International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory (IJCST - York University)
Not a member yet
143 research outputs found
Sort by
Fred West: Bio-Psycho-Social Investigation of Psychopathic Sexual Serial Killer
Full text linkThis paper looks briefly at the case study of psychopathic sexual serial killer Frederick Walter Stephen West. His criminal behaviour and other behavioural problems are often assumed to be rooted in the home, inadequate discipline, or poor role models. However, based on research arguments presented in this paper, it is obvious that the answer to what significantly contributed to the development of this complex distorted personality and subsequent violent behaviour is far more multifaceted. It seems to be a result of a highly complex interaction of biological, psychological and sociological factors
Civil Wars and Criminality: The Spillover of Violence
Full text linkIn this paper I address a negative externality of internal conflicts for neighboring countries: the rise in criminality associated with a civil conflict in a nearby state. I propose that two mechanisms may cause an increase in crime rates in countries located in the neighborhood of a war-torn country. First, the refugee flow leads to social tensions between the local population and the refugee groups. Second, the economic hardship created by the civil war in the neighboring country (disruption of trade, departure of investors). I test my hypotheses with panel data from the UN World Surveys on Crime Trends and Criminal Justice Systems (1970-1994). I run a simple fixed effects model and several robustness checks, and find empirical support for my arguments
Farmers’ Suicides in India as an Socio-Economical Phenomenon: A Study of Karnataka State
Full text linkAgriculture is the largest economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio economic development of India. More than 80 percent of the farmers working in this sector are marginal and small scale farmers. They depend on loan from private money lenders or from financial institutions for the cultivation of their land. They depend on agricultural income for their family expenses, education and marriage of the children. The agriculture in India is in crises and farmers of various states Karnataka in particular are in distress due to indebtedness, repeated failure of crops, increasing cost of production, poor quality of seeds, impact of globalization, exploitation by money lenders and businessmen and the other factors are the main causes for their distress which lead to suicides. Karnataka is the eight largest state of India having severed agrarian distress since many years. It was in 1997 that the first case of farmers’ suicide due to crop/market failure was reported in Karnataka State. The present study focus on the Socio-Economic profile its impact on suicidal tendencies among farmers of Karnataka State who have committed suicide. This also indicates that the victims tended to suffer within themselves the problems whether economic or social in nature
The Training of Prison Guards: The Case of Greece
Full text linkPrison guards plays a key role in the penitentiary system and it is apparently believed that the quality of the work accomplished directly depends on the quality of the prison guard himself. The present paper aims at studying and exploring the institution of the in-service educational training of the prison officers. The sample of the present research project consists of 37 guards serving in Greek penitentiary institutions. Results shows that the guards of the Greek penitentiary institutions have not been trained in new methods or techniques either of dealing with difficult situations or of dealing with the psychological problems of the detainees. Most guards believe that they do not need training and that they can handle in other ways the daily routine in prisons. Finally, the analysis showed that guards’ educational level and years of service does not differentiate their opinion about knowledge and training their have
Macro-level Research on Immigration and Crime in the Contemporary USA: Problems and Simple Solutions
Full text linkExtant research uses regression analysis with macro-level data to study the effect of immigration on crime in the contemporary USA. These studies have found mostly null or negative associations between the two variables. I point out three problems with these analyses. (i) Some studies use negative binomial regression inappropriately, in effect measuring determinants of frequencies rather than rates; (ii) all existing estimates arguably suffer from severe undercontrol, overcontrol, or both and cannot establish the direction of causality (if any) between immigration and crime; (iii) all studies present estimates that give equal weight to areas of differing population size. Taken together, these limitations render the research inconclusive. I show how to avoid these problems in a regression analysis of the effect of recent immigration on homicide rates in a sample of 91 US cities in 2000. Estimates point to a negative effect of immigration on homicide, but are not statistically significant
Reinventing Lombroso in the Era of Genetic Revolution: Whether Criminal Justice System Actually Imparts Justice or is Based on ‘Convenience of Assumption’?
Full text linkIn the last century there has been growing appreciation for the role that genes play not only in the development of certain physical characteristics and diseases, but also in human behaviour. The recent advancements in the field of genetics show that genes do play a role in criminal behaviour, which has further shaken the free-will foundation upon which the criminal justice system is based. Does this mean that we are reinventing Lombroso and his theory of ‘atavism’ in the era of genetic revolution? This paper provides a critical analysis of India’s judiciary’s position on ‘criminal genes’ explanations as acceptable arguments that can be used by defence lawyers in criminal cases. We have found that ‘criminal genes’ arguments do not yet constitute a complete defence given the low level of accomplishment in this regard in the field of genetics. However, genetic arguments can be used as a reliable defence for mitigating the sentence
Predictive Factors for Juvenile Delinquency: The Role of Family Structure, Parental Monitoring and Delinquent Peers
Full text linkThe aim of this research was to investigate the role of family structure, parental monitoring and affiliation with delinquent peers in predicting juvenile delinquency. In this Cross-sectional study, 96 delinquent adolescents and 91 non-delinquent adolescents, chosen through a convenient sampling in Tehran, completed parental monitoring inventory and affiliation with delinquent peers scale. Data was analyzed using Logestic regression analysis. Reliability of the questionnaires verified using internal consistency and test-retest methods. Regarding Logestic regression analysis results, among predicting variables, family structure and affiliation with delinquent peers were significant predictors of juvenile delinquency. These factors could explain 29 to 39 percent of delinquency variance. Parental monitoring was also unable to predict delinquency, but it could significantly predict affiliation with delinquent peers. The results of the present study were in line with results of the previous researches and showed that distress in family structure and affiliation with delinquent peers have a significant role in the delinquency phenomenon. Therefore, it seems necessary to consider these factors as influential factors in promoting delinquency
Network as Metaphor
Full text linkThe metaphor of network (and its cognate terms node, lattice, inter-linkage, and so on) plays a prominent role in contemporary social science. However, network metaphors come in and go out of sociological fashion, and may be employed in incompatible ways even by sociologists examining the same phenomenon. Writing in the 1980s Wilhelm Baldamus considered it remarkable that a metaphor which had hardly any explanatory power to start with could maintain its popularity for long periods for no tangible reason. This paper will examine Baldamus’s critique of network metaphors by looking at some examples in contemporary sociology, specifically the work of Harrison C White, and Actor Network Theory (ANT). The paper argues that the use of metaphors is probably inevitable, and can enhance as well as diminish our understanding of social experience. However, the network metaphor often creates artificial objects and makes us think we have been precise when we have been vague. The paper calls for a more critical and reflective approach to using metaphors in social scientific analysis
Psychological Discourse in Brazilian Criminology
Full text linkThis paper presents a historical research of the psychological discourse in the Brazilian Criminology from 1940 to 1960. It describes arguments that supported the articulation of psychological discourse in Brazilian Criminology, seeking to understand how psychological knowledge has established itself as judicial practice in Brazil. It took as material for analysis the Journal of Criminology, a publication that was Official Organ of the Institute of Criminology at the University of the State of Guanabara, between the years 1947 and 1967. From the examination of the selected volumes, there was a wide range of data concerning the inclusion of psychology in the study field of crime, accompanied by a great variety of possible compositions. With regard to thematic analysis, the data pointed to the distinction of the three lines of analysis: Epistemology of Criminology, Crime and Causes of Policies and Instruments of Social Control of Crime
“More Dangerous than Hitmen”: Judicial Perceptions of Sexual Offenders
Full text linkThis paper explores the structural and cultural effects of legal and criminal justice processes through judicial perceptions of sexual offenders, using a law and society theoretical framework. The researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with judges from California and Texas. Initial findings suggest judicial actors share negative public sentiments towards sex offenders and felt these offenders were much different and worse than other criminals and in some instances worse than murderers. However, judges face an inherent conflict: they must remain neutral appliers of the law while satisfying public demands for justice, thus highlighting the friction between “law on the books” and the “law in action.” Some California judges have used punitive measures under the pretext of treatment to circumvent this conflict and punish offenders beyond mandates, in many instances indefinitely. The ramifications and realities of restrictive and punitive policies, including Megan’s and Jessica’s Laws, have resulted in costly state-funded solutions for offenders