Urban Crime Criminals And Victims

Crime is largely an urban phenomenon, but the specifically urban and area dimen sions of the social processes that are connected with crime have been seriously understated in much recent criminological work ... Such a claim could not have been made forty years ago. (Baldwin & Bottoms, 1976, p. 1). The above statement by Baldwin and Bottoms about the neglect in crimi nology of the urban dimension of crime was made in the mid-1970s. However, in the last decade there has been a significant upswing in theory and research on crime in the urban environment. Also, new areas oftheory and research into urban crime have come into focus. (For overviews see Brantingham & Brantingham, 1984; Davidson, 1981.) One very good example of the increasing interest in urban crime is the recent volume of Crime and Justice entitled "Communities and Crime" (Reiss & Tonry, 1986), in which Reiss makes a strong argument for the importance of the study of crime in urban communities and for the linking of the ecological and individual traditions in theory and research on crime. A review of the literature on crime in urban environments shows, not unexpectedly, that Anglo-American research heavily dominates the scene (Wikstrom, 1982; 1987b). Hence, much of the experience we have on urban crime is based on North American and British research and theory.

Crime is largely an urban phenomenon, but the specifically urban and area dimen sions of the social processes that are connected with crime have been seriously understated in much recent criminological work ... Such a claim could not have been made forty years ago. (Baldwin & Bottoms, 1976, p. 1). The above statement by Baldwin and Bottoms about the neglect in crimi nology of the urban dimension of crime was made in the mid-1970s. However, in the last decade there has been a significant upswing in theory and research on crime in the urban environment. Also, new areas oftheory and research into urban crime have come into focus. (For overviews see Brantingham & Brantingham, 1984; Davidson, 1981.) One very good example of the increasing interest in urban crime is the recent volume of Crime and Justice entitled "Communities and Crime" (Reiss & Tonry, 1986), in which Reiss makes a strong argument for the importance of the study of crime in urban communities and for the linking of the ecological and individual traditions in theory and research on crime. A review of the literature on crime in urban environments shows, not unexpectedly, that Anglo-American research heavily dominates the scene (Wikstrom, 1982; 1987b). Hence, much of the experience we have on urban crime is based on North American and British research and theory.

An overview of the urban crime problem containing the results of a number of research studies and consultant papers. This volume makes use of the results of three major public surveys to examine the problem of unreported crime, public attitudes toward crime and law enforcement, the characteristics of victims and victim-offender relationships, and a variety of other crime problems. Chapters are devoted to the special problems of the economic burden of crime, white collar crime, and an appraisal of the current national system of statistical accounting on crime and criminal justice matters. There are three appendices prepared by consultants, two methodological notes and a series of tables of crime rates for index offenses by city rank.

Aim of this study is the description and comparative assessment of strategies for the prevention and correction of ordinary crime in urban environments. It endeavours to analyse the accumulated cross national experience in order to help identify those strategies which appear best to combine respect for human rights.

Crime prevention, surveillance, and restorative justice have transformed the response to crime in recent years. Each has had a significant impact on policy, introducing new concepts and reassessing traditional aims and priorities. While such efforts attract a great deal of criminological interest, they tend to be discussed within separate and discrete literatures, rather than as part of a cohesive and concerted effort. Urban Crime Prevention, Surveillance, and Restorative Justice: Effects of Social Technologies examines these emerging trends which are increasingly being contemplated by police, courts, and corrections agencies, and explores how these three concepts are changing national and international policies concerning crime. Going beyond the conventional methods for crime reduction The book addresses these topics within a larger framework of social technology, defined as coordinated action derived from an organized field of knowledge to achieve a particular result. It focuses on efforts aimed at reducing and responding to crime without reliance on the conventional criminal justice practices of police and prisons. The contributors discuss diffusion of knowledge about crime though media and criminological research, surveillance technologies and their effect on crime, and finally, the concept of restorative justice, with an emphasis on juvenile justice and its relationship to social regulations in general. Comprising the contributions of numerous experts in the field of criminology, the book asks "What is the interaction between knowledge, planning, and social repercussions?" The answer to this question forms a valuable basis from which to evaluate proposals for social improvements related to crime.

The book deals with the magnitude of crimes against women in the developed and the developing World context. Through two empirical case studies the spatial context of crime has been explained, especially how socia-economic parameters and the environment can play a role to promote crime and disorder in a city. Crime remedy is through good legislation. NGO's working on women's issues, the government while making policies and the media need to find ways to strengthen legislation to project the vulnerable women.

Theories of criminality and theories of victimization have traditionally been discussed as though they bore no relationship to one another. Yet, a complete explanation for crime must examine both the decision to engage in crime by an offender and the everyday actions of ordinary citizens that increase vulnerability to criminals. The integration of these approaches yields testable models that have greater predictive power than could be obtained by looking only at models of offenders or models of victim behavior. A more general perspective that accounts for both the decision to engage in crime and the selection of particular crime targets is developed and tested.

In 1994 the School of Criminology, a part of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology in the Faculty of Law of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its study programme. To give added lustre to this landmark in its history, the Institute accepted the invitation from the International Society of Criminology to organise the 49th International Course of Criminology. The title of the course was: Changes in Society, Crime and Criminal Justice in Europe. A challenge for criminological education and research'. This course explored two themes, both of which are likely to be the focus of debate in criminal policy in the near future: crime and insecurity in the city, and international organised and corporate crime. The presentation and discussion of both themes followed two main approaches. Lectures and seminars focused on the analysis of the nature, the quantity and the development of the phenomena, and meetings were focused on the policy needed to gain control of these phenomena. Moreover, attention was paid to technical and ethical problems which show up at the moment that empirical research is carried out. This publication brings together the main part of the introductory lectures. Part one relates to the theme of crime and insecurity in the city; the second part contains the lectures on international organised and corporate crime. Together both parts present a good picture of what was explained and commented on during the Course, especially in relation to important European developments concerning crime, criminal justice and criminal policy. This book will become an important source of inspiration for both criminological educationand research.