance, sensation seeking, aloofness, and prosocial behavior.

Results/outcomes: CP+CU adolescents did not differ significantly from CP Only adolescents in sensitivity to threat or affiliative reward. No significant group differences were found in aloofness, sensation seeking, or prosocial behavior. However, male adolescents with CP+CU exhibited higher levels of impulsivity, boldness, social dominance, grandiose-manipulative behavior, and thrill-seeking compared to those with CP Only.

Conclusion: This study did not find support for the STAR model as a framework for identifying distinct phenotypic pathways of CP based on sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward. However, our findings highlight key differences between CP+CU and CP Only groups, which may aid in early identification, prevention, and intervention strategies to mitigate long-term adverse outcomes.

The role of technology in modern crime and crime fighting: Digital Shadows without Borders

The rapid and almost uncontrollable development of digital technology has transformed many aspects of society, including the field of crime and criminology. This presentation explores the multifaceted role of digitalization in both abetting, promoting, facilitating and combating criminal activities.

The study examines the rising prevalence of cybercrime, the use of digital methods in traditional crimes, and the innovative approaches law enforcement agencies use and can still develop and be trained on to address these challenges. In light of the recent deployment of artificial intelligence and the involvement of the nation-state in criminal enterprises going global.

By examining case studies and current trends, we will uncover how criminals exploit digital tools for illegal activities, ranging from identity theft, human trafficking, urban violence, hostages taking/terrorist actions and financial fraud to cyberstalking and online drug trafficking.

We will simultaneously highlight how important digital forensics, data analytics, and artificial intelligence are in modern policing and criminal investigations. Keeping in mind the tradition of human capability, perception, emotional intelligence, and wisdom.

In addition, the presentation will address the ethical and legal consequences of digital surveillance, privacy issues, and the balance between security, human rights, and civil liberties.
Ultimately, this exploration aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay between digitalization and criminology, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape to ensure effective crime prevention and justice.

Co-authors: Inge Wissink (Utrecht University, the Netherlands), Ellen Reitz (Utrecht University, the Netherlands), Jessica Asscher (Utrecht University, the Netherlands)

While statistics on offline youth crime generally show a downward trend, there seems to be a noteworthy rise in digitized and cybercriminal behaviors among juveniles, such as hacking, sexting and cyberstalking. In order to effectively prevent and intervene these issues, it is important that prevention and intervention programs prioritize dynamic protective and risk factors of these specific perpetrators. However, there is little research on (the combination of) these specific factors, as most meta-analyses and reviews on juvenile cybercrime have focused on risk factors for traditional crime or victimization. Given the continuous emergence of new technologies, which can increase and facilitate the opportunities for committing cybercrime, it is essential to synthesize existing knowledge to provide a comprehensive overview of dynamic risk factors of young perpetrators, as this can facilitate the adjustment of current and future measures. Therefore, this multilevel meta-analysis aimed to identify risk factors for cybercrime perpetration among adolescents (aged 12-23). Moreover, this meta-analysis aimed to shed light on the strength of the association between specific risk factors and cybercrime perpetration, to prioritize interventions. Additionally, this meta-analysis aimed to identify the differences in risk factors between different types of juvenile cybercrime, such as hacking, sexting and cyberstalking. The preliminary findings will be discussed, as well as possible implications for (preventive) intervention.

The paper will present possible ways of using police and judicial statistics to obtain information on cybercrime in the Czech Republic. It will focus on their accessibility, content and inherent biases. Specific data will be based on these statistics, a nationally representative questionnaire survey conducted in 2020 on experiences with various online phenomena in the role of victim and/or perpetrator, and ongoing research on virtual violence.

Co-authors: Nomi Levenkron (Kinneret College & Hebrew Univeristy of Jerusalem, Israel) & Tehila Shwartz Altshuler (Israel Democracy Institute, Israel)

This paper explores the role of police organizations in tackling disinformation and incitement on social media: a phenomenon with potentially devastating effects on the safety and well-being of communities and individuals across the world.

Using a case-study methodology, the paper examines Divided Cities in Israel during the May 2021 riots, in which cross-ethnic violence between Jews and Arabs erupted. The analysis relies on varied sources: news articles and legal records, data from on-line monitoring groups, qualitative studies, and government reports. The case-study demonstrates the risks of disinformation in heterogeneous urban localities, characterized by conflict between communities. When disinformation spreads within the separate digital spheres ("echo systems"), it can escalate to violence in the shared physical sphere. Divided cities provide valuable context for considering the effects of disinformation and the current role played (or neglected) by the police.

Based on this analysis, we propose two realms of future research: normative and practical. In the normative realm three issues were identified: first, the unique protections offered to disinformation under freedom of speech and the 'chilling effect' policing disinformation might have; second, the normative problem of the police policing phenomena which are not (necessarily) a crime and are not regulated; and third, the (im)possibility of police organizations to serve as ‘arbiters of truth’ in an age of low trust and legitimacy. The practical realm includes two further topics: first, the lack of appropriate technological tools and organizational capacities within the police to understand and deal with echo-systems of disinformation; and second, the organizational challenges to effectively respond when disinformation is transitioning to violence. Such research is needed to promote standards of democratic policing and regulation, and prevent patterns of over and under-policing being blindly reenacted in the digital sphere.

Co-authors: Kristina Alstam (Gothenburg University, Sweden), Torbjörn Forkby (Linnaeus University, Sweden), Russell Turner (Gothenburg University, Sweden)

During the last decade, a drastic increase in gang-related gun violence has taken place in Sweden, making the country stand out in comparison to other European countries. Possible explanations include conflicts over drug markets, revenge motives, and escalating cycles of violence emanating from shifts in power relations and dominant actors. However, what motivates the particular choice of using firearms against others, how the gang conflicts have escalated, what dictates the code of individual and group-wise conduct within a gang setting during conflict, and how young people, often in the lower teens with little or no previous involvement in gangs become introduced and led to committing serious violence, are all examples of questions waiting to be answered.

This presentation will share early results from an ongoing study on the ‘action logics’ of violent acts in gang settings, i.e., what is considered as a necessary response based on the understanding of the specific nature of these conflicts, as well as the ‘scripts’ spelling out the individual character recommendations for the involved parties.

The study applies a mixed-method design, including document analysis of resolved Swedish court cases and investigation protocols from Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö between 2019-2023, interviews with Swedish gang experts, and proceeds with interviews with additional gang experts in Aarhus/Copenhagen, Glasgow and Manchester. The choice of the latter is informed by their experiences of delivering gang violence reduction efforts with positive results.

Preliminary results from the study indicate that violence is maintained through a collective memory working as a glue between members, and thereby plays a part in upholding group cohesion and identity over time. The actual violence is further orchestrated in partly structured time sections that frames different phases of the conflict. The results also imply that the scripts are specialized in relation to each individual’s task in a conflict.

In recent years gun violence has received increased public attention in Sweden. Gunshots or so-called “shootings” have had a major impact on the news coverage. One of the most discussed issues during the political debates before the last election to the Swedish Parliament was “gang criminality”. This issue is said to be related to shootings and lethal gun violence. Since the mid 2000’s, lethal gun violence as a method of violence has increased in Sweden. During the 2010’s, the general trend is that the lethal gun violence has increased. There has been a structural change in the lethal violence, where shootings in so-called criminal milieus have increased. Previous research in the Swedish context, has focused on the prevalence of firearm use and firearm-related injuries and deaths. However, there is a lack of research on how gun violence has been constructed as a social problem by focusing on the image of offenders and victims.

The mass media is an arena in which different social problems can receive attention, but also for discursive formations. The aim is to analyse how gun violence has been constructed as a social problem in the editorials of the largest Swedish newspapers (Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, Expressen and Svenska Dagbladet) during the periods of 2013 – 2018, 2019 – 2021 and 2022 – 2024 by applying Loseke’s theory of social problems as claims making activity together with an intersectional perspective.

The findings suggest that the offenders and victims of gun violence have changed over time. During the first period (2013 – 2018), both offenders and victims are constructed as individuals associated with so-called gang criminality. In the second period (2019 – 2021) the offenders are “gang criminals” but the victims are constructed as “innocents”. In the last period (2022 – 2024), the offenders – who are constructed as minors – and the victims are “innocents”.

The role of popular sentiment in the formation of American criminal punishment policy is both elusive and enigmatic. For years, it was commonly believed that the American public’s punitive attitudes were mostly manipulated by elites, which rendered criminal punishment the product of improper democratic processes (e.g., Beckett, 1999). That approach, however, shifted with the publication of empirical work by political scientist Peter Enns (2014, 2016), showing that public punitiveness was responsive to changes in criminal activity and that punishment policy was somewhat responsive to changes in public punitiveness. While this finding has the capacity to breathe new life into the notion of democracy at work, strangely, the implications of Enns’ work have not been sufficiently explored.

This paper explores the implications of the newly found connection between crime rates, punitiveness, and pounishment policy. It examines the suitability of punitiveness for the making of policy (the intercept, steepness); punitiveness’ asymmetric responsiveness to increases and decreases in crime rates; other correlates of punitiveness that enter the equation (including non-democratic attitudes, racial attitudes, revenge, hatred of criminals, etc.); the proneness of popular attitudes to distortions; and the nature of the political process that converts public punitiveness into punishment policy. In all, this analysis raises the specter that the American punishment policy could be understood as the product of tyranny at work.

The rise of penal populism in Ecuador, particularly in response to the 2024 Security Crisis, raises critical questions about its effect on public trust in the government and justice system. In an effort to combat crime and insecurity, political leaders have embraced tough-on-crime policies and militarized public security strategies. While these measures aim to project strength and restore confidence, they risk undermining trust due to human rights violations, judicial overreach, and questionable long-term effectiveness.

This study examines the relationship between penal populism and public trust in Ecuador’s government and justice system in the wake of the crisis. It explores how "mano dura" (iron fist) rhetoric and punitive measures influence public perceptions of institutional legitimacy and effectiveness. This research evaluates the short- and long-term impacts of these policies, using qualitative and quantitative data, like public opinion polls, policy analysis, and interviews,

Preliminary findings suggest that militarization and harsher sentencing initially boost public confidence but lead to long-term disillusionment. Key concerns include the politicization of justice, the erosion of judicial independence, and a persistent sense of insecurity, despite intensified enforcement. These trends highlight the paradox of penal populism: while offering immediate reassurance, it ultimately weakens faith in the state’s ability to sustainably control crime.

This study contributes to a broader understanding of how populist criminal justice policies shape public trust, offering insights into their implications for governance and democracy in Ecuador.

This presentation examines how Germany criminalizes and prosecutes indirect involvement in foreign terrorist organizations, with a focus on German women affiliated with ISIS. Through doctrinal legal research, it analyzes the criminal proceedings of thirteen such women before the Federal Court of Justice. The discussion begins by outlining international and regional counterterrorism standards established by the United Nations Security Council and the European Union. It then explores how these standards have been transposed into German counterterrorism legislation. The presentation further details the offenses under §§129a and 129b of the German Criminal Code (StGB), with particular attention to case law interpreting §129a. Finally, it evaluates selected cases to argue that the Federal Court of Justice has expanded the definition of membership under §129a(1) StGB into a catch-all offense. This broad interpretation has blurred the distinction between different levels of organizational involvement—membership versus support—among women affiliated with ISIS, leading to the inadequate application of the full range of available criminal provisions.

Co-authors: Eva Groß (University of Applied Sciences of Hamburg Police, Germany), Joachim Häfele (Police Academy of Lower Saxony, Germany), Ilka Kammigan (University of Applied Sciences of Hamburg Police, Germany), Stefanie Kemme (University of Münster, Germany), Amelie Nickel (University of Applied Sciences of Hamburg Police, Germany), Anabel Taefi (University of Applied Sciences of Hamburg Police, Germany), Ulrike Zähringer (University of Applied Sciences of Hamburg Police, Germany)

In recent years, anti-democratic attitudes and positions of group-focused enmity (GFE) have become increasingly prevalent in Western societies. Since the death of George Floyd in the United States and the ensuing “black lives matter” movement, repeated media reports of documented misanthropic online group chats and actions by police officers in Germany have raised the question whether members of the police force are particularly susceptible to GFE. This would be particularly worrying given that such attitudes are incompatible with the professional role of those who hold the monopoly on the use of force in a free democratic society.
Various studies suggest that there is a link between everyday working conditions and democracy-related attitudes in the workforce. However, the role of working conditions as a possible cause for the development of GFE has received little attention. Drawing on theoretical perspectives and empirical findings on the causes of GFE and concepts of occupational stress, the present paper examines how selected stressors (e.g., effort-reward imbalance, illegitimate tasks, organizational justice, health hazards, social stressors) and resources (social support, participation) in policing are related to the devaluation of minority groups (GFE). Based on an online survey of n = 954 police officers, the results point to the importance of work and organizational design in strengthening the democratic resilience of a society in general and within police organizations in particular.

Co-authors: Simon Davies (School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand), Polaschek Devon (NZ Institute for Security and Crime Science, University of Waikato, New Zealand)

Introduction: Public perceptions of police bias have never been more pervasive, and undermine feelings of trust in the police. But what does the evidence collectively say about this important yet contentious issue? To begin to answer this, a research team led by the NZ Institute for Security and Crime Science systematically assembled an ‘evidence and gap map’ of global research into disparities in police outcomes. This resource is available open-access to other researchers.

Methods: We followed systematic methods to identify studies that were eligible for the map. This involved: a key word search of the Global Policing Database; screening according to predefined inclusion criteria; inter-rater reliability tests; coding of studies to extract their data; and the creation of a visual map to illustrate the many different cross-sections of studies.

Results: Over 500 eligible studies were identified up to end of 2021 and coded for the evidence map. The evidence is dominated by research from the United States on racial bias, with gender and age also being commonly studied individual characteristics. A smaller, but growing, body of evidence looks at structural, institutional and ecological dimensions of bias. A wide variety of studies are represented on the map; for instance, more than two dozen police actions (e.g., deployment, arrests, stop and search, investigation) and over 20 theories frame the research on the map. We will summarise some of the most recent theoretical and methodological innovations and findings in this presentation.

Conclusion: police bias is a complex issue to research and many studies are extremely weak quality. The strongest evidence suggests there are disparities in police outcomes, but opinions differ (strongly!) as to why this is.

This presentation explores findings from the Body-Worn Cameras in Policing and Criminal Justice project (2022-2025). This mixed-methods study, conducted in Poland, integrates court file analysis, statistical examination of police use-of-force incidents and citizen complaints, and qualitative insights from diverse stakeholders, including law enforcement officers, judges, and human rights advocates. By situating our results within the broader international context, we provide a comprehensive assessment of BWCs' impact on evidence reliability, policing practices, and public perceptions of safety and accountability.

Our research critically evaluates the extent to which BWCs fulfill their intended roles, while also addressing key challenges such as privacy concerns, the legal admissibility of recordings, and practical constraints on their use in crime prevention. Through a comparative analysis of policy expectations versus empirical findings across multiple jurisdictions, we offer new insights into the effectiveness and limitations of BWCs within the Polish criminal justice system.

By linking our findings to global discussions on surveillance technologies in law enforcement, this study highlights both the distinct characteristics of the Polish experience and the broader challenges of integrating BWCs into legal and operational frameworks. Our conclusions contribute to the ongoing debate on potential reforms needed to enhance the effectiveness, accountability, and legitimacy of this technology.

Co-authors: Sofi Oskarsson (Örebro University, School of Behavioural, Social and Legal Sciences, Sweden), Paul Lichtenstein (Karolinska Institute, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Sweden), Antti Latvala (University of Helsinki, Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, Finland)

Children of parents with criminal convictions are at an elevated risk of engaging in criminal behavior, likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental influences. Although numerous risk factors for criminality have been identified, their significance in an already high-risk group of offspring of convicted parents remains largely unexplored. Furthermore, few studies have utilized sibling-comparison designs in high-risk families to account for shared genetic and environmental factors, which is a step towards examining the independent effect these risk factors may have on criminal behavior.
This study aims to examine the associations between multiple individual risk factors and criminal convictions among offspring of parents with criminal convictions, while accounting for genetic and environmental influences shared by siblings. We conducted a cohort study of all individuals born between 1987 and 2004 who had at least one biological parent that have ever been convicted of a crime and who were alive and residing in Sweden at their 15th birthday (N=921,908). We obtained data by linking Swedish population-based registers. The risk factors assessed include psychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injury, violent victimization, school performance, cognitive ability, psychosocial functioning, birth-related factors, and physiological factors such as resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure. We conducted survival analyses to test associations between these risk factors and criminal convictions, adjusting for familial confounding through sibling-comparison analysis of discordant siblings on these factors. As the study is ongoing, we will present results and discuss their potential implications during the conference.

The idiom goes, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Research on behavioral transmission across generations—particularly in regard to criminal behavior—tends to find evidence corroborating this. While there is a substantial amount of research highlighting the continuity of antisocial behavior across generations, there is also evidence that not all children of antisocial parents become antisocial themselves. The factors underlying this discontinuity, however, have been relatively underexamined. Further, much of the focus on continuity and discontinuity has emphasized the perceived importance of parenting and other environmental influences with few studies accounting for genetic influences.

While many criminological theories indirectly provide explanations for discontinuity and abstention, Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy is arguably the only theory which explicitly directs attention to abstention. While this taxonomy has received much empirical investigation and support, Judith Rich Harris argued that the key motivation driving behaviors identified by Moffitt is incorrect. It is from this notion that Harris developed group socialization theory, arguing that youth are motivated by peers and social identification.

Guided by Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy and Harris’s group socialization theory, the current study investigates the environmental and genetic mechanisms driving intergenerational discontinuity. Principally, the current study uses data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to assess etiological factors related to abstention among offspring of individuals who have engaged in antisocial behaviors. This study advances knowledge on intergenerational discontinuity, a topic which has been identified by several scholars as one in need of further empirical study. In so doing, the current study also examines and furthers the current understanding of the importance of parents, genetics, and peers in the discontinuation of antisocial behavior across generations.

Co-authors: Ralf Kuja-Halkola (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden), Paul Lichtenstein (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden), Antti Latvala (University of Helsinki, Finland, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)

Millions of children worldwide experience parental incarceration on any given day. A growing body of research has described associations between parental incarceration and a wide range of adverse health and behavioral outcomes in offspring. However, most studies have been correlational and have failed to account for unmeasured confounding and selection effects. Thus, the fundamental question of whether parental incarceration is an independent risk factor or merely a risk marker remains largely unanswered. We conducted a longitudinal study on the associations between paternal incarceration and offspring mental health and behavioral outcomes using Swedish population register data with follow-up from age 10 to age 30. We first examined associations at the population level using a study cohort of nearly four million individuals born in Sweden between 1973 and 2010, and found robust associations between paternal incarceration and offspring acute psychiatric conditions, increased psychotropic medication use, acute substance misuse events, risk-taking behavior, and suicidal behavior (hazard ratios [HRs] 1.39–2.61). To investigate the possible causal impact of paternal incarceration on offspring, we applied a within-individual study design that takes into account all time-stable environmental and individual factors by comparing the risk for outcomes among offspring during time periods of paternal incarceration vs. time periods when the father was not in prison, using a cohort of 44,275 individuals exposed to paternal incarceration between the ages of 10 and 30. No significant within-individual associations between paternal incarceration and offspring outcomes were found (HRs 0.98–1.07), suggesting that the population-level associations are mainly explained by selection effects rather than a direct effect of paternal incarceration. This study makes an important contribution to understanding the nature of the intergenerational association between paternal incarceration and offspring mental health and wellbeing.

Co-authors: Catherine Tuvblad (Örebro University, Sweden, University of Southern California, USA), Paul Lichtenstein (Karolinska Institute, Sweden), Henrik Larsson(Örebro University, Sweden, Karolinska Institute, Sweden), Antti Latvala (University of Helsinki, Finland)

Parental criminality is a risk factor for crime, but little is known about why some individuals exposed to this risk refrain from crime. We explored associations of resting heart rate (RHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), cognitive ability (CA), and psychological functioning (PF) with criminal convictions among men with a convicted parent, accounting for unmeasured familial factors in sibling analyses. Data were obtained from Swedish registers, including all men born in Sweden between 1958 and 1992 with a convicted parent (N=495,109), followed for up to 48 years. The potential protective factors were measured at mandatory conscription. Outcomes were conviction of any, violent, and non-violent crime. Survival analyses were used to test for associations, adjusting for measured covariates and unmeasured familial factors. Higher levels of RHR, SBP, CA, and PF were associated with reduced risk of criminality after adjusting for covariates. RHR associations were largely explained by familial factors. CA and PF associations were not due to sibling-shared confounders, in line with a causal interpretation. SBP results, indicating a protective effect against non-violent crime, warrant further investigation.

The rise of social media has transformed communication and connectivity, but it has also created new avenues for criminal activity, including human trafficking. My doctoral research investigates how sex traffickers leverage social media platforms to facilitate their operations, exploring the digital ecosystem in which recruitment, manipulation, and advertising converge. The research aligns with the symposium’s theme of digitalization in crime, offering an evidence-based exploration of social media’s role in facilitating trafficking. It also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to addressing the digital challenges posed by human trafficking networks.

My exploratory study examines the integration of technology into trafficking networks’ business models, revealing how traffickers strategically exploit social media to recruit victims through deceptive relationships, manipulate them with false promises (or threats), and ultimately exploit people and advertise this exploitation to potential buyers. I use case studies and data analysis to highlight the mechanisms by which traffickers adapt to platform features, circumvent content moderation, and exploit algorithmic structures to maximize their reach.

By analyzing patterns in traffickers’ online behaviors, this research provides insights into the evolving relationship between technology and trafficking. I argue that traffickers’ use of social media is not incidental but rather a deliberate and integral aspect of their operations, reflecting broader trends in the digitalization of crime.

The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how technology shapes modern exploitation and offer practical implications for crime prevention. Specifically, the presentation will discuss traffickers’ strategies within online operations.

Digitalization pervades all aspects of modern life, profoundly impacting the commission, investigation, and understanding of crime. While offering powerful tools for law enforcement, digitalization also creates new avenues for criminal activity, from large-scale fraud to online harassment. This presentation addresses the critical need to bolster digital capabilities within criminal justice and criminology, focusing on proactive prevention through the “HackShield Future Cyber Heroes” initiative. HackShield is an educational program empowering young people (8-12) with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. By fostering digital literacy, ethical hacking skills, and awareness of cyber threats, HackShield aims to cultivate a generation of “cyber heroes” contributing to a more secure digital society. Speaking to the future rather solely about it, initiatives such as HackShield enable a younger generation to become part of the solution rather than only potential victims.

This presentation details how HackShield’s curriculum tackles key cybersecurity aspects, including online safety, data privacy, social engineering, and the legal and ethical dimensions of hacking. We explore how equipping young people with digital skills and ethical frameworks can reduce their vulnerability to online victimization and deter them from engaging in cybercrime. Furthermore, we discuss how initiatives like HackShield can bridge the widening gap between rapidly evolving digital crime and the capacity of law enforcement and the justice system to respond effectively. Finally, we consider the long-term impact of investing in preventative programs like HackShield in fostering a culture of cyber resilience, ultimately reducing the prevalence of both digital crime and crimes facilitated by digital technologies. This presentation argues that investing in digital literacy and empowering future generations is crucial for a comprehensive long-term strategy against digital and digitally-mediated crime, offering HackShield as a promising model, based upon empirical evidence from the Netherlands, for proactive prevention and a safer digital future.

Co-authors: Amanda Bergold (Seton Hall University, USA)

Police departments increasingly have access to new facial recognition technologies (FRT) which they use in concert with very large photograph databases. The proliferation of these systems means that law enforcement now has a method for quickly assessing how similar faces are to each other. In this research, we consider how FRT might be used to improve the process of constucting eyewitness lineups. Because there is little foundational research on the use of FRT in lineup construction, we first examine whether levels of algorithmic similarity correspond to eyewitnesses choosing from a lineup. Prolific participants were randomly assigned to a 5 (Level of algorithmic filler-suspect similarity) x 2 (Target present v. Target absent) between-subjects factorial design. The specific fillers themselves and their position were randomized. When creating lineups from the ~1% of the population ranked as most similar to a given suspect by the facial recognition system (4,096 matches), witnesses who viewed lineups constructed from less similar fillers achieved better applied outcomes (more correct suspect identifications, fewer identifications of known innocent fillers). Comparing the predictive nature of description-matched lineups with algorithmically-matched lineups, the algorithmic filler-suspect similarity levels predicted choosing above and beyond description-matching. When filler selections were specifically analyzed, results revealed that even small increases in algorithmic similarity levels corresponded with higher rates of choosing. Overall the results reveal that algorithmic similarity levels as measured by FRT are meaningful predictors of eyewitness choosing from photograph lineups.

This paper presents a three-step process that combines knowledge graphs with large language models (LLMs) to revolutionize how law enforcement agencies gather, analyze, and share criminal intelligence. This approach addresses critical challenges in modern policing: data silos, investigation complexity, and the need for transparent, explainable intelligence sharing.

Transitioning to Holistic Intelligence DataThe first step addresses the fundamental challenge of fragmented criminal intelligence data across agencies and systems. It proposes transitioning to a knowledge graph to unify these sources and create a holistic view of criminal intelligence data. It introduces a novel approach where LLMs process unstructured data from diverse sources - including police reports, witness statements, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) - to automatically construct comprehensive knowledge graphs. The resulting knowledge graph provides a verified source of criminal intelligence.

From Search to Exploration The second step advocates for leveraging the knowledge graph's ability to explore data connections. It transforms how law enforcement personnel interact with complex criminal data enabling analysts to navigate connections among people and events, fostering deeper investigative insights compared to traditional search methods. Graphs facilitate this task in terms of speed and understandability, while LLMs enable officers and analysts of all technical backgrounds to query complex criminal networks using simple, natural language questions. This democratization of access to criminal intelligence supports community policing strategies and enables rapid response.

Advanced Crime Analysis and Transparent Intelligence ReportingThe final step leverages the combined power of graph analytics and LLMs for sophisticated crime pattern analysis and clear communication of findings. The system analyzes graph patterns to identify criminal network structures, potential co-offender relationships, and emerging crime trends. LLMs then transform these complex analytical insights into clear, compelling intelligence reports that can be easily understood and shared across law enforcement agencies. This approach ensures that predictive insights and risk assessments are fully explainable.

Co-authors: Catherine O'Brien and Mark Warner (University College London, UK)

As the number of police investigations involving digital evidence has increased, concerns have grown over police capacity to deal with this evidence, and the over seizure and examination backlog of devices. Triage processes have been introduced as a potential solution, but these are not evidence-informed and their application across forces remains unclear. We explored existing practices across four UK police organisations through observations, interviews, and document review. We identified how known challenges related to gaps in digital skills, knowledge, and awareness within policing are impacting triage practices and the strategies developed to mitigate these. We found that initiatives designed to support triage approaches inadvertently enhanced digital knowledge and awareness of officers through experiential learning, an approach that better aligns with “on the job" learning culture within policing. We point to opportunities to develop technologies to support these existing initiatives to more purposefully embed experiential learning opportunities and enhance their scalability.

This paper explores the dynamics of bystander (in)action in the face of hate incidents. It draws from wave 2 of the Australian Youth Safety Survey (AYSS), an online survey of identity, diversity and safety amongst young people aged 14-25. Results show that 30% of participants were targeted by hate speech and 4% by hate violence in the previous year. These victimisations are frequently public, with most victims reporting the presence of bystanders. Yet from the victim perspective, bystanders are not always helpful or even benign. In about half the incidents victims reported bystanders did nothing to intervene, and many either laughed or joined in the abuse. Unsurprisingly, only 20-30% of victims felt that bystanders made things better for them. In contrast, of the survey participants who had witnessed a hate incident, over a third offered no assistance, yet almost half felt that their presence helped the victim. This paper analyses the characteristics of the bystanders most willing to offer help and the victims most likely to receive help, and evaluates the types of responses that victims and bystanders rate as most helpful, with the aim of informing future interventions.

Co-authors: Jennifer Lemanski (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA) and Garrison A. Crews (Crews & Associates Research Center, USA)

This presentation examines the potential impact that Doomscrolling has on contributing to behaviors that escalate conflict or violence, particularly when combined with underlying social, personal, or political stressors internationally. Doomscrolling refers to the act of an individual continuously and consciously seeking out distressing and negative news through social media or online platforms. This is especially of concern when a growing number of societies worldwide exhibit signs of beliefs evident in the Mean World Syndrome. Mean World Syndrome is a phenomenon first identified in the 1970s that refers to the belief that the world is more dangerous, threatening, or violent than it actually is. According to Mean World Syndrome, this happens over time as a direct result of consuming media, particularly depictions of violence on television shows or violence reported in news broadcast content or in newspapers. Research has supported that Doomscrolling intensifies the input of negative information, directly feeding into the perceptions central to Mean World Syndrome. Thus, Doomscrolling is a modern mechanism that intensifies and sustains the distorted worldview characteristic of Mean World Syndrome. This suggests the need for an updated discussion of this phenomenon, which will allow a better understanding of the impacts of negative social media consumption on an individual’s mental health and perceptions of reality, as well as how those individuals may interact with society. In this presentation, Mean World Syndrome and doomscrolling will be situated within historical and contemporary media research. The impact of negative media consumption on international political conflict and violence will be emphasized, along with methods to mitigate these effects on media audience members potentially.

The increasing involvement of Trinidad and Tobago's school children in delinquent activities such as bullying, physical altercations, and extortion is indeed a problem. However, it also represents a significant potential for positive change. This troubling trend is a social issue that is now under scrutiny. It explores the correlation between schoolchildren and violence, with an analysis of the societal factors that shape their roles as both victims and perpetrators. Specifically, it investigates the consequences of external influences, including community, family dynamics, and socioeconomic conditions, by providing an analysis of the demographic and social determinants of school-based violence. It underscores the crucial role of academics in identifying and addressing students who fall within the victim-offender overlap, offering a beacon of hope for a brighter future. Moreover, it presents a framework for establishing functional victim-offender services that are responsive to the needs of at-risk youth. It critically evaluates the shortcomings of current policies and the lack of adequate policy intervention strategies, underlining the urgent requirement for evidence-based prevention approaches in schools. This presentation aims to stimulate policy development and foster safer educational environments by highlighting the key aspects of school violence.

Co-authors: David M Day (Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada), Deborah M Capaldi (Oregon Social Learning Center, US), Idris O Yusuf (University of Houston, US), Joung Yon Choi (University of Houston, US), Weiwei Wu (University of Houston, US)

STUDY AIMS: In many instances criminal offenses involve consumption of alcohol or other drugs (e.g., Harwood, Fountain, & Livermore, 1998; Miller, Levy, Cohen, & Cox, 2006). However, few longitudinal studies in the United States have disaggregated the occurrence and monetary costs of alcohol- and drug-involved (AOD) crimes across offender trajectory groups. The objectives of this study were to compare 1) the rates of AOD-involved crimes and 2) the monetary costs of AOD-involved crimes across distinctive offender trajectory groups. We hypothesized that higher-level offender trajectory groups would be characterized by higher rates of AOD-involved crimes and account for a disproportionate amount of the monetary costs of these crimes relative to lower-level offender trajectory groups.

METHODS: Longitudinal data from 206 predominantly White at-risk men enrolled in the Oregon Youth Study were used. Juvenile and adult court records provided annual counts of official arrests from ages 10-11 to ages 37-38 years (i.e., spanning 27 years of the men’s lives). Other relevant information derived from the court records included charges, types of offense, and dispositions (e.g., convictions).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The number of offender trajectories was determined via semiparametric group-based modeling (Nagin, 2005). Using a zero-inflated Poisson model that accounted for mortality, intermittency, and exposure time, three arrest trajectory classes were identified: 129 rare offenders (62.8%), 46 low-level chronic offenders (21.6%), and 31 high-level chronic offenders (15.7%). Classification quality was high (e.g., entropy: 0.88). With some exceptions, high-level chronic offenders accrued the largest rates and highest cost share of AOD-involved crimes, with low-level chronic offenders being a close second (or even superseding depending on the specific AOD-involved crime category). Theoretical and policymaker implications of the findings will be discussed.

Co-authors: Peter Larm (Stockholm University, Sweden), Jonas Landberg (Stockholm University, Sweden), Fredrik Sivertsson (Stockholm University, Sweden), Jonas Raninen (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)

Alcohol consumption and crime are often overlapping behaviors that may follow different developmental trajectories. Also, different social and health outcomes may be associated with different types of trajectories. The aim was to investigate different trajectories of co-occurring alcohol use and crime and what social and health outcomes are associated with these trajectories.

A sample of 2799 (males=42%) randomly selected participants born in 2001 were measured with surveys at three time points (ages 16, 18 and 21). Group based multi trajectory modeling was used to identify joint developmental trajectories for alcohol consumption and crime. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between trajectories for the outcomes of anxiety, depression, Not in Employment Education or Training [NEET]-status, school failure, single relationship status, cannabis use and hard drug use at age 21.

Four trajectories were identified; ‘Alcohol only’, which was 72% of the sample (males=37%), which had consistently low involvement in crime, and low alcohol consumption at age 16 which increased to age 21. This trajectory was selected as reference; ‘Abstainers’, which was 10% (males=40%), which had low alcohol consumption and involvement in crime from age 16 to 21; ‘Alcohol increase/crime decrease’, which was 15% (males=60%), which had the highest alcohol consumption and crime at age 16 and increasing alcohol consumption, but decreasing crime to age 21; ‘Escalators’, which was 3% (males=71%), which had low alcohol consumption and crime at age 16 and increasing both to age 21. Being part of ‘Abstainers’ was associated with decreased probability for cannabis use and increased probability for single relationship status. ‘Alcohol increase/crime decrease’ was associated with increased probability of cannabis use and hard drug use. ‘Escalators’ was associated with increased probability of depression, school failure, cannabis use, and hard drug use. Anxiety and NEET-status was not associated with any trajectory.

This paper examines the relationship between child development and the probability of engaging in offending behaviour during adolescence. I conduct a factor analysis on early childhood assessments, identifying several key developmental dimensions. After adjusting for confounding variables, I find significant associations between poor child development and adolescent offending. Developmental issues related to cognitive abilities are largely mediated by school-related experiences, such as attendance and academic performance. However, poor non-cognitive abilities continue to show a strong association with offending behaviour, even after accounting for these mediating factors. Lastly, I examine the influence of schools and contextual factors, with results remaining robust when accounting for group-level variability.

Co-author: Anna-Karin Ivert (Malmö University, Sweden)

Previous research has found that negative life events are associated with youth offending. However, mental health problems have at the same time been found to be associated with both negative life events and youth offending - opening for a question if the association between negative life events and offending is mediated by mental health problems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the associations between different types of negative life events and youth offending, as well if the association was mediated by different types of mental health problems. Data were drawn from the Malmö Individual and Neighbourhood Development Study. To get the proper order of events variables measuring negative life events were drawn from wave 2 of data collection, mental health problems from wave 3, and youth offending from wave 4. To test the associations between negative life events and youth offending linear regressions were conducted, and to test a mediating role of mental health problems both Bootstrap tests and Sobel test were conducted. The results showed that especially negative life events related to parents and family life had associations with youth offending, as well as that externalasing mental health problems worked as a mediator between several types of negative life events and youth offending. Findings indicate that more knowledge is needed about the seemingly complex associations between negative life events, mental health problems and youth offending. By increasing our knowledge better prevention strategies and intervention can be created, increasing the chance of better lives for youths.

Co-authors: Nathan Innocente (University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada), JaCoya Laplante (Brock University, Canada), Brenda Morrison (Simon Fraser University, Canada), Daniella Bendo (King’s University College, University of Western Ontario, Canada), Christine Goodwin-De Faria (Trent University Durham, Canada)

The Canadian Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) is structured to ensure that young people receive their constitutional and international rights, including their right to full access and participation in the justice process and the proceedings against them. The YCJA acknowledges that some young people face developmental, emotional, and intellectual challenges and emphasizes that actions taken against youth must “respond to the needs of young persons with special requirements” (Declaration of Principle, Section 3(c)(iv)). Research indicates that youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a group frequently overrepresented in the youth justice system, encounter challenges in accessing justice due to under- or misidentification, cognitive issues, and the pace of proceedings (Jones, 2007; Marinos et al., 2017, 2020). Although criminal justice professionals, such as lawyers, play a critical role in facilitating access to justice for all young people, little is known about the extent to which lawyers receive professional training and education regarding intellectual and developmental disabilities to assist them. This paper presents an analysis of findings from qualitative interviews with both lawyers and justice-involved youth within the framework of legal education and the professional development and training of lawyers. Lawyers identified gaps in education and training, along with several systemic challenges within the youth justice system, which contribute to inconsistent and unpredictable access to justice for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Both lawyers and the youth involved expressed the need for similar and significant supports to enhance access to justice for all young people.

The Flemish Youth Delinquency Decree (FYDD) reignites the debate on whether youth delinquency procedures should be classified as criminal law or as a sui generis legal framework. Traditionally framed within a protective model, youth delinquency law is often distinguished from criminal law. However, this distinction is increasingly contested, as youth justice procedures often involve sanctions and measures resembling criminal law.

This debate is particularly relevant for the applicability of EU judicial cooperation in "criminal matters." This paper examines whether the FYDD and, more broadly, national youth delinquency legislation involving deprivation of liberty, qualify as "criminal" under EU law—a determination with dual significance.

First, Directive 2016/800 establishes minimum procedural safeguards for children in criminal proceedings. If youth delinquency procedures are classified as criminal, minors must be granted these EU-mandated protections. Second, the EU has developed judicial cooperation instruments aimed at facilitating cross-border enforcement and mutual recognition in criminal matters. The proper classification of youth delinquency procedures is therefore essential for the accurate application of these instruments. To illustrate this, the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) is examined as a case study, particularly regarding the refusal ground based on age of criminal responsibility. A precise legal qualification of such proceedings is crucial for the coherent and effective functioning of EU judicial cooperation.

Since EU law does not explicitly define concepts such as "criminality," "criminal responsibility," or "criminal proceedings," these require autonomous interpretation by the CJEU. This article applies a teleological and contextual approach to explore whether youth delinquency procedures should follow a formalistic approach, where member states retain discretion, or a material approach, where classification depends on the substantive nature of the procedure.

By analyzing these interpretative approaches, this paper contributes to the debate on youth justice in the EU, harmonization of procedural rights, and the limits of mutual recognition in criminal matters.

Co-authors: Additti Munshi (The Ohio State University, USA), Jemar Bather (New York University, USA), Tasha Perdue (The Ohio State University, USA), Alex Fraga (The Ohio State University, USA)

Although research documents racial/ethnic and gender disparities in problem-solving court (PSC) referrals, participation, and completion, less is known about how parenting responsibilities influence PSC engagement, particularly for parents of color and women. Merging life course perspectives on desistance and organizational theories of rising administrative burdens, this study examines whether PSC referrals are parental turning points motivating criminal desistance or burdens for parents managing recovery and childrearing duties. Using administrative records of 24,871 Ohio PSC referrals from 2019 to 2023, we employ multilevel logistic regression models to examine how parental status shapes attrition during the referral process and programming. Results indicate that parents had lower chances of leaving the referral process incomplete and opting out of PSC dockets than criminal defendants without children. Parental status effects were pronounced for Black and Hispanic mothers, who were much less likely to opt out of participation. Yet, parental status was a barrier during the treatment phase, regardless of race/ethnicity and gender. Parents had higher odds of unsuccessfully exiting treatment programs than those without children. These findings demonstrate that parenthood facilitates and hinders PSC engagement, suggesting a greater need for parent-centered, culturally responsive social support services during treatment.

Panel: Donors, Board, Jury and Laureates.

The first Stockholm Prize in Criminology was awarded in 2006 to John Braithwaite and Friedrich Lösel. In total, the prize has been awarded to 31 prominent researchers and 3 practitioners who have with great skill and success applied criminological research in their policy work. During the session, we will present some conclusions that can be drawn from the work of the 34 laureates. We will also discuss the future of the prize. Representatives of donors, the prize board, the jury and the laureates will present their thoughts on the prize.

This proposal argues that the concept of everynight governance is an added value for research on everyday governance in general, and the everyday governance of prisons in particular. The literature on everyday governance do not explicit the nocturnal temporality of public policies. However, the concept of everynight governance that I bring to the fore in this proposal makes it possible to grasp the intimate, under-analyzed or non-apparent aspects of nocturnal life at the Makala Central Prison of Kinshasa (DR Congo). In the spirit of everynight governance, the multi-actor public governance that is observable during the day is not completely obliterated, but it gives way to a tightening of security, telephone and remote control of administrators, organized abandonment of inmates, and a relative chaos that is more or less fatal and more or less controllable. The questions are as follows: What grammars of prison governance emerge when night falls on the Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa? What methodological, epistemological, anthropological and criminological implications can be drawn from night-time prison life? Based on more than 80 interviews conducted at the Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa in January and February 2022, July and August 2022, January and February 2023, and January 2024 as part of my doctoral thesis, this proposal will answer these two questions in three stages. Firstly, it will raise the epistemic contradictions between the empirical data on nights in prison and the literature on prisons in Africa. Secondly, the proposal will highlight the carceral economy of night, as well as the changes in public and security governance that it implies. Thirdly, this research will put forward night-frame analysis as an epistemic perspective likely to render nightlife in prisons and beyond intelligible.

A significant proportion of prison officers in the UK have a military background: at least one quarter of all prison staff are estimated to have served in the Armed Forces. Uniformed occupations such as the prison service are popular destinations for veterans after military retirement. Despite the high number of ex-military prison officers, empirical research on this population only emerged in recent years and remains sparse. The impact of crucial aspects of military culture, such as hegemonic masculine values and practices, on prison staff’s approach to their work has not been examined at all.

Using 38 semi-structured interviews with ex-armed forces prison personnel and observations from five English prisons, this paper fills that gap. It explores in what ways, if at all, veterans transfer military-masculine cultural values and practices to their work as prison officers. I discuss the notion of cultural continuity. In the prison service, veterans not only expected and desired a high degree of similarity to military values and practices, such as discipline and camaraderie, but also actively continued to express them in their work. Many appreciated the opportunity to be part of another ‘family’ and be able to ‘regain’ the camaraderie many thought they had lost after leaving the services. However, they found the camaraderie in the prison service to be radically diminished, owing to what they call the new ‘woke’ climate in the prison service which prevents them from using ‘banter’. Banter, I argue, is an important device in the military-masculine toolbox that allows soldiers to express certain emotions, build masculine bonds as well as express and reinforce their masculinity. I argue that the continuity of military cultural practices, such as banter, creates a culture of exclusion in which camaraderie is conditional on alignment with hegemonic masculine ideals.

To combat the ongoing correctional workforce crisis, many U.S. prisons are instituting novel approaches to recruitment; however, prisons should arguably focus more on patterns in staff job satisfaction and perceptions of workplace culture when investigating low retention rates.

Even prisons that consider job satisfaction and workplace culture often fail to examine the role of gender. Women constitute only 28% of the correctional workforce in the United States, compared to 47% overall. There is thus considerable opportunity to augment the representation of women in correctional jobs, but research demonstrates that women COs often face a hostile workplace, lack of acceptance from male coworkers, and harassment. Extensive qualitative research has investigated small samples of women working in prisons, but fewer studies have used large datasets to understand gender trends. This presentation contributes to this research by offering a large-N study focused on CO gender, workplace culture, and job satisfaction.

I draw upon survey data from correctional officers at five prisons in different geographical regions of the United States (n=1,363). Data were collected by local research partners in collaboration with state Departments of Correction under a larger project led by the Urban Institute over the past five years. I examine differences between male and female correctional officers on two batteries of questions: (1) a five-question scale about workplace culture; and (2) a three-question scale measuring job satisfaction. I use regression analysis to test two broad research questions: (1) Do male and female COs differ in their experience of workplace culture? and (2) Does gender interact with other relevant variables (e.g., age, race, role)? Analyses control for a variety of demographic characteristics and include fixed effects at the facility level. All analyses will be presented in a user-friendly manner that both researchers and corrections practitioners can appreciate.

Co-authors: Raissa Rosa dos Santos Januário & Luis Gustavo Nonato (University of São Paulo, Brazil)

The Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), also known as heatmap, is one of the most popular techniques to visualize hotspots. However, when it comes to street crimes, the traditional KDE can become inaccurate as it does not consider the road network restrictions, and uses Euclidean distances to measure the degree of interaction between two events. This study proposes the application of a network version of KDE, namely Network Kernel Density Estimation (NKDE) to uncover hotspots of car robberies in São Paulo, Brazil. The NKDE obtains density values only along the street network, using network distances for locating and weighting neighbors. The data was comprised by the 2018 police reports from the São Paulo State Public Security Secretary, totaling 67,637 georeferenced records, and three variations of KDE were applied. The first followed the traditional method, adopting a bandwidth of 500 meters and a resolution of 100 meters per pixel. The second approach employed the NKDE, considering 100m lixels (street segments) and the same bandwidth. As crime occurrences have been shown to be correlated with areas with high levels of activity, the third variation used NKDE weighted by the inverse of an exposure variable, defined in this study as the number of jobs near the crime location. The results of the traditional KDE and NKDE were similar, highlighting the same areas as hotspots. However, in the NKDE, the exact streets showing high density values could be identified. The analysis of the weighted NKDE revealed a distinct scenario: few streets were identified as hotspots, and an area previously not classified as of high density emerged as critical, possibly indicating a mismatch between crime density and local traffic. While NKDE can be used to find the most problematic streets, its weighted version could stablish a priority rule, supporting the strategic allocation of security resources.

This research highlights the importance of geographical locations in understanding children's and youth involvement in crimes. The concept of places in a criminological context consistently shows that crime is unevenly distributed – a small number of locations accounts for a large number of crimes. These patterns also tend to remain stable over time, which supports the need for place-based police initiatives as a complement to traditional person-based ones.

In this master’s thesis, from the Applied Criminology and Police Executive Programme at Cambridge University, crime events involving a young suspect or victim have been mapped onto a grid covering the whole of Sweden in 250-by-250 meter squares. High-crime areas are identified and crime harm is calculated using the Swedish Crime Harm Index.

The study's results reveal that around 1.5 percent of Sweden's squares account for a significant portion of youth crime and harm. Thus, the concept of crime concentration in place is applicable to youth crime and crime harm in Sweden. This underscores the relevance of understanding high-crime locations and implementing place-based interventions with aim to reduce youth crime in Sweden.

Co-authors: Danielle Reynald, Rebecca Wickes (Griffith University, Australia), Jonathan Corcoran, Ying Lu (University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia) &  Christopher Browning (Ohio State University, USA)

Perceived risk of victimization can lead residents to withdraw from their communities, avoid specific locations, and experience negative impacts on their overall health and wellbeing. While a robust scholarship examines the relationship between cognitive risk appraisal and behavioural responses, less attention has been paid to how risk perceptions vary across space and time, and how these variations shape individuals' everyday activities. In this study, we draw on Parkes and Thrift's conceptualisation of two activity categories: obligatory activities, which must be performed at specific times and places with little flexibility (e.g., work, school, family care responsibilities), and discretionary activities, over which individuals have greater choice regarding when, where, and whether to perform them (e.g., leisure, recreation, socialising).

The Perceptions and Experiences of Place (PEP) project used a bespoke mobile phone application to collect cross sectional survey data, ecological momentary assessments and locational trace data. By analysing in situ risk perceptions within participant’s everyday locations, we address three research questions: (1) Do individuals with higher risk perceptions engage in fewer discretionary activities than those with lower risk perceptions, and how do these patterns differ diurnally? (2) Do individuals with higher risk perceptions spend more or less time outside of their home and neighbourhood? (3) Do individuals with higher risk perceptions have more constrained activity spaces compared to those with lower risk perceptions? Through this analysis, we connect individuals' mobility patterns and risk perceptions—both at home and away—to their reported daily activities. The findings from this study illuminates the relationships between activities and perceptions of risk that has implications for the fear of crime literature. In additional implications for urban planning and policy that seeks to create safer spaces.

At the centre of this study is the theoretical and empirical analysis of norms for criminal decision making within the framework of everyday life. Our research is based on ideas from an integrative action theoretical approach based on the Model of Frame-Selection (Esser, 2010; Kroneberg, 2011) which conceptualizes criminal decisions as the outcome of a perception-choice process. We take up this approach to develop contrasting hypotheses on possible influences of norms on criminal decision making. Empirical analyses are based on data collected by means of a mail survey (n = 2,383) of a disproportionally stratified random sample of residents from an East German city. In this survey, opportunities for theft by finding were described with vignettes, thereby employing a 2x2 factorial between-subjects design. Data analyses are carried out using both mediator and moderator models in order to estimate the influences of the theoretically specified predictors sequentially and simultaneously. The study’s results support the relevance of norms for both stages of the perception-choice process. However, the results also indicate that further theoretical elaboration and refinement with regard to the relevance of norm internalization for criminal decision making is required. Finally, the results are discussed with respect to theoretical and methodological aspects.

Co-authors: Beulah Shekhar & Diana Banerjee (Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, India)

Childhood victimization is not merely an event—it is an evolving force that shapes trauma, aggression, and distress (TAD) in young individuals, often redirecting them toward paths of delinquency. The journey from a vulnerable child to an offender is rarely singular; it is forged through broken homes, exposure to violence, peer influences, and internalized aggression, creating a complex psychosocial web that fuels criminality. This study delves into the childhood adversities, aggression levels, and emotional distress of juveniles in conflict with the law, analyzing their unique pathways to crime. Conducted among the Children in Conflict with Law in the observation home in Delhi, India the research integrates criminological perspectives with psychological insights, revealing how early-life adversities shape deviant trajectories. By categorizing offenders into fear-driven accomplices, trauma-fueled violent offenders, and habitual offenders, this study maps the systemic and psychological triggers that propel juveniles toward delinquency. Grounded in criminological theories of victim-offender overlap, it applies Hans Von Hentig’s activating sufferer concept to illustrate how childhood victimization can manifest as criminal behavior. Aligning with Buckle’s adage—*"Society prepares the crime, the offender merely commits it"—*the research conceptualizes delinquency as a loom where black threads represent offenders, white threads victims, and gray threads the societal failures that interweave the two. Crucially, this study uncovers the unconscious conflicts, suppressed fears, and hidden desires of juvenile offenders, projected through their thematic apperceptions. These narratives reveal deep-seated resentment, survival instincts, and unmet emotional needs, offering a subconscious map of their criminal motivations. Findings reinforce the need for targeted rehabilitative strategies: early psychological intervention for fear-driven accomplices, trauma-focused therapy for violent offenders, and economic stability through structured mentorship for habitual offenders. By bridging criminology and psychology, this research calls for a justice system that moves beyond punishment, focusing instead on breaking cycles of crime before they harden into fate.

The United States is addressing the harms of criminal record-based discrimination through automatic expungement policies, where algorithms are used to identify and seal eligible records from public view. Contrary to European norms around criminal records, which prioritize privacy and rehabilitation, the United States has long allowed for the public release of criminal history information to the detriment of employment, housing, and social opportunities. Using algorithms to expunge millions of criminal records aims to reduce the administrative burdens associated with traditional court petition processes that have led to extremely low expungement uptake rates. But while algorithmic and automated processes offer the potential of reducing administrative burdens, scant empirical research has determined to what, if any, effect. This empirical study analyzes criminal record expungement in two policy contexts: traditional, court petition-based systems and newly enacted automated systems, to understand if and how administrative burden persists. Drawing on interviews with 109 expungement-eligible people, the study finds that while automated expungement schemes shift the burden from petitioner to state to initiate the process, automation inadvertently creates new administrative burdens via failure to notify, partial clearances, and opaque data processes. Leveraging automation to reduce burdens must include information availability by design, otherwise policy reforms may contribute to the very problems they aim to address.

Title: Closer to the citizens? An examination of the implementation of the 2015 Community Policing Model: current challenges and future learning

Background: A demand for decentralization through centralization pinned the way for community policing, COP, within the Police reform 2015 in Sweden. The aim ‘closer to the citizens’ [närmare medborgarna] frames the goals; moving resources more freely to handle serious events better, better accessibility for partners, higher visibility and presence of neighborhood police officers and ‘civic promises’[medborgarlöften].

Methods and Data: This is a qualitative interview study of the perceived implementation of ‘community policing’ in three local police districts in Stockholm.

Key findings: The three local police districts, Järva, Farsta and Skärholmen, in Police Region Stockholm, where one district has several severe vulnerable neighborhoods each, one has one vulnerable area and one has two vulnerable areas. Similarities and differences between the local police districts can be shown but also between Authority Chiefs and NGO’s.

Experiences drawn from this extensive reform implementation, in this study specifically the COP-part of the reform, can be used in future implementation of reforms and methods.

“The collaboration capacity for the Police were extremely low from 2015-2018, it was like big wounds ripped open and we were busy trying to heal them” (S2A) Authority Chief

“Good cooperation with the city borough, the Police, other religious associations and the NGO’s, we feel we are a part of the cooperation, especially the community police officer is valuable to us” (S2N) NGO-representative.

According to a new legislation that came into force in February 2024, a person can be prohibited, within a limited area, from visiting a public place if the individual in question is responsible for promoting crime there, and there is a risk that firearms or explosives may be used. A person who fails to comply with a preventive exclusion order could be sentenced to imprisonment for a maximum of one year.

In 2024, a total of 154 preventive exclusion orders were issued, most of them in the Stockholm region. The analysis function at the Stockholm regional office has carried out an impact evaluation focusing on the places where most of the region’s exclusion orders apply. When compared with comparable places without the treatment in question, drug-related crime has fallen sharply, while no differences in crime trends for violent crimes were detected.

However, the outcome differs greatly between the affected areas. The study therefore also focuses on what lies behind the differences, in order to determine under what circumstances, and in which ways, the legal tool can best be used to achieve the intended impact.

Co-author: Ingryd Melyna Dantas sa Silva

The monitoring conducted by the Committee for the Prevention and Combat of Violence (CPCV) indicates that homicide rates remain high. In 2024, Ceará recorded 3,272 violent intentional lethal crimes (CVLIs), including 834 in Fortaleza. Among adolescents (ages 10 to 19), there were 409 cases in Ceará and 103 in Fortaleza. These deaths, along with other forms of armed violence, profoundly affect victims’ families and communities. Thus, armed violence generates both direct and indirect victims. Cuidando em Rede (Caring in Networks) is part of CPCV’s efforts to strengthen support for these victims. Launched in 2019, its first edition provided training on assisting homicide victims to 750 professionals from the Health and Social Assistance sectors. At that time, challenges and opportunities within service networks addressing lethal violence were identified and analyzed. Amid rising armed violence in Fortaleza and Ceará, Cuidando em Rede resumed activities in 2023. The initiative began with a diagnostic assessment of the victim support network, identifying 15 institutions providing specialized services. This evaluation improved the understanding of service structures, team compositions, and victim support processes, enabling the systematization of information on specialized facilities. In 2024, the course ‘Cuidando em Rede II’ was launched, engaging 75 professionals from the specialized network. The course facilitated discussions on challenges, identified critical issues, and proposed recommendations to enhance the network’s efficiency. Therefore, one of CPCV’s key actions was organizing a specialized care network for victims of violence, reinforcing institutional coordination and strengthening public policies aimed at mitigating the impact of armed violence on individuals and communities.

Keywords: Cuidando em Rede, victims of armed violence, comprehensive care.

The study "Cada Vida Importa" ("Every Life Matters"), published in 2016 by the Ceará Committee for the Prevention of Youth Homicides, under the Legislative Assembly of Ceará, Brazil, revealed that only 5% of the 224 homicide cases involving youths aged 10 to 19 were adjudicated. These findings highlight the difficulty of judicial accountability in homicide cases, which tend to stall during the investigative phase due to difficulties in gathering evidence regarding the perpetrator’s identity. From a theoretical perspective, this stagnation in the investigative process may be linked to a tendency to hold victims responsible for their own murders, based on the implicit notion that killable subjects demand less state mobilization to solve their cases. Aiming to deepen the understanding of the adversity in the investigation and prosecution of homicide cases, the Committee for Violence Prevention conducted three documentary analyses of homicide cases. The first study focused on homicides occurring in Fortaleza, the state capital, in 2019; the second examined homicides of female adolescents in 2018; and the third investigated homicides that took place in a regional city between 2019 and 2021. The dataset analyzed comprises 366 judicial homicide investigation cases. Information was extracted through a full review of official case documents and systematically organized using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using R software, employing descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and logistic regression models. Overall, the results indicate a significant influence of variables such as race, age, and gender on the investigative process and the interactions between the Civil Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, leading to delays in formal charges. In this context, victims from marginalized communities, particularly Black and young individuals, are perceived as having lower social value, thus eliciting fewer material and emotional resources from the actors involved in the investigation and prosecution of homicide cases.

Keywords: homicide investigation, adolescent homicides, criminal accountability.

The role of online radicalization in shaping the behaviors of young people, particularly men and boys, has become an increasingly important area of inquiry in recent years. As nationalist, white supremacist, and other extremist narratives proliferate in online spaces, concerns over their influence on violent behavior—ranging from terrorist attacks to mass shootings—have grown. While school attacks are often not classified as acts of terrorism, emerging evidence suggests they may follow similar radicalization pathways. However, most research on school shootings has been concentrated in the United States, focusing on gun control debates rather than ideological influences. Recent cases, particularly in countries like Brazil, indicate that online radicalization may play a growing role in school attacks, regardless of the weapon used. Social media platforms, gaming forums, and encrypted messaging apps serve as breeding grounds for extremist ideologies, facilitating the recruitment and ideological reinforcement of potential perpetrators. The internationalization of extremist discourse has further blurred the lines between different violent movements, making it crucial to understand how these digital spaces contribute to radicalization. Using a comprehensive database of international school attacks from 2000 to 2024, this study examines the extent to which online interactions contribute to offender radicalization. We analyze patterns in ideological adoption, looking at connections between digital communities and the perpetrators’ motivations. Implications of findings are discussed, in particular in light of the importance of policy implications to addess online radicalization.

Co-authors: Kyle Lang, Hanne Duindam & Jessica Asscher (Utrecht University, Netherlands)

Concerns about the spread of conspiracy belief and its potential links to violent radicalization have grown globally. Although there are examples of violent radicalization related to conspiracy belief, such as vandalism of 5G masts around Europe or the Capitol Riots, only a small group of conspiracy believers seems to violently radicalize. The aim of this study is to better understand the development of violent radicalization in the context of conspiracy belief. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify different subgroups based on varying levels of conspiracy belief and violent radicalization in a sample of 2,297 adolescents and young adults (aged 16-25). Different subgroups of youth were identified with varying levels of conspiracy belief and violent cognitive and behavioral radicalization. For most youth, conspiracy belief and violent radialization was absent. Some high-risk subgroups of youth were identified, each with distinct patterns of conspiracy belief and varying degrees of violent radicalization. Findings underscore that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, since youth exhibit varying levels of conspiracy belief and violent radicalization. It is crucial that interventions are tailored to different subgroups, with a particular focus on at-risk groups of youth, to help prevent eroding trust in government institutions and scientific knowledge, as well as violent political actions against democratic institutions and infrastructure.

The impact of World War I (1914-1918) on non-military detention practices and experiences has been largely overlooked. In the United States, as in other countries, many inmates were eager to participate in the war effort in similar ways as the civilian population, e.g., through bandage-rolling, fundraising, food production, and knitting. This represented a substantive change in regular prisoners’ penal experience and transformed outsider perceptions of the prison population. Men who had been incarcerated for crimes like murder, theft, and fraud suddenly found themselves objects of praise for their contributions to the war effort.

Such positive public perception contrasted sharply with the scorn directed at a different group of prisoners: conscientious objectors (COs). COs refused to serve in the military despite a legal obligation to do so. Some also declined the compromise offer to engage in non-military war work. For these decisions, COs faced derision and even hatred from the public.

Using a newly created dataset of newspaper articles from 1914-1918, we explore how public discourse in the United States differentiated between (sometimes violent) regular prisoners ‘making good’ and ‘illegitimately non violent’ conscientious objectors. We compare the conditions under which the public was willing to grant redemption to each group, if at all. We also examine whether and how ‘regular’ prisoners and conscientious objectors accepted and enacted such offers. Through these insights, we consider how contemporary prisons may engage prisoners in genuine ‘redemptive activities.’

Co-author: Jorge Quintas (University of Porto, Portugal)

Prison misconduct, defined as inmate behaviors that violate institutional rules, has been predominantly studied in male samples, in prisons located in English-speaking countries, and using official records. This study expands the scope of research by analyzing misconduct in both male and female inmates in Portuguese prisons, incorporating self-reported measures alongside official data to overcome the limitations of each method.

Using data from 367 incarcerated individuals in four central prisons in northern Portugal, this study estimates the prevalence and frequency of prison misconduct and examines the impact of gender on reporting discrepancies. Findings confirm a systematic underestimation of misconduct in official records: in the past 12 months, 42.4% (N = 147) of inmates self-reported misconduct, whereas only 38.4% (N = 135) had corresponding official records. While no significant gender differences emerged over the past year, misconduct in the last two months—when combining both official and self-reported data—revealed a significant disparity: 29% of male inmates versus 46% of female inmates engaged in misconduct (χ²(1) = 6.926, p = .008).

This study highlights the added value of using a dual-measurement approach, integrating self-reports and official data to achieve a more comprehensive assessment of prison misconduct. The triangulation of data provides a more nuanced understanding of inmate behavior, reducing the biases inherent in relying solely on institutional records or self-reports. These findings can contribute to more accurate prison management strategies, ensuring better institutional security and potentially informing policies aimed at reducing recidivism.

Co-authors: Carlos Munoz-Serna, Stacie Furst-Halloway, Katherine Baltrusch, Eleanor Bicknell, Emma Hargis (University of Cincinnati, USA), Valerie Hardcastle & Joveria Baloch (Northern Kentucky University's Institute for Health Innovation, USA)

Between the 1960s and early 2000s, the United States’ overall population increased by approximately 40%, while its incarcerated population increased by almost 500%. Largely thought to be driven by increases in crime rates, changes in drug policies, and changes in local mass incarceration policies, this increase in the incarcerated population was particularly prevalent in the U.S.’s jail population. As the decline of crime and incarceration rates continue, women have become a growing proportion of the inmate population. Incarcerated women now make up approximately 15% of local jail populations, almost three times the proportion seen in the 1980s. Additionally, almost a quarter of incarcerated women were convicted of drug charges, a percentage more than double that of their male counterparts. While most research has been focused on male users, our research is focused on a novel substance use program for incarcerated women in the Midwestern United States. This program includes a mandatory 6-month incarceration, followed by two years of post-incarceration support. Our research includes interview data from 48 women during three separate sections of the program (initial incarceration, 6-month incarceration, and post-incarceration), as well as letters written by the women at each of the program’s time points and recidivism data after 12 months. Results indicate a stark change in how the women view themselves as they move throughout the program. Additionally, recidivism data from the women suggest comparable rates to women in other SUD programs, and well below the national average for those sentenced for drug-related offenses. Our results provide additional evidence for the need for alternative support for substance users beyond the punishment of the criminal justice system.

Victimization is not a random occurrence but follows structured patterns shaped by social, economic, and situational determinants. This study investigates the extent to which identifying these patterns can enhance state-driven victim protection strategies. Drawing on routine activity theory and lifestyle-exposure theory, the analysis explores correlations between offender typologies, victim demographics, and crime categories. Empirical victimization studies demonstrate that specific social groups—such as women, older adults, and individuals with high digital exposure—exhibit heightened vulnerability to crimes like domestic violence, online fraud, and organized crime. By integrating quantitative victimization data with criminological frameworks, this research identifies key risk determinants, including socioeconomic status, behavioral patterns, and environmental conditions. The findings underscore the necessity of evidence-based crime prevention policies tailored to victimization profiles. Potential interventions include data-driven risk assessments, targeted legislative measures, and community-centered support initiatives. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of predictive analytics in optimizing resource allocation, ensuring more efficient legal, psychological, and social support systems for high-risk populations. By bridging empirical criminological research with policy implementation, this study contributes to the advancement of proactive victim protection mechanisms. Recognizing victimization as a structured phenomenon allows for a shift from reactive to preventive crime management, reinforcing the role of criminology in shaping resilient justice systems.

Co-author: Edna Erez (University of Illinois at Chicago, USA)

One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasizes promoting sustainable tourism, which includes ensuring safe travel to, moving within, and stay in India. According to the Indian Ministry of Tourism (2023), around 6.2 million tourists visited India, a significant drop from the 18 million recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 lockdown. Although India is generally considered a safe country for foreign visitors, many tourists still face forms of victimization such as cheating, bullying, sexual offenses, and extortion. Official data confirms that, on average, 190 crimes against foreign tourists had been reported to the police each year over the last three years. While this number appears small, it is widely believed that many incidents go unreported. Global research has shown that foreigners often refrain from reporting victimization due to various factors, including fear of deportation, language barriers, lack of knowledge about the complaint mechanisms, perceived futility, and mistrust of the local police. To promote safe tourism, the host country aims to create a safe environment where foreign visitors feel secure. Studies have found that a heightened fear of crime can increase the likelihood of victimization, calling for an examination of the gap between perceived fear of crime and victimization, both reported and unreported criminal victimization, among foreigners visiting India. Using purposive sampling, data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire from 264 foreign tourists who visited India. The findings revealed that almost half (47%) of the respondents expressed moderate fear while visiting India, and 42% reported experiencing various forms of victimization, including physical assault, cheating by local vendors or travel guides, street harassment, and, in a small number of cases, sexual offenses. The presentation concludes by discussing the relationship between tourists’ fear of crime and victimization and relevant policy implications.

Background: Institutional design research suggests that natural landscape views may aid stress recovery among those housed at closed high-stress facilities. As inmate populations share overrepresentations of some individual-level characteristics which make them especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of environmental stressors and more likely to respond with outward aggression when overwhelmed, there may be particular value in investigating if passive environmental features appear to improve stress management among prisoners.

Purpose: This project aimed to map landscape types surrounding Swedish prisons, explore their associations with reported violent misconduct at different facilities, and assess any apparent mediating effects of three common institutional stressors: idleness, overcrowding, and population turnover.

Methodology: Building on a small but growing body of prison research incorporating mapping methodologies and visual geographic material from the field of environmental criminology, the project assessed landscape coverage around Swedish prisons using a self-developed Systematic Social Observation (SSO) schematic applied to satellite imagery from Google Earth Pro.

Findings: Findings appeared to suggest stronger effect sizes for correlations between some landscape types and reported misconduct at facilities with higher levels of idleness. All associations lost significance when security-level was added as a control into the regression models, however.

Consistent with previous research, vegetation appeared negatively associated with violent misconduct, with the stand-out exception being the flat-cut grasslands category, where the relationship was positive. Given the significance loss when adding security-level as a control, this might be explained by the high proportion of flat-cut grass surrounding high-security prisons, which also reported the highest violent incident-rates by far.

Conclusion: Further investigation into the relationship between flat-cut grass and violent misconduct at high-security prisons may be warranted. Future research may also address current methodological shortcomings by utilising mapping technologies and alternative sources of visuospatial imagery to improve the time efficiency and precision of coding procedures.

This new research project aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how individuals become involved in cybercrime and the broader implications for crime prevention and intervention. As the internet has evolved from a limited, stationary technology to an integral part of everyday life, it has not only reshaped society but also created new opportunities for criminal activity. At the intersection of technological advancement and illicit behavior, cybercrime has emerged as a dynamic and rapidly evolving phenomenon. Therefore, this study focuses on the pathways individuals follow to engage in cybercrime, focusing on the acquisition of skills and knowledge through online forums, encrypted chats, and communities. By utilizing a netnographic approach, this research will investigate how cybercriminals learn, develop technical expertise, and expand their networks within the cybercrime ecosystem. To enhance methodological rigor, the study will integrate data scraping techniques to systematically collect discussions from dark web forums, allowing for an in-depth analysis of how cybercriminals communicate and which behavioral patterns they exhibit. Additionally, the research will examine court documents from cases involving encrypted platforms such as EncroChat, Sky, Ghost, Signal, and Telegram to uncover offender strategies, communication methods, and the structure of cyber-enabled criminal networks. This combined approach moves beyond traditional methodological constraints by leveraging both qualitative and computational techniques to observe cybercriminal interactions as they organically unfold in digital environments, providing an unfiltered and direct perspective on the ways in which they communicate and the behavior they exhibit.

Co-author: Linnéa Gustavsson (University of Gävle, Sweden)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships linked to Swedish gangster rappers and the music industry, and thus identify important actors in the network. The aim was also to examine how the possible gang connections of the gangster rappers were reflected in the network. The method that was used was social network analysis and the data was collected from Spotify. The study was based on two theoretical perspectives, which were the theory of differential associations and social network analysis. The results showed that it was mainly the original actors that had the highest centrality values, but that several record companies also had high values. From this, the conclusion could be drawn that the record companies had an important role in binding the network together. Regarding the gang environment, polarization could be seen to some extent, where one of the two gang conflicts that appeared in the material was also reflected in the music industry, while this was not as evident in the other. From this, the conclusion could be drawn that the gang conflicts are not always reflected in the music industry.

The overarching aim of the this master thesis was to examine the influence of resting heart rate [RHR] in the intergenerational transmission of antisocial behavior [ASB] from mother to child. Previous research suggests that ASB is concentrated within families. However, little is known about the underlying biological processes of transferring risk from one generation to the next. Low RHR is a well-established biological marker of risk that may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of ASB. The current study utilized a sample of n = 129 girls and boys from the longitudinal study of Risk Factors for Antisocial Behavior [RFAB]. Their mothers also participated. At the age of 9-10 years, data on offspring RHR and parent ASB was collected. RHR was assessed during three minutes of rest and mothers reported on their ASB using the ASB Questionnaire. At the age of 14-15 years, data on offspring ASB was collected using the externalizing scale of the Youth Self-Report. The results showed that parent ASB predicted offspring ASB. However, RHR did not mediate, nor moderate, this relationship, indicating that RHR was not a biological marker of risk in the intergenerational transmission of ASB in this community sample. Future research should examine the influence of RHR in the intergenerational transmission of ASB in larger samples with sufficient power to detect a small effect.

The critical intersection of legal and ethical considerations surrounding custodial interrogations of youth in the United States is examined, with a focus on the constitutional and psychological vulnerabilities faced by this demographic. Drawing upon foundational legal precedents such as Miranda v. Arizona and In re Gault, this study explores the influence of these landmark cases on juvenile interrogation practices, highlighting ongoing challenges and the risk of false confessions among young suspects. Recent legal battles, including Ezell v. City of Chicago, Maddox v. Rob St. Andre, and Hurt v. Vantlin, are scrutinized to reveal current legal interpretations of youth rights under the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments regarding self-incrimination, right to counsel, and equal protection. The ethical implications of interrogation techniques are delved into, addressing the potential trauma inflicted on young individuals during and after interrogation, as well as the role of forensic social workers in advocating for the rights and well-being of justice-involved youth in alignment with the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics. The discourse surrounding proposed legislative reforms, including the New York State Youth Interrogation Bill, highlights a societal push towards safeguarding juveniles from the adversities associated with custodial interrogations. Through a comprehensive integration of legal analysis, ethical scrutiny, and advocacy perspectives, this study calls for reevaluating juvenile interrogation practices to ensure youth protection and fair treatment within the justice system.

In modern legal science and practice, it is established that interrogations conducted by the police and other law enforcement agencies globally are of utmost importance for obtaining reliable and detailed information for the investigation and achieving criminal justice goals. However, this should be done under conditions that respect the human rights of the interrogated persons, legal guarantees, and high ethical standards. Cases of abuse and unethical interrogation practices are still registered in many countries, even in Europe. This is also valid about Bulgaria, given the numerous decisions of the European Court of Human Rights establishing violations in the pre-trial procedure. The Mendez Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering have been developed as a means of counteracting these practices, which allow ignoring the presumption of innocence, are oriented towards achieving confessions, involve manipulation, threats and even physical violence and ultimately lead to unsuccessful investigations and unfulfilled justice.

Observations from the last few years indicate that in Bulgaria, Mendez Principles are unknown and, accordingly, not observed. Within the framework of individual projects, efforts to inform law enforcement authorities are still in their initial phase. No training infrastructure has been created. There is even a lack of sensitivity to the importance of their effective implementation.

In the course of interviews conducted with practitioners and policymakers, albeit still on a small scale, it was established, in addition to ignorance, that there was also some resistance to the application of the principles, which were considered to complicate the activities of investigators, and also require additional efforts and investments.

This research aims to establish the reasons for the objections and concerns about applying Mendez Principles, generate proposals for overcoming them, and create prerequisites for implementing them.

Keywords: Mendez Principles, Investigation practices, Implementation, Bulgaria.

Insurance companies investigate spurious and dishonest claims on a daily basis. Large and more complex property claims are contracted out to loss adjusters who act on behalf of their insurer clients, validating claims, and potentially uncovering fraud. Despite the ubiquitous contracting of loss adjusters within the UK, there is a significant lack of research focussing on their role—notably how handling (potentially) fraudulent claims impacts loss adjusters’ subjectivities.

Utilising a Foucauldian power/knowledge analysis and post-intentional phenomenological methodology, this research employed anecdotal writing and unstructured interviews to investigate the lived experiences of loss adjusters whose primary role is handling property insurance claims. This presentation shares findings from doctoral research that loss adjusters transform themselves in relation to others—constructing their subjectivity—via knowledge productions within power relations and practices. This research pierces the hermetic nature of the insurance industry, providing the first in-depth study of the often-hidden work of loss adjusters, visibilising their subjectivities and improving our understanding of how counter-fraud strategies affect the lived experiences of frontline claims staff.