News

Boxall H, Pooley K & Lawler S 2021.

Abstract

Previous research exploring pathways into domestic and family violence (DFV) has primarily examined associations between early victimisation and future offending. Less is known about the relationship between adolescent DFV offending and adult DFV offending.

This study examined the offending pathways of 8,465 young offenders aged 13–17, who were followed until age 23. Only seven percent of young people in the sample had been proceeded against for a DFV offence before the age of 18. However, relative to other offenders who had been proceeded against for other forms of violent or non-violent offending, adolescent DFV offenders were much more likely to become adult DFV offenders, and reoffended more frequently.

These findings further highlight the need for interventions focusing on DFV offending among adolescents, and provide key evidence for identifying ideal points of intervention to prevent DFV in the community.

Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 641. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. https://doi.org/10.52922/ti78450

The European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) and Best Practice Conference (BPC) took place on 8 and 9 December 2021. The theme was bullying and violence among minors (both online and offline). 

Toolbox - bullying among minors

Three papers make up the EUCPN toolbox on bullying among minors:

An ecological approach towards effective anti-bullying interventions
This theoretical paper provides an overview of the phenomenon, the many types of anti-social behaviour that can be categorised as bullying, and the players involved. Secondly, the paper promotes an ecological approach, meaning it will focus on bullying at every level of a minor’s life: individual level, family level, school level, and community level. Possible effects of bullying involvement will be discussed at every one of these levels, as well as possible risk- and protective factors that are associated with bullying.

Effective prevention approaches
This practical paper discusses evidence-based prevention strategies against bullying that can be applied on every level of a minor’s life (individual, family, school and community level).

European Crime Prevention Award 2021
This paper provides an overview of all entries participating in the 2021 edition of the European Crime Prevention Award.

Thursday, February 17th 2022

Public Policy Exchange

According to the Met Police, 69% of shootings and nearly one-quarter of homicides are believed to be linked to gangs. Although gang crime is notoriously difficult to track, statistics on knife crime are thought to be largely reflective of gang violence, the former reaching its highest level of the decade in 2019, with 44 knife offences being committed per day and 94 fatal stabbing offences being recorded. Whilst lockdowns have distorted these figures throughout 2020/21, similar levels of violence were recorded during months with lighter coronavirus restrictions. The fallout from repeated Covid-19 lockdowns is thought to have made young people, in particular, far more vulnerable to exploitation by, and involvement in, gangs, as a result of periods of isolation and rising rates of absenteeism in schools. In Newham alone, the Met’s command unit refers 1,000 young people every month to local authorities on the basis that they are at risk of gang membership.

Gang violence is largely traced using the Met Police’s gangs violence matrix (GVM), a tool used to identify and risk-assess gang members, with the aim of preventing violence and safeguarding individuals at risk of exploitation. However, this tool has been widely criticised for its tendency to stigmatise young black people. Whilst the effects of gang violence are disproportionately felt by black communities, commentators have challenged the GVM on the basis that individuals have often been identified based on associations and not behaviours. Whilst the number of names contained in the matrix has dropped by 40% since its peak in 2017, eight out of 10 names listed are still from an African-Caribbean background, prompting calls for further reform.

Efforts to counter youth violence include the establishment of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), which aim to tackle violent crime and its underlying causes through the coordination of organisations within local communities, a £200m Youth Endowment Fund focused upon early intervention, and a £500m Youth Investment Fund. The government has also invested £40million in their efforts to tackle drug supply and county lines drug trafficking, issues that are central to the exploitation of children. However, despite the progress made by such investment, the Children’s Commissioner has called attention to gaps in the nationwide approach. There are currently only 18 VRUs across the UK, therefore leaving many areas dependent upon local authorities, who, according to the Children’s Commissioner, lack a coherent strategy, failing to adopt both a safeguarding and public health response to the issue. Police powers in this area have been somewhat strengthened by legislation, particularly with regard to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, which takes a tougher line on illegal weapons, and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021, which introduces new stop and search powers to target those convicted of knife and offensive weapons offences. It has been suggested, however, that police officers lack the necessary training to properly engage with the community, therefore creating a communications gap between police and public and stifling efforts to track gang activity, prevent crime, and support communities.

This symposium, therefore, provides an important opportunity to cultivate a holistic understanding of gang violence and the factors which contribute to gang membership across the UK. This entails an examination of current efforts to prevent the spread of gang violence and an identification of areas in which stakeholders might better collaborate in order to take greater action and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and intimidation.

Programme

• Evaluate existing government strategies to tackle gang crime, assessing the value of taking a public health approach to the issue
• Assess current legislative efforts to target gang and knife crime, exploring opportunities for further legislative reform
• Examine the effects of Covid-19 on gang crime, particularly the effects that isolation and school absenteeism have had on child gang membership
• Raise awareness of the risk of racial bias within government and police practices and discuss mechanisms for eliminating such discrimination
• Discuss opportunities for a more coordinated multi-agency response to gang crime in local areas, aiming to reduce the current postcode lottery which disadvantages individuals living in certain areas
• Share experiences of best practice in rehabilitation efforts, minimising the risk of individuals rejoining gangs and reoffending
• Analyse the current support offered to young people in order to prevent youth violence, assessing the extent to which sufficient support is provided within communities, schools, and health care settings
• Assess the efficacy of violence reduction units and the potential for further extending the reach of this scheme
• Develop strategies for protecting victims of gang crime, aiming to further reduce the risk of exploitation and intimidation through means such as priority housing for those who have been driven out of their homes and the dismantling of drugs networks
• Explore the role of technology and social media in gang recruitment and methods for safeguarding young people online
• Formulate strategies for improving the police response to gang crime, with regard to both intelligence and community involvement

To register for the briefing, please click here.

 

Thursday, December 16th 2021

1

According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the use of tasers by police risks losing its legitimacy in the eyes of the public if community concerns are not addressed through improvements to national guidance, training and scrutiny of when they are deployed. The warning, issued in August, followed 101 investigations undertaken into the use of tasers between 2015 and 2020. The report but the IOPC showed that tasers were used disproportionately against people from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds, and significantly against people under 18. Perhaps most concerning from the IOPC’s investigation, were 26 investigations that found that an officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify bringing disciplinary proceedings or a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service; while four inquests found the use of Taser in combination with other factors contributed to, or were relevant in, a person’s death. A recent Home Office report showed that in the year to March 2020, tasers were discharged in 32,000 incidents – 37% higher than the previous year, reflecting a general pattern of the increasing use of tasers by police.

Tasers have been used by the police since 2003, at first just by firearms officers, but then for all trained officers since 2008. To be issued with a taser, an officer must have completed 18 hours of training over a period of three days, plus six hours of training each year thereafter. The College of Policing also sets out the conditions under which the deployment of tasers is deemed reasonable. Following the change of government in 2019, the new Home Secretary committed to a £10 million funding pot to enable Chief Constables to equip every single officer with a Taser, should they wish to do so. The Home Secretary also approved the Taser 7 – a more accurate, faster and compact device than previous models – under the auspices of protecting the police and the public.

As part of the IOPC’s investigations and consultations with relevant stakeholders and community groups, the IOPC made 17 recommendations – to the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and the Home Office –  seeking improvements to national guidance and training; scrutiny and monitoring of Taser use; and data and research. The IOPC also stressed the need for community engagement to ensure that the use of tasers continues to have the support of the community, building upon the notion of ‘policing by consent’. Beyond the IOPC review, the use of tasers by police remains controversial. In 2016, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child renewed its previous call in 2008 for a prohibition on the use of the Taser against children. A review of taser use by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2014 warned against use of the weapon on the basis of its availability rather than of its necessity. The IPCC was particularly troubled by Taser use in the controlled setting of custody suites.

This symposium will give police forces, local authorities, policy makers, charities and other interest groups the opportunity to analyse the mounting challenges associated with the use of tasers and discuss best practice in improving accountability, building trust with communities and keeping both police and the public safe.

Programme

• Develop strategies to improve the use of tasers by police to ensure that they are used reasonably and effectively
• Consider the recommendations made by the IOPC and discuss the potential for future reforms of the use of tasers
• Discuss the introduction of the Taser 7 model and the Home Office’s funding of greater access to taser
• Examine the disproportionate use of tasers on people from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds
• Explore methods to improve community engagement and ensure that the use of tasers continues to have the consent and confidence of the public
• Analyse the increase int he use of tasers and understand the reasons behind it
• Understand the existing police complaints system and look at how this can be improved to ensure greater accountability and transparency
• Look at alternatives to the use of tasers in policing
• Learn about the long term effects of the use of tasers on those subjected to them, including medical implications

To register for the briefing, please click here.

 

1

The Council of Europe (CoE) Programme Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) aims at increasing the capacities of professionals at the national level to apply human rights standards in their daily work. Since 2015 the Programme offers high-quality training on human rights to a wide range of professionals: judges, prosecutors, prison and probation staff, lawyers, law enforcement officers, etc.

In 2020 HELP launched the EU-CoE project ‘HELP Radicalisation prevention, Judicial response to terrorism & International cooperation in criminal matters’ (RP-TERR-ICCM) in partnership with the Confederation of European Probation (CEP). Under the framework of this project, probation staff have had the opportunity to benefit from various training and networking activities, including a series of European seminars on related topics; tutored versions of the course on Radicalisation prevention specifically tailored to probation services; and a High-level Conference on countering cross-border crime.

Since its launch, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 558 professionals from all EU member states have participated in the project activities, of whom 223 were prison and probation staff.

The EU-funded Cutting Crime Impact (CCI) project is coming to an end and so is the 10-part webinar series with the German Prevention Congress (DPT). The final webinar will give an overview of the CCI project over the past three years and an outlook on how project results can be used appropriately, wisely and sustainably.

Date: Friday 17. December 2021 (English), 10.00 – 11.30 CET

They will start with a keynote by Dr Raphael Bossong, who will put the CCI Project into a European contemporary spirit. He will give us a brief overview of security policy in Europe up to the start of the CCI project and reflect on the European trends we are currently moving in. He will explore what is missing in the current European security policy regarding the fight against high-impact petty crime and how CCI can contribute to these challenges.

Afterwards, Professor Caroline Davey and Andrew Wootton, CCI Project Coordinators, will reflect on Cutting Crime Impact. Thinking back and looking forward: they will talk about lessons learned and future steps for CCI.

The need for a better-defined European Security Model was outlined in the Horizon2020 research programme. CCI was asked to integrate high-impact petty crime into the European Security Model. Yet research undertaken during the project found that a definitive European Security Model does not actually exist, therefore we created our own, new version of a European Security Model – a human-centred conceptualisation of security, which Professor Caroline Davey and Andrew Wootton will present in this webinar.

They will conclude the webinar with short statements from the Advisory Board Members who have accompanied and supported the project. We are looking forward to you joining us and your questions and comments.

Speakers:

• Facilitators who arranged the abuse of children were often young females who were family members of the victims (eg mothers and sisters).
• Australia-based offenders accessed victims through: (a) finding victims or facilitators online; or (b) meeting local families during trips to the Philippines and maintaining contact online when the offender returned home.
• Some CSA live streaming offenders appear opportunistic and may be responsive to situational crime prevention measures – however a multifaceted approach is required to disrupt this crime.

Read: How do child sexual abuse live streaming offenders access victims?

15-9 June 2022
Donostia/San Sebastián (BasqueCountry, Spain)

Victimisationin a digital world: responding to and connecting with victims

Contemporary Perspectives ofVictimology
•Explanations/Theories of victimization
•Types ofvictimisation
•Victims and the criminal justiceprocesses
•Restorativejustice
•Transitionaljustice
•Abuse ofpower
•Victimservices
•Victims of environmental injustice
•Victims of transnational crimes
•Victimological impact and consequences of COVID-19

Patterns of Digital Victimisation
•Violent and sexual forms of victimisation
•Financial formsof victimisation
•Digitalpoly-victimisation
•Cyber warfare and cyber terrorism: Victimological perspectives

Effects/Impact of Digital victimisation
•Emotional/psychological impact
•Trauma ofdigital victimisation
•Trauma in victims of digital terrorism
•Financial and socialimpact

Research, Theory, and Practice in Digital Age
•Theoretical perspectives in Victimology
•Research methodologies in Victimology
•Technological approaches to victimologicalresearch
•Intervention approaches in Victimology

Criminal Justice and LegalResponses
•Investigation ofdigital crime
•Combatingdigital crimes and victimisation
•Digital responsesto crime and victimisation
•Ethicalconsiderations for safeguarding victim rights in a digital world

The EMCDDA Winter School will focus on Cannabis practice, policies and debates in the EU and beyond'.

The EDWS is a virtual event from 14–25 February 2022.

Registrations until 23rd of January: https://ipps.iscte-iul.pt/index.php/formacao/curta-duracao/967-european-drugs-winter-school-2022-edition#resumo

Thursday, February 17th 2022

Public Policy Exchange

According to the Met Police, 69% of shootings and nearly one-quarter of homicides are believed to be linked to gangs. Although gang crime is notoriously difficult to track, statistics on knife crime are thought to be largely reflective of gang violence, the former reaching its highest level of the decade in 2019, with 44 knife offences being committed per day and 94 fatal stabbing offences being recorded. Whilst lockdowns have distorted these figures throughout 2020/21, similar levels of violence were recorded during months with lighter coronavirus restrictions. The fallout from repeated Covid-19 lockdowns is thought to have made young people, in particular, far more vulnerable to exploitation by, and involvement in, gangs, as a result of periods of isolation and rising rates of absenteeism in schools. In Newham alone, the Met’s command unit refers 1,000 young people every month to local authorities on the basis that they are at risk of gang membership.

Gang violence is largely traced using the Met Police’s gangs violence matrix (GVM), a tool used to identify and risk-assess gang members, with the aim of preventing violence and safeguarding individuals at risk of exploitation. However, this tool has been widely criticised for its tendency to stigmatise young black people. Whilst the effects of gang violence are disproportionately felt by black communities, commentators have challenged the GVM on the basis that individuals have often been identified based on associations and not behaviours. Whilst the number of names contained in the matrix has dropped by 40% since its peak in 2017, eight out of 10 names listed are still from an African-Caribbean background, prompting calls for further reform.

Efforts to counter youth violence include the establishment of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), which aim to tackle violent crime and its underlying causes through the coordination of organisations within local communities, a £200m Youth Endowment Fund focused upon early intervention, and a £500m Youth Investment Fund. The government has also invested £40million in their efforts to tackle drug supply and county lines drug trafficking, issues that are central to the exploitation of children. However, despite the progress made by such investment, the Children’s Commissioner has called attention to gaps in the nationwide approach. There are currently only 18 VRUs across the UK, therefore leaving many areas dependent upon local authorities, who, according to the Children’s Commissioner, lack a coherent strategy, failing to adopt both a safeguarding and public health response to the issue. Police powers in this area have been somewhat strengthened by legislation, particularly with regard to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, which takes a tougher line on illegal weapons, and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021, which introduces new stop and search powers to target those convicted of knife and offensive weapons offences. It has been suggested, however, that police officers lack the necessary training to properly engage with the community, therefore creating a communications gap between police and public and stifling efforts to track gang activity, prevent crime, and support communities.

This symposium, therefore, provides an important opportunity to cultivate a holistic understanding of gang violence and the factors which contribute to gang membership across the UK. This entails an examination of current efforts to prevent the spread of gang violence and an identification of areas in which stakeholders might better collaborate in order to take greater action and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and intimidation.

Programme

• Evaluate existing government strategies to tackle gang crime, assessing the value of taking a public health approach to the issue
• Assess current legislative efforts to target gang and knife crime, exploring opportunities for further legislative reform
• Examine the effects of Covid-19 on gang crime, particularly the effects that isolation and school absenteeism have had on child gang membership
• Raise awareness of the risk of racial bias within government and police practices and discuss mechanisms for eliminating such discrimination
• Discuss opportunities for a more coordinated multi-agency response to gang crime in local areas, aiming to reduce the current postcode lottery which disadvantages individuals living in certain areas
• Share experiences of best practice in rehabilitation efforts, minimising the risk of individuals rejoining gangs and reoffending
• Analyse the current support offered to young people in order to prevent youth violence, assessing the extent to which sufficient support is provided within communities, schools, and health care settings
• Assess the efficacy of violence reduction units and the potential for further extending the reach of this scheme
• Develop strategies for protecting victims of gang crime, aiming to further reduce the risk of exploitation and intimidation through means such as priority housing for those who have been driven out of their homes and the dismantling of drugs networks
• Explore the role of technology and social media in gang recruitment and methods for safeguarding young people online
• Formulate strategies for improving the police response to gang crime, with regard to both intelligence and community involvement

To register for the briefing, please click here.