While there is no evidence that online abuse and exploitation are more serious or pervasive offences than crimes occurring offline, recent research has suggested that a considerable proportion of children and young people have experienced technology-facilitated sexual abuse. It is the case that the affordances offered by online social media may present a significant risk factor for some children to experience harm from adults and peers motivated by a sexual interest in children. Three factors play an important role in this complex and dynamic scenario: potential perpetrators and victims, the social context in which criminal activities take place and the rapidly changing medium. Online sexual crimes against children are committed by people who are motivated to sexually offend, and their online activities are purposive, and goal directed. However, even if motivation and facilitation factors are present, sexual offences cannot take place without opportunities to act. There is a person–environment interaction, in that individuals who are strongly motivated to commit sexual offences are more likely to seek out or create opportunities to offend. This presentation examines the interaction between offender motivation, victim vulnerabilities and the affordances offered by technology.

Further information and tickets can be obtained at the event page.

Characteristics of adult male victims in intimate heterosexual relationships from domestic violence police narratives

Crime Science volume 13, Article number: 28 (2024) Cite this article

Background setting

Domestic violence (DV) perpetrated against male victims has received little attention in the literature, since men are generally the perpetrators rather than victims of DV. This study examines the characteristics of adult male victims and female Persons of Interest (POIs) suspected and/or charged with perpetrating a DV offence in an intimate relationship.

Methods

We analyzed the results from a text mining study on half a million (492,393) police-attended DV events from 2005 to 2016 in New South Wales (Australia). 7.3% (13,896) events involving an adult male victim and a female POI in an intimate relationship were included.

Results

Over three-quarters (77.5%; 10,775) of DV events had at least one abuse type recorded, with the most common being “unspecified assault” (57.3%), followed by verbal abuse (34.1%), and punching (29.1%). Half of events (51.2%; 7,128) had an injury recorded by the police, with “cut/abrasion(s)” the most common (41.6%), followed by “red mark/sign” (25.4%), and “bruising” (15.8%). A total of 2,196 (15.8%) DV events had a mention of a mental illness for the POIs and 570 (4.1%) for the victims. Mood disorders had the most mentions for both POIs (37.0%) and victims (32.8%). Among victims, anxiety related disorders saw the largest increase (14.0%) in mentions from 2005 to 2016, followed by depression (8.0%).

Conclusion

Our findings represent population level data insights from DV events involving an adult male victim in an intimate relationship with a female POI. Our findings align with existing studies suggesting that female POIs are more likely than male POIs to use objects/weapons, employ verbal abuse, and perform minor acts of physical violence. Female POIs had 4 times the number of mental illness mentions than male victims indicating that mental illness could be a risk factor for DV, while the increase in anxiety disorders and depression for male victims corresponds with research that associates mental illnesses and DV victimhood. This study highlights the need for a greater awareness and support for male victims of DV.

When is problem-oriented policing most effective? A systematic examination of heterogeneity in effect sizes for reducing crime and disorder

Joshua C Hinkle, David Weisburd, Cody W Telep, Kevin Petersen

Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, Volume 18, 2024, paae053, https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paae053

Published:

16 April 2024

Abstract

This article presents results from a systematic review and meta-analysis of problem-oriented policing (POP). The results show an overall 33.8% relative reduction in crime/disorder in treatment groups relative to controls, which adds to evidence that POP is an effective strategy that police leaders should adopt. There is, however, a great deal of variation in effect sizes, and moderator analyses were conducted to examine when POP may work best. Preliminary findings suggest POP may have larger impacts when responses are broader and involve more partner agencies/groups, when more of the agency is involved in the program, and when targeting property crime and disorder. Importantly, our findings also show that shallower implementations of POP still had significant impacts and suggest that POP should be implemented even if an agency cannot initially carry out in-depth problem-solving. Future research should supplement meta-analyses with narrative reviews to further identify what makes POP most effective.

When is problem-oriented policing most effective? A systematic examination of heterogeneity in effect sizes for reducing crime and disorder | Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice | Oxford Academic

New AIC report shows connection between viewing child sexual abuse material and fringe or radical content online

Link to: T he overlap between viewing child sexual abuse material and fringe or radical content online

New research, based on a survey of over 13,300 online Australians, shows:

Four in 10 respondents (40.6%) had viewed fringe or radical content and 4.5 percent had viewed CSAM in the previous 12 months.
Among respondents who viewed CSAM, 64.7 percent had also viewed fringe or radical content, while 7.1 percent of those who viewed radical content had also viewed CSAM.
Respondents who viewed only CSAM or only fringe or radical content were similar to one another.
Respondents who viewed both were more likely to be younger and male and had higher rates of criminal justice system contact and diagnosed mental illness.

New AIC report on deaths in custody 2023-24 released today

Link to: Deaths in custody in Australia 2023–24

Data from the most recent National Deaths in Custody Program Statistical Report, Deaths in custody in Australia 2023–24, show:

In 2023–24, there were 104 deaths in custody: 76 in prison custody, 27 in police custody or custody-related operations and one in youth detention.
Twenty-four deaths in custody in 2023‒24 were of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people—18 deaths in prison custody and five deaths in police custody. Of the 80 non-Indigenous deaths in custody, 58 were in prison custody and 22 in police custody.
The prison custody death rate decreased between 2022‒23 and 2023‒24 for Indigenous people (from 3.43 to 2.87 per 100,000 Indigenous population aged 18 years and over) and increased for non-Indigenous people (from 0.25 to 0.29 per 100,000 non-Indigenous population aged 18 years and over).

Read the AIC media release

EUCPN: Training on key concepts in crime prevention

This training centres around the fundamentals of crime prevention. It aims to inform those unfamiliar with prevention on the benefits it can create for society. The training specifically focuses on EUCPN's definition of prevention as well as the different types of prevention (e.g. social and situational) that can be used by practitioners. It, additionally, emphasises evidence-based prevention by teaching the participants how to systematically create a crime prevention initiative.

This training lasts a half day and will be provided in English. If you would like to know more about the content, dissemination or how to participate and/or organise this training in your own country, contact the EUCPN Secretariat.

Training on the evaluation of crime prevention initiatives read.....

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AIC: New research estimating the costs of serious and organised crime in Australia

Link to: Estimating the costs of serious and organised crime in Australia, 2022–23

The Australian Institute of Criminology has released the fourth in a series of reports undertaken for the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission estimating the cost of serious and organised crime in Australia.

The total cost of serious and organised crime in Australia in 2022-23 was estimated to be up to $68.7b.
This includes $43.3b from the costs of crimes that have a clear and direct link with serious and organised crime, $8.5b from the costs of conventional crimes committed as a consequence of serious and organised crimes, and $16.9b from the costs to government entities, businesses and individuals associated with preventing and responding to serious and organised crime.
The estimated cost of serious and organised crime in Australia represents 2.9 percent of national gross domestic product for 2022-23.

Read the AIC media release.