The latest crime and justice publications from the AIC and resources from around the world are now available from the Alert Service. Popular topics can be accessed from the drop down list and wherever possible full text is provided via an Electronic Resource link.

Newest AIC publications
Changes in online gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic: April update (June 2020)
Understanding the structure and composition of co-offending networks in Australia (June 2020)
Why Australian police detainees choose to use (or not use) non-prescribed fentanyl (June 2020)
Commonwealth fraud investigations 2017-18 and 2018-19 (June 2020)
Fraud within and against the Commonwealth: The most harmful frauds, 2016-17 to 2018-19 (June 2020)

 

David Yokum, Anita Ravishankar, and  View ORCID ProfileAlexander Coppock

PNAS May 21, 2019 116 (21) 10329-10332; first published May 7, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1814773116

1. Edited by Susan A. Murphy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, and approved March 21, 2019 (received for review August 28, 2018)

"Police departments are adopting body-worn cameras in hopes of improving civilian–police interactions. In a large-scale field experiment (2,224 officers of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC), we randomly assigned officers to receive cameras or not. We tracked subsequent police behavior for a minimum of 7 mo using administrative data. Our results indicate that cameras did not meaningfully affect police behavior on a range of outcomes, including complaints and use of force. We conclude that the effects of cameras are likely smaller than many have hoped."

Abstract

"Police body-worn cameras (BWCs) have been widely promoted as a technological mechanism to improve policing and the perceived legitimacy of police and legal institutions, yet evidence of their effectiveness is limited. To estimate the effects of BWCs, we conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 2,224 Metropolitan Police Department officers in Washington, DC. Here we show that BWCs have very small and statistically insignificant effects on police use of force and civilian complaints, as well as other policing activities and judicial outcomes. These results suggest we should recalibrate our expectations of BWCs’ ability to induce large-scale behavioral changes in policing, particularly in contexts similar to Washington, DC."

Fri, 2020/06/26 15:57

By Elizabeth Dartnall [1], Anik Gevers [1], Chandré Gould [2] and Angelica Pino [1] | 26 June 2020

1 Sexual Violence Research Initiative

2 Institute for Security Studies

Reliable data is useful but the priority is ensuring survivors have access to high-quality support and services.

The number of domestic violence cases reported to the South African police between March and April dropped by 69.4%. This figure makes it tempting to believe that in South Africa, unlike many other countries, lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic reduced family and domestic violence.

However police statistics, call numbers to hotlines and counts of women accessing services during lockdown tell us little about the number of women and families actually experiencing violence at the hands of men.

Many countries have documented an increase in reported cases of violence against women and children under lockdown. This may be because of the high levels of anxiety and tension in households where people are living together in close proximity. Unemployment, hunger, isolation and uncertainty also probably play a role. These are stresses that many, if not most, South African families experience.

Police statistics of reported cases and the number of calls to hotlines or non-governmental organisations are not sources of information on the extent of violence experienced by women. But they can tell us who was accessing services and reporting cases, and they raise important questions about whether it was possible for women to access services under lockdown.

Studies on the impact of pandemics on levels of violence against women and children are scarce

What data should we be using to understand levels of violence against women during COVID-19? And what does the reduction in reporting in South Africa tell us about the nature of abuse, and women’s trust in the systems intended to support them?

It isn’t surprising that the police, NGOs and shelters reported a drop in cases during lockdown. Could women confined with their abusers find a safe time, a private space, and means to make contact? Did they trust support systems enough to believe they would get help if they risked asking? Did they know who to contact? And in the face of highly publicised abuse by some security force members, could women risk trying to access shelters or courts?

It is important to understand the impact of lockdown and the alcohol ban on levels of violence in our homes. But the available information, i.e. service level data, cannot demonstrate these trends. That being the case, can usable and actionable statistics on domestic violence during the pandemic be collected ethically and safely?

Rigorous studies on the impact of pandemics on levels of violence against women and children are scarce. It’s difficult to ensure the safety of women who are asked to respond to questions about their experiences of abuse, so the accuracy of the information gathered is likely to be questionable.

Can usable statistics on domestic violence during the pandemic be collected ethically and safely?

Social distancing and lockdown limit our ability to conduct face-to-face interviews and do research according to accepted ethical standards. This applies particularly to keeping respondents safe and their answers confidential during data collection.

And while reliable information during a pandemic is important, international organisations agree that the priority must be to ensure that survivors have access to good-quality support and services.

Data about the scale of violence against women and children can most reliably be captured through large national specialised surveys that use standard measures and highly trained enumerators. These include the World Health Organization Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women, the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific, and the Violence against Children Surveys.

Administrative or service data (e.g. from police, justice, or health and social services) are poor measures of domestic violence levels. This violence is largely under-reported and many survivors don’t seek help. When they do, cases may not always be properly recorded.

What can be done to ensure women aren’t cut off from services when social distancing is required?

The research is clear about the factors that drive intimate partner violence. These include gender inequality, childhood emotional abuse and neglect, frequent arguing with a partner, depression, and gender norms that support men’s use of violence.

The image below shows findings from the UN Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific. It aimed to generate knowledge about the factors that contribute to men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence against women.

The circle sizes indicate the relative impact of each factor. The larger the circle the greater contribution the factor has on levels of intimate partner violence. The colours indicate thematic groups. This is a clear visual representation of how complex the drivers and risk factors of intimate partner violence are. 

South African research also points to the significant role that alcohol and drugs, gender norms and beliefs about the roles of women in society, and childhood trauma play in increasing the likelihood that men will perpetrate violence against women.

The important questions to ask during this pandemic are not whether the violence has increased or decreased (which we cannot answer). We should rather be asking about the impact of the virus and social distancing measures on women and children, and whether they’ve been able to access services.

This question is best answered by those working with women and children on the frontline. We also need to learn from others elsewhere, and build a global set of measures to inform current responses to and future management of pandemics.

What we know suggests that social distancing regulations and lockdowns are unlikely to reduce violence in the home. As we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, it will be important to undertake research to better understand how women and families experienced the lockdown and what informed the reduction in reporting.

Meanwhile the Department of Social Development and National Treasury should ensure that high-quality services are available to victims of domestic violence, and that preventive services aren’t compromised by the shift in state spending to address the pandemic. Finally, we need to be asking what can be done to ensure that women are not cut off from services when social distancing is required.

This guidance note seeks to inform employers about the heightened risks of gender-based violence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and outline ways in which employers can address these risks, improve employee and community well-being, and create a safe and resilient workplace.

The publication covers actions companies should consider when dealing with issues related to customer and client aggresions; workplace bullying and sexual harassment; sexual exploitation and abuse connected to the workplace; and domestic violence.

Learn more about IFC's Respectful Workplaces advisory work through our research with companies in Fiji, Myanmar, and Solomon Islands. 

 

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City Health International

The mental health consequences of COVID-19 can be described as the “fourth wave” of the pandemic, and are projected to result in the greatest and most enduring health footprint. Canadian data show growing mental health concerns across the country. In April 2020, the Angus Reid Institute found that 50 per cent of Canadians felt their mental health had worsened during the pandemic, indicating high levels of worry and anxiety. The following month [...]

theconversation.com