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AIC: New AIC research examines the evolution and activities of ransomware criminal groups

New AIC research examines the evolution and activities of ransomware criminal groups

Link to: Examining the activities and careers of ransomware criminal groups

A new study by researchers from Deakin University and Université de Montréal examines the changing nature of ransomware groups over time:

The researchers examined 865 ransomware attacks occurring in Australia (135 attacks), New Zealand (18 attacks), the United Kingdom (366 attacks) and Canada (346 attacks) over three years (2020–2022).
Ransomware criminal groups tend to be short-lived, with an average life of 1.36 years. Larger and more active groups tend to last longer.
Ransomware attacks tend to be concentrated in a small proportion of groups. Just three ransomware criminal groups (Conti, LockBit and Pysa) accounted for 37 percent of attacks over the three years examined.
Copyright © 2025 Australian Institute of Criminology, All rights reserved

New AIC research examines the use of CCTV to prevent domestic and family violence

Link to: The impacts of CCTV on victim-survivors of domestic and family violence

A new study by researchers from Deakin University and the Women’s Services Network examines the use of CCTV to improve the safety and security of victims of domestic and family violence.

CCTV can have important positive impacts on the wellbeing of victim-survivors. It can also be used successfully against perpetrators to document threatening behaviours that warrant civil or criminal intervention.
There are also risks associated with victim-survivors becoming hypervigilant, thereby negatively impacting feelings of safety and security. CCTV systems can also become a target of aggression from perpetrators.
Additional considerations include the need for sustainable funding, and greater guidance, training and support for DFV services to deploy CCTV systems.

Read the AIC media release.

Webinar: Governance & Accountability in Probation and Prison – Europe vs USA

We invite you to join the Confederation of European Probation (CEP) and the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) for an insightful webinar on “Governance, Oversight, and Accountability Mechanisms in Probation and Parole: A Europe–USA Comparison.” Taking place on Thursday, 18 September at 3:00 PM Central European Time (CET) / 8:00 AM Texas Time, this event will bring together experts to share perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic.

Join us as CEP’s Iuliana Carbunaru and APPA’s Chris Cirrito explore the theme from two distinct perspectives—European and American—providing valuable insights into the governance, oversight, and accountability mechanisms shaping probation and parole practices on both sides of the Atlantic.

The first webinar marks the beginning of a new chapter in our transatlantic partnership. Under the Biennial Action Plan, CEP and APPA will co-host a series of webinars and podcasts designed to foster meaningful exchange between U.S. states and European jurisdictions. The goal is to share best practices, spark innovation, and strengthen community corrections on both sides of the Atlantic.

Let’s come together to explore emerging trends, build international connections, and strengthen probation systems worldwide.

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WHO: 16th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (Safety 2026)

Injuries and violence take the lives of some 12,000 people around the world each day. Of the 4.48 million annual injury-related deaths, roughly 1 in 3 result from road traffic crashes, 1 in 6 from suicide, 1 in 9 from homicide and 1 in 36 from war and conflict. In addition to those injury-related killers are drowning, falls, burns and poisoning, among others.

Beyond fatalities, tens of millions of people suffer non-fatal injuries each year which lead to emergency department visits, hospitalizations and treatment by general practitioners. These incidents often result in temporary or permanent disability and the need for long-term physical and mental health care and rehabilitation. Injuries and violence are responsible for an estimated 6.3% of all years lived with disability.

Most of these deaths and injuries could be prevented. The 16th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (Safety 2026), which takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 2-4 September 2026, will serve as a forum for sharing compelling scientific evidence for what works to prevent injuries and violence and promote equity and sustainability. Safety 2026 is hosted by the Foundation for Professional Development, co-hosted by the South African Medical Research Council and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization.

Safety 2026’s theme, “Ubuntu: United for a Safer Future” highlights that in this complex and challenging time for humanity, we need to come together as injury and violence prevention researchers, practitioners and advocates to build safe and just societies. Together we are #Ubuntu4Safety.

As we work together to ensure the success and vision of Safety 2026

· Register to attend Safety 2026

· Promote Safety 2026 among your networks

· Submit an abstract for Safety 2026 by 31 January 2026

· Become a Safety 2026 partner

· Share updates on Safety 2026 on social media

For the latest information about preparations for Safety 2026, visit: https://worldsafety.co.za

New AIC research explores victims’ views on the reintegration of sex offenders

New AIC research explores victims’ views on the reintegration of sex offenders

Trends & issues: Victim-survivors’ perspectives on post-custodial measures for people with convictions for sexual offending

Full report: Victim-survivors’ perspectives on the reintegration of people with convictions for sexual offending

A new study by researchers from Queensland University of Technology and the Bravehearts Foundation examines the views of victim-survivors towards a range of measures typically used for people with convictions for sexual offending. The research shows:

Broad support for a range of containment-oriented and assistance-oriented measures, including electronic monitoring, non-public sex offender registers, psychological treatment and parole supervision.
Views on public sex offender registers were mixed. Support was based on the understanding that public information would equip the community to prevent reoffending. However, concerns were raised about the possibility that the victim-survivor could also be identified and that public release of information could retraumatise the victim-survivor.
Parole was considered an additional layer of monitoring to assist with reducing the risks of reoffending in the community, although there were concerns about parole being given too early in a sentence and the risk of further serious offending following release from prison.

Preventing youth recruitment into organised crime

Insights from a multinational perspective

The seriousness of the problem of youth involvement in organised crime, often paired with increasing violence, underscores the need for an integrated preventive response. Effective prevention will reduce the high cost of youth recruitment into organised crime, both in financial terms and in terms of community well-being.

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AIC research explores onset of violence in people diagnosed with psychosis

Full report: ‘Treating’ violence: An exploration of Mental Health Review Tribunal contact and community treatment order use in people with psychosis

Trends & issues summary: First-time violent offending following psychosis diagnosis

Researchers from the University of New South Wales linked health data, criminal records and births, deaths and marriages records to examine the onset of violent offending following psychosis. They found:

Nearly one in six of those with a psychosis diagnosis who had no prior history of violence subsequently committed a violent offence, most commonly within four years.
Risk of violent offending was associated with being placed on a community treatment order, being male, having an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background, having substance-related psychosis, being aged under 20 years, being single and living in a disadvantaged socio-economic area.
Being placed on a community treatment order delayed the onset of violence, especially in the first year of the order.

AIC Occasional Seminar: How well does the Violence Risk Scale operate across cultures in the Australian context?

Co-presenters: Emma Ziersch and Yilma Woldgabreal

This presentation will share the findings from a cross-jurisdictional study of the Violence Risk Scale (VRS). The VRS is a risk assessment tool used in most correctional agencies to assess and predict risk of future offending, inform decisions around therapeutic intervention and measure changes in violence risk following treatment. While the tool has been used extensively both internationally and in Australia, its cross-cultural applicability to our Australian population is unclear. The study investigated the discriminative and predictive validity of the VRS for Aboriginal and non-Indigenous males convicted of violent offending in multiple jurisdictions.

This presentation will highlight the areas in which the tool performed differently for Aboriginal and non-Indigenous males in custody, and the implications of the findings for correctional practice. It will conclude with some recommendations to reduce bias in the assessment of Aboriginal people under correctional supervision.