Exploring and explaining the role of disadvantage in crime causation
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Criminology
Abstract
One of the most academically and publically discussed factors in crime causation is the role of social disadvantage (a comparative lack of social and economic resources). In fact, it is difficult to imagine any criminological topic that is more debated than that of the extent and nature of the relationship between disadvantage and crime. However, the link between social disadvantage and crime is surprisingly poorly researched and understood and remains a key criminological puzzle. For example, one of the most (as yet) inexplicable aspects of this relationship is that while most persistent and serious offenders have grown up in disadvantaged circumstances, most people who grow up in disadvantaged circumstances do not turn to a life of persistent and serious crime.
In the proposed research we aim to advance knowledge about this central social problem by empirically exploring (using new innovative methods and unique data) and analysing (using new integrative theory) the role of social disadvantage in crime causation. The central thesis to be analysed and tested is that social disadvantage affects people's crime involvement and criminal careers primarily through processes of social and self-selection which influence people's level of exposure to criminogenic developmental and action contexts. We will also explore and analyse, against this backdrop of the disadvantage-crime nexus, young people's experiences of and attitudes towards the criminal justice system (e.g., police, youth offending teams, courts, probation).
The overall aim of the proposed research is to produce a comprehensive study and analysis of the link between social disadvantage and crime in adolescence and young adulthood. In the proposed research we aim to apply and further develop new theory and innovative methods to explore and explain the role of disadvantage in crime causation. Guided by Situational Action Theory, and using unique data about young people and their environments from the longitudinal Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Development Study (PADS+), we will investigate (e.g., using space-time budget and small area community survey methodologies) how adolescents' and young adults' social lives vary in relation to their different levels of social disadvantage as a consequence of processes of social and self-selection. We hypothesize that if social disadvantage has an impact on young people's crime and criminal careers (e.g., onset, duration and desistence) this may be primarily because disadvantage-induced selection processes are likely to place disadvantaged young people more often than others in developmental contexts that are conducive to the development of a higher crime propensity, and in action contexts in which acts of crime tend to be encouraged (or at least are not strongly discouraged). As far as we know, this aspect of the role of disadvantage in crime causation has never been properly theorised and empirically studied and will break new ground in the understanding of the disadvantage-crime relationship.
We anticipate that a better understanding of the role of social disadvantage will not only be crucial for the advancement of our knowledge about crime and its causes but also potentially for how the problem of crime is addressed and can be more effectively dealt with politically and socially. We also anticipate that the findings of our research will help policy-makers and practitioners devise better policies and interventions to prevent young people who grow up in disadvantaged environments from developing into persistent and serious offenders.
In the proposed research we aim to advance knowledge about this central social problem by empirically exploring (using new innovative methods and unique data) and analysing (using new integrative theory) the role of social disadvantage in crime causation. The central thesis to be analysed and tested is that social disadvantage affects people's crime involvement and criminal careers primarily through processes of social and self-selection which influence people's level of exposure to criminogenic developmental and action contexts. We will also explore and analyse, against this backdrop of the disadvantage-crime nexus, young people's experiences of and attitudes towards the criminal justice system (e.g., police, youth offending teams, courts, probation).
The overall aim of the proposed research is to produce a comprehensive study and analysis of the link between social disadvantage and crime in adolescence and young adulthood. In the proposed research we aim to apply and further develop new theory and innovative methods to explore and explain the role of disadvantage in crime causation. Guided by Situational Action Theory, and using unique data about young people and their environments from the longitudinal Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Development Study (PADS+), we will investigate (e.g., using space-time budget and small area community survey methodologies) how adolescents' and young adults' social lives vary in relation to their different levels of social disadvantage as a consequence of processes of social and self-selection. We hypothesize that if social disadvantage has an impact on young people's crime and criminal careers (e.g., onset, duration and desistence) this may be primarily because disadvantage-induced selection processes are likely to place disadvantaged young people more often than others in developmental contexts that are conducive to the development of a higher crime propensity, and in action contexts in which acts of crime tend to be encouraged (or at least are not strongly discouraged). As far as we know, this aspect of the role of disadvantage in crime causation has never been properly theorised and empirically studied and will break new ground in the understanding of the disadvantage-crime relationship.
We anticipate that a better understanding of the role of social disadvantage will not only be crucial for the advancement of our knowledge about crime and its causes but also potentially for how the problem of crime is addressed and can be more effectively dealt with politically and socially. We also anticipate that the findings of our research will help policy-makers and practitioners devise better policies and interventions to prevent young people who grow up in disadvantaged environments from developing into persistent and serious offenders.
Planned Impact
Crime is a major social problem affecting the welfare of citizens and prospects for businesses. Numerous UK cities have areas which are plagued by crime and disorder, dramatically reducing the quality of life of their inhabitants. Some cities have recently experienced riots with devastating consequences for people and businesses. The life prospects for young people heavily involved in crime are generally bleak. At the same time the UK is facing a crisis in the number of offenders demanding the limited resources of its often strained criminal justice system.
It has been estimated that crime costs UK society more than £36 billion each year (Dubourg et al., 2005). Public opinion polls (see e.g., Ipsos Mori Issues Index: Trends since 1997) and political debate, such as that surrounding the 2010 government election, agree that crime is one of the most pressing UK social problems, yet there is little agreement among politicians and policy makers about how to best address it (the debate about the causes of the recent urban riots is a good, albeit extreme, example). There is clearly a need for greater knowledge and a stronger evidence-base regarding the causes of crime and its prevention.
One of the most academically and publically debated but least scientifically understood aspects of crime causation is the role of social disadvantage. While most persistent and serious offenders have grown up in disadvantaged circumstances, most people who grow up in disadvantaged circumstances do not turn to a life of persistent and serious crime. To be able to explain why this is the case (i.e., to identify the key factors and processes involved) will take us a long way towards better understanding the role of disadvantage in the explanation of crime and its prevention.
The question of the role of disadvantage in crime causation and its implications for crime policy and prevention is without any doubt a central concern for the UK government and its relevant ministries (particularly the Home Office and Ministry of Justice but also governmental departments dealing with matters such as education and housing) as well as criminal justice agents and agencies (e.g., police, courts and probation), including regional and local Crime Prevention Partnerships and charities involved in crime prevention and the rehabilitation of young offenders. We anticipate that the findings from our proposed research will have a high user relevance and potential impact since the disadvantage and crime problem is a key issue in crime policy and prevention.
If through a better understanding the influence of social disadvantage on young people's social lives, we are able to highlight key differences in the lives of socially disadvantaged young people which can be addressed by policy or prevention efforts, our study may have the knock-on effect of reducing negative life-outcomes such as crime involvement for those growing up in disadvantaged circumstances. For example, identifying key differences in the social lives of disadvantaged people who do not become involved in serious and persistent crime may help us better understand and manipulate factors which keep young people from becoming involved in crime. In addition, capturing and analysing desistence processes more comprehensively can better inform efforts to keep young people from staying involved in crime. Because of our longitudinal framework, we may also be able to identify critical time windows for intervention, which may enhance the study's ultimate impact.
Although it is not a direction the study will pursue, there are also commercial implications for gaining a better understanding of people's social lives, and methods to study them, especially in regards to processes of social and self selection.
It has been estimated that crime costs UK society more than £36 billion each year (Dubourg et al., 2005). Public opinion polls (see e.g., Ipsos Mori Issues Index: Trends since 1997) and political debate, such as that surrounding the 2010 government election, agree that crime is one of the most pressing UK social problems, yet there is little agreement among politicians and policy makers about how to best address it (the debate about the causes of the recent urban riots is a good, albeit extreme, example). There is clearly a need for greater knowledge and a stronger evidence-base regarding the causes of crime and its prevention.
One of the most academically and publically debated but least scientifically understood aspects of crime causation is the role of social disadvantage. While most persistent and serious offenders have grown up in disadvantaged circumstances, most people who grow up in disadvantaged circumstances do not turn to a life of persistent and serious crime. To be able to explain why this is the case (i.e., to identify the key factors and processes involved) will take us a long way towards better understanding the role of disadvantage in the explanation of crime and its prevention.
The question of the role of disadvantage in crime causation and its implications for crime policy and prevention is without any doubt a central concern for the UK government and its relevant ministries (particularly the Home Office and Ministry of Justice but also governmental departments dealing with matters such as education and housing) as well as criminal justice agents and agencies (e.g., police, courts and probation), including regional and local Crime Prevention Partnerships and charities involved in crime prevention and the rehabilitation of young offenders. We anticipate that the findings from our proposed research will have a high user relevance and potential impact since the disadvantage and crime problem is a key issue in crime policy and prevention.
If through a better understanding the influence of social disadvantage on young people's social lives, we are able to highlight key differences in the lives of socially disadvantaged young people which can be addressed by policy or prevention efforts, our study may have the knock-on effect of reducing negative life-outcomes such as crime involvement for those growing up in disadvantaged circumstances. For example, identifying key differences in the social lives of disadvantaged people who do not become involved in serious and persistent crime may help us better understand and manipulate factors which keep young people from becoming involved in crime. In addition, capturing and analysing desistence processes more comprehensively can better inform efforts to keep young people from staying involved in crime. Because of our longitudinal framework, we may also be able to identify critical time windows for intervention, which may enhance the study's ultimate impact.
Although it is not a direction the study will pursue, there are also commercial implications for gaining a better understanding of people's social lives, and methods to study them, especially in regards to processes of social and self selection.
Organisations
- University of Cambridge (Lead Research Organisation)
- Malmö University (Collaboration)
- University of Cologne (Collaboration)
- Bielefeld University (Collaboration)
- Institute for Fiscal Studies (Collaboration)
- National University of Distance Education (Collaboration)
- University of Münster (Collaboration)
- University of Maribor (Collaboration)
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (Collaboration)
Publications
Gabriela Roman
Pathway of Violence and their driver ages 13-24
Hardie B
(2021)
Reconceptualising parental monitoring within a model of goal-directed parental action
in New Ideas in Psychology
| Description | The relationship between social disadvantage and crime is often studied from a socioeconomic perspective, often at the neighbourhood level. In this study we looked beyond this to the role of key social institutions and how they influence young people's development and patterns of behavior over time. In doing so, we bridge the gap between sociological and psychological approaches to explaining criminal behaviour and the role of social disadvantage and draw attention away from socioeconomic situations, where we have shown it is less warranted, to the functionality of key social institutions. Our findings show that overall the relationship between social disadvantage and crime involvement is statistically weak: although more persistent and serious offenders in the PADS+ sample come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, most young people from disadvantaged backgrounds do not become persistent or serious offenders. This raises the important question of why some young people from disadvantaged backgrounds become involved in crime while others do not. Our findings in relation to this question are consistent with the propositions of Situational Action Theory, which argues that crime is the outcome of an interaction between personal propensities (determined by personal morals and the ability to exercise self-control) and criminogenic exposure (time spent in weak moral contexts where rules of conduct are weakly upheld and enforced): more people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds have a higher crime propensity, and are more frequently exposed to criminogenic settings. Further, we found that key differences in propensity and exposure between those who become and stay involved in crime and those who do not are partially linked to differences in family and school experiences, and this is true regardless of socioeconomic status. Within the PADS+ sample we identified three key trajectories of crime involvement from pre-adolescence into young adulthood: approximately 6% of the sample followed a persistent trajectory of crime involvement that only declined in early adulthood, 10% followed an adolescence-limited pathway that was indistinguishable from that of the persistent group until age 16 and then declined to the level of those in the final group, who represented 84% of the sample and reported very little or no crime involvement at any age. We found that roughly one-third of the young people who followed each trajectory came from a disadvantaged background, mirroring the findings that the direct relationships between social disadvantage and crime is weak. Looking further back along the causal chain, we found that young people's trajectories of crime propensity and criminogenic exposure predicted their patterns of crime involvement. We identified three trajectories of high (20%), medium (47%) and low crime propensity (33%), and two trajectories of high (15%) and low criminogenic exposure (85%). We found that participants who followed a trajectory of heightened crime propensity were more likely to follow either a persistent or adolescence-limited criminal career path, while those who followed a trajectory of higher exposure were more likely to follow a persistent criminal career path. This suggests that what distinguished young people with persistent criminal careers from those whose criminal careers were adolescent-limited was not their crime propensity, but the fact that persistent offenders experienced persistently heightened exposure to criminogenic contexts. We looked further back along the causal change to assess how young people came to follow trajectories of heightened crime propensity and criminogenic exposure. We found that family and school relationships and contexts were important determinants, with more cohesive relationships and structured and supervised time leading to patterns of lower propensity and criminogenic exposure. We found that these social factors mediated the relationship between childhood social disadvantage and young people's trajectories of crime propensity and criminogenic exposure, helping to explain why young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds may be more likely to follow a criminal career path; those who grow up in socially disadvantaged circumstances are more likely to experience disadvantages and disruption in their family and school experiences which may lead them to develop higher crime propensities and/or be exposed more frequently to criminogenic contexts. This in turn has implications for crime prevention policies and practices, suggesting that to prevent crime they should focus on addressing the role of social institutions in the development of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Alongside the core PADS+ research, we have also established a large international network of researchers who are testing SAT and replicating PADS+ to allow cross-national comparison of the role of social disadvantage, crime propensity and criminogenic exposure on crime involvement, to help us better understand the macro as well as micro-level processes at play. |
| Exploitation Route | We will continue to explore the relationship between social disadvantage and crime involvement using data from the PAD+ study and in collaboration with our international network. Our findings indicate that to understand the link between social disadvantage crime we need to know how social advantage affects the development and expression of crime propensity, and exposure to criminogenic settings. Better understanding this relationship can in turn guide our consideration of policies and practices that may have a meaningful impact on the relevant processes. However, until those processes are better understood these will lack the important knowledge-base to build effective policy and practice. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy,Other |
| URL | http://www.cac.crim.cam.ac.uk |
| Description | Narrative impact is evidenced by the invited participation of key researchers in important policy development. This includes the Home Office's Modern Crime Prevention Strategy 2016, and a Serious Violent Crime Strategy currently under development. The study has also influenced practice through the implementation of tenants of situational action theory across social services in the Municipality of Vejle, Denmark, and more recently its dissemination through a series of practitioners workshops organized in conjunction with the Home Office. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Home Office serious violence strategy |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| URL | https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6980... |
| Description | Member of the Home Office Modern Crime Prevention Strategy external reference group |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Regular meetings with senior representatives of the Home Office |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Impact | PI Wikstrom conducts regular consultations with senior representatives from the Home Office to raise awareness of implications from SAT and PADS+ for crime reduction policies. This includes guidance of the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy. |
| Description | PADS+ Core Team |
| Amount | £202,488 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Dawes Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Title | PADS+ dataset |
| Description | PADS+ has compiled a large longitudinal dataset, including data from parents' and young people's questionnaires, space-time budget interviews, event calendars, and neurocognitive tasks. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | PADS+ is one of the most detailed contemporary longitudinal studies of young people and their social lives in existence. Because PADS+ data has been collected using innovative methods from a UK sample it is able to answer unique research questions within the UK context. Collaboration with international researchers to replicate PADS+ methods further allows for direct cross-national comparison between UK outcomes and those from other countries, e.g., in Western and Eastern Europe, Scandanavia, Asia and Africa. |
| Description | Cali and Quito-Riobamba Juvenile Delinquency Studies |
| Organisation | National University of Distance Education |
| Department | Department of Criminal Law and Criminology |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers worked with PI Professor Alfonso Serrano-Maillo to replicate PADS+ methods and test situational action theory. |
| Collaborator Contribution | PI Serrano-Maillo has been involved in a number of collaborative enterprises and replicated PADS+ methods in several countries, most notably in South America, allowing for cross-national comparative work. |
| Impact | Professor Serrano-Maillo has taken part in a number of collaborative projects including conference presentations and publications. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Chances and Risks in the Life Course |
| Organisation | Bielefeld University |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers have discussed analytical methods and cross-comparative approaches. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Researchers from Bielefeld have participated in collaborative workshops, projects, conference presentations, and ongoing publications. |
| Impact | This collaboration has led to collaborative conference presentations, and ongoing publications. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Collective Behavior Group |
| Organisation | Institute for Fiscal Studies |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | PI Wikstrom collaborated with Professor David Sumpter and Richard Mann (now at the University of Leeds) on a paper exploring the person-environment interaction applying advanced mathematical methods to space-time budget data. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Researchers from the Collective Behavior Group attended workshops and applied an artificial neural network method to analyse the impact of different situational factors on the likelihood of young people's crime involvement. |
| Impact | A paper is currently accepted for publication and others are in the works. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Crime in the Modern City (CriMoC) |
| Organisation | Bielefeld University |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers have collaborated with PIs from CriMoC on the development and application of analytical methods. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CriMoC PIs have provided consultation on advanced analytical techniques and been involved in collaborative publications and conference panels and presentations. |
| Impact | PIs from PADS+ and CriMoC have collaborated on working papers and consulted on ways to analyse longitudinal data. They have worked together at SAT workshops and organized joint panels at international conferences. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Crime in the Modern City (CriMoC) |
| Organisation | University of Münster |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers have collaborated with PIs from CriMoC on the development and application of analytical methods. |
| Collaborator Contribution | CriMoC PIs have provided consultation on advanced analytical techniques and been involved in collaborative publications and conference panels and presentations. |
| Impact | PIs from PADS+ and CriMoC have collaborated on working papers and consulted on ways to analyse longitudinal data. They have worked together at SAT workshops and organized joint panels at international conferences. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Friendship and Violence in Adolescence (FuGJ) |
| Organisation | University of Cologne |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers have collaborated with researchers from Cologne on advanced methods and projects testing SAT and, in particular, forwarding an analytical mechanism focused approach to the study and explanation of crime. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Researchers from Cologne have collaborated in dialogues regarding advanced methodological methods and the collection and analysis of longitudinal data. |
| Impact | PADS+ researchers and researchers from Cologne have collaborated on research publications, workshops and conference presentations. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | The Malmo Individual and Neighbourhood Development Study (MINDS) |
| Organisation | Malmö University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers prepared and trained MINDS researchers to replicate PADS+ methods. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MINDS researchers have replicated PADS+ methods and are now involved with PADS+ researchers in cross-national comparative projects and publications. MINDS have contributed one research assistant to supporting this collaboration. |
| Impact | A number of joint publications and conference presentations have arisen from this collaboration. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | The Study of Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Delinquency (SPMAD) |
| Organisation | University of Maribor |
| Country | Slovenia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers trained SPMAD staff in the replication of PADS+ methods. |
| Collaborator Contribution | SPMAD researchers replicated PADS+ methods in Slovenia and have been involved in several collaborative enterprises, including published papers and conference presentations. |
| Impact | Collaborative publications have been produced and conference panels have been organized at international events. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | The Study of Peers, Activities and Neighbourhoods (SPAN) |
| Organisation | Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | PADS+ researchers prepared and trained SPAN researchers in PADS+ methods. |
| Collaborator Contribution | SPAN replicated PADS+ methods in the Hague. This has led to cross-national comparative projects and papers. |
| Impact | This collaboration has produced a number of conference presentation and publications relating to cross-national tests of SAT. |
| Start Year | 2007 |
| Description | Cambridge Testing SAT Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | International colleagues and collaborators met for a three day workshop presenting replication research and planning collaborative projects. Future research collaborations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2016 |
| Description | Centre for Macroeconomic Research Conference on Public Policy and Social & Economic Behavior |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a Key-note speech on: The Dynamics of Crime and its Changes: Implications for policy at Centre for Macroeconomic Research, University of Cologne. Questions and discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Collaborative Workshop with MINDS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PI Wikstrom, Dr K. Treiber and B. Hardie hosted collaborative workshops with MINDS researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014,2015 |
| Description | Crime as Moral Action |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Master student seminar (University of Gothenburg). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Criminology Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Main findings from PADS+ research were disseminated, including recent work by project-linked PhD students, and key publications were advertised. Discussion was undertaken with students on all graduate courses, including the Police Executive and Penology MSt courses, and with colleagues. Awareness was raised of the variety of analyses undertaken by the PADS+ research group and their applicability to different topics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Drapkin Conference Jerusalem |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of key findings from PADS+ of relevance to understanding the role of opportunity and character in crime causation. Discussion of policy implication. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Expert Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | EUCPN meeting in Brussels regarding the concept of crime prevention |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Home Office International Crime and Policing Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a talk on "Character, Circumstances and Criminal Careers". Questions and discussion afterward |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Home Office International Crime and Policing Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a speech on "Causes of Crime and Crime Prevention (translating causal claims into policy)". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Home Office International Crime and Policing Conference 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of PADS+ main research findings about the key drivers of crime and discussion of their policy implications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited presentation at International Conference on Desistance: Sketching the Future |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presenting key findings from PADS+ of relevance to the problem of desistance |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Invited presentation at the City University of Hong Kong |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Research associate Mandy Lau gave a presentation about 'Delinquency, Social Disadvantage and Situational Action Theory' to criminology students at the Department of Applied Social Sciences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited presentation at the University of Hong Kong |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Research associate Mandy Lau gave a presentation about 'Delinquency, Social Disadvantage and Situational Action Theory' to criminology students at the Department of Sociology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Jubilee Conference, University of Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Key-note Speech, "Why do People commit acts of Crime?" at Centre for Ethnics, Law and Mental health, University of Gothenburg |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Key note Speech at German Criminology Conference in Vienna |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presenting key findings from PADS+ research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Key-Note Speach at the SPS National Crime Prevention Day in Skivje, Denmark |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a Key-Note Speech at the SPS National Crime Prevention Day in Skivje, Denmark |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Key-Note Speach at the Youth Practitioners Annual Conference in Vingstad, Denmark |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a Key-Note Speech at the Youth Practitioner's Annual Conference in Vingstad, Denmark |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Keynote Speach - Tagung der Fachgruppe Rechtspsychologie |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Keynote speech at the Forensic Psychology Conference, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Lecture at University of Gavle, Sweden |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a public lecture on "Why do young People commit Crime?" at the University of Gavle, Sweden |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Lecture att Institute of Analytic Sociology, Univerity of Linkoping, Sweden |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Lecture about Space-Time Budget Methodology, to colleagues, researcher, and students. Questions and discussion afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Lecture on SAT to MSt students on the Cambridge Ponology and Police Executive programmes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This annual lecture introduces situational action theory to international high-ranking practitioner group. This opens up discussions and has led to requests for further information and involvement, including collaborative research projects applying SAT in various areas of criminal justice practice (e.g., insider trading; violence among prison inmates). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| Description | Member of Home Office Modern Crime Prevention strategy external reference group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | member of external reference group commenting on and discussing the Home Office development of a modern crime prevention strategy |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
| Description | National Conference about Youth Services, Social Services, Sweden |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Key-note speech by Professor Wikstrom on "Young People and Crime". Questions and discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Panel presentations at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Panel presentations, 1. Theories of Communities, place and crime; rivals or complimentary? 2. Explaining within and between gender differences in crime involvement; a question of morality and lifestyles 3. Bad habits; unconscious processes and criminal decision making |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Panels sessions at the European Sociaty of Criminology annual conference in Ghent |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Two panel presentations 1. People and Places in Situation Action Theory 2. Gender and Crime |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation for crime prevention practitioners |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of key PADS+ research findings and discussion of implications for crime prevention |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation for the ministry of justice and the ministry of interior Sweden |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of key findings of PADS+ and discussion of implications for crime prevention policy |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation to Edinburgh Crime Theory Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This invited presentation raised awareness of situational action theory amongst theorists in the Edinburgh Crime Theory Group. Students who attended this presentation have since joined the Cambridge MPhil and PhD programs and showed interest in PADS+ research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Presentations at the American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PADS+ researchers and post graduate students organized thematic panels, often with international colleagues and collaborators, showcasing theoretical and empirical work from PADS+ and related studies. The ASC is the largest criminological conference and these panels, which usually feature leading theorists and researchers, attract large audiences and forge contacts with new collaborators and interested scholars. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016 |
| Description | Presentations at the European Society of Criminology Annual Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PADS+ researchers and post graduate students organized thematic panels, often with international colleagues and collaborators, showcasing theoretical and empirical work from PADS+ and related studies. These panels attract large audiences and forge contacts with new collaborators and interested researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2007,2008,2009,2010,2013,2014,2015 |
| Description | Presentations at the Stockholm Criminology Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PADS+ researchers and post graduate students organized thematic panels, often with international colleagues and collaborators, showcasing theoretical and empirical work from PADS+ and related studies. These panels attract large audiences and forge contacts with new collaborators and interested researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2011,2012,2014,2015 |
| Description | Public Policy and Social & Economic Behaviour |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of key findings from PADS+ regarding the dynamics of crime and its changes. Discussion of implications for policy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Public seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of PADS+ research at the University of California, presentation entitled; explaining crime and criminal careers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Scandinavian conference on evaluation the effectivness of prison services |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Key Note Speech, questions and discussions afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Situational Action Theory. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Local municipality Research Day for policy-makers and practitioners (Helsingborg, Sweden) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Situational Action Theory: A general theory of crime |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Sparked questions and discussions afterwards Students showed much interest in the subject |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Socially Responsible Innovation in Security |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of research from PADS+ about the causes of crime hot spots. Discussion of policy implications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Talk at Home Office Annual Conference in London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Delivered talk at the Home office Annual Conference in London for professional practitioners working for Youth Charities. Speech title: Why some people and not others: Character, Circumstances, Crime and Criminal Careers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk at University of Erlangen, Germany |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a talk on "Young People's Differential Vulnerability to Criminogenic Exposure". Questions and discussion afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Talk at Vejle municipality Danmark |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a talk on "Foundations for effective crime prevention" at Vejle municipality Denmark |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Talk at Vejle municipality Denmark |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a lecture on " Situational Action Theory and its implications for creating effective crime prevention at Vejle municipality Denmark |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Talk at the Home office Annual Conference in Manchester |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Delivered talk at the Home office Annual Conference in Manchester for professional practitioners working for Youth Charities. Speech title: Character, Circumstances, Crime and Criminal Careers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk to government advisers in the treasury, cabinet office and No 10 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of PADS+ research findings and their implications for crime prevention policy |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | The 2018 Cambridge Testing SAT international workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | International workshop with our research collaborators from various European and American countries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Tillfället gör tjuven eller tjuvar tar tillfället? (Opportunity makes the theif or thives thakes the opportunity?) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation about our research into the causes of crime and crime prevention for a Swedish network of crime prevention policy-makers and practitioners (network name: Säkra platser, Safe Places) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Training academic staff in Montreal Canada |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk and workshop training resulted in informed staff who are now capable of replicating the research in their own study. Following the training, the Canadian research group have gone on to start their own fieldwork in Canada using the method developed by PADS+. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | University of Cologne, Germany |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Professor Wikstrom gave a talk on "Exploring and Explaining Crime as Moral Actions" at the Faculty of Law, University of Cologne |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Varför begår människor brott? (Why do people commit acts of crime?) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk for a mid Sweden police force forum. Aim: to present key research findings and their implications for crime prevention and for the role of police in crime prevention activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Why Crime Happens |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Main findings from PADS+ research were disseminated and discussed. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Workshop at the University of Cologne |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Workshop with the aim to develop explanatory frameworks |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Workshops for practitioners from social agencies in Vejle Denmark on the application of situational action theory in practice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | PI Wikstrom hosts four two-day workshops annually to train practitioners with the aim to influence their day to day activities relevant to crime prevention through the application of Situational Action Theory. These workshops have attracted individuals representing criminal justice agencies, the education sector, mental health services, etc. In all more than 100 practitioners from the Municipality of Vejle have been introduced to SAT and are applying the theory in their work. Helle Bryna has produced a book on how to apply SAT in local crime prevention. Key experiences and outcomes will be presented at the 2016 Stockholm Symposium. Attendees developed strategies to apply SAT across different relevant agencies to address challenges relating the crime involvement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016 |