Behavioral Biopsychosocial Criminology Review

The Path to Driving Aggression and Crash Risk: The Role of Metacognition and Anger Rumination in Anger Expression Among Chinese Drivers

Chenzhao Zhai, İbrahim Öztürk — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 07:49:31 -0300

ABSTRACT

Driving anger and aggressive anger expression are prevalent in China, leading to road crashes. While potential associations between metacognitive beliefs about worry and control, anger rumination, and anger expression have been reported, limited research focuses on these relationships within the context of driving anger. This study aims to examine the associations between metacognition, anger rumination, driving-related anger (trait driving anger and aggressive anger expression) and crash risk (traffic penalty points and crash involvement), along with testing the psychometric properties of the Measure for Angry Drivers (MAD) among Chinese drivers. Participants ( M a g e = 32.31 , S D = 6.1 ${M}_{age}\ =32.31,\ SD=6.1$) completed the MAD, the short form of the Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30), the Anger Rumination Scale (ARS), the short version of the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX), and several questions related to their demographic background, traffic violations and crash involvements. A three-factor structure comprising 23 items of MAD was confirmed (Danger posed by others, Travel delays and Aggression from others), demonstrating good reliability, convergent validity, and criterion validity. Additionally, drivers who were involved in crashes in the past 3 years reported higher total MAD scores. The structural model revealed that trait driving anger influenced anger rumination both directly and indirectly through increased maladaptive metacognitive beliefs. Also, trait driving anger and anger rumination jointly contributed to aggressive anger expression, which in turn significantly predicted crash risk. The current findings demonstrate that the Chinese version of MAD is appropriate for assessing trait driving anger and the necessity of regulating anger rumination and aggressive expressions by modifying maladaptive metacognitive beliefs.

Under‐Interpretation of Neuroimaging Data in Insanity Assessment: A Hidden Risk

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 06:04:48 -0300

ABSTRACT

Neuroimaging data can provide valuable insights into insanity evaluations, but the debate over its use for legal purposes is far from resolved. While much attention has been given to the risks of over-interpretation, potential errors stemming from under-interpretation received less scrutiny. In this paper, we aim to showcase how this error may influence the results of an insanity evaluation by presenting an Italian forensic case. The defendant presented with intellectual disability and psychotic symptoms coupled with multiple brain abnormalities that were interpreted as variant of normal neuroanatomy. The case is discussed in detail. This article offers an insight into a neglected issue in forensic neuroscience, destined to gain prominence as this discipline becomes increasingly important in criminal justice systems worldwide. We recommend the use of a multidisciplinary approach to insanity to reduce the likelihood of error. In this context, neuroimaging can play an important role, and its interpretation should strictly adhere to guidelines to minimize the possibility of both over-interpretation and under-interpretation.

Aggression, Suicidality, and Emotion Profiles in Youth: Links to Early Life Adversity

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0300

ABSTRACT

Suicidality and physical aggression are leading, related youth public health concerns. Yet, whether adolescents who harm themselves, others, or both differ emotionally and etiologically remains unclear. To address this, adolescents from a prospective population-based birth cohort reported their suicidality, physical aggression, depression/anxiety symptoms, anger, and callousness (N = 1637). Distinct latent harm-emotion profiles were identified, which were linked to perinatal and childhood experiences. A six-profile solution was retained: Low harm (79.5%), moderate suicidality (6.5%), high suicidality (2%), high aggression (2.5%), moderate aggression (8.5%), and high suicidality and aggression (dual harm; 1%). Elevated harm profiles were compared to the low-harm group. Moderate/high suicidality profiles showed slight elevations in physical aggression. All elevated harm profiles expressed higher negative emotionality. Dual harm and aggression groups reported higher callousness, while suicidality groups reported lower callousness. Aggression profiles were 75% male, suicidality profiles were 21% male, while the low and dual-harm profiles were more similarly mixed sex (47% vs. 63% male, respectively). Low-harm youth experienced more positive childhood parenting. The dual harm and high aggression groups had more deviant childhood best friends, while the dual harm and moderate aggression groups had lower early life household income. The moderate suicidality group had fathers with higher depressive symptoms during infancy and childhood. Thus, one in five youth showed relatively elevated suicidality and/or physical aggression; of which, 95% tended to have a primary target (themselves or others). Early life economic, parental, and peer support may be key for preventing suicidal and aggressive outcomes in adolescence.

Prevalence of Neurodiversity in a UK High Secure Psychiatric Hospital Cohort: A Records Study

Freya Walker, David Murphy, Laura Gröger, Estelle Moore — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

ABSTRACT

Background

The term neurodiversity is an umbrella term for any atypical pattern of cognitive ability, including but not confined to neurodevelopmental disorders. Research suggests that several neurodivergent conditions are overrepresented in offender populations, with a recent survey suggesting that over half of those coming into contact with the criminal justice system may have a neurodivergent condition. Considerable effort has been invested in trying to divert people with such conditions out of long-stay hospitals, but nevertheless, a few studies in secure hospitals suggest that while prevalence in hospitals may be lower than in prisons, it is high relative to the general population.

Aims

To determine the prevalence of recorded neurodivergent conditions in one high secure hospital.

Methods

We conducted a records survey of a resident cohort of men in one high secure hospital in England during December 2022.

Results

Records were accessed for all 197 resident men. According to these records, over one-half (115, 58%) of the men had at least one neurodivergent condition; nearly a third (56, 29%) had more than one form of neurodivergent condition. The most frequently recorded form of neurodivergent condition was general cognitive dysfunction (24%), followed by general language difficulties (16%), ADHD (15%) and autism (14%) and those with a history of seizures (14%) and atypical brain scans (12%). Dyslexia was reported within 6.5% of patient notes, acquired brain injury 5% and chromosomal disorders 2%. The survey also suggests some differences in the prevalence of neurodivergent disorders across clinical groups, with higher rates among people with mental illness than with personality disorder. Prevalence was also unevenly distributed across nature of ward type.

Conclusions

With the survey suggesting that the majority of patients in one high secure psychiatric hospital have at least one form of neurodivergent condition, it raises questions around how useful the term is and what the term neurodivergence means in this population. With each form of neurodiversity having different needs, the diversity of conditions present also raises questions around what a ‘neurodiverse informed model of care’ would look like in forensic mental health services.

A Rise in Reactive Criminal Thinking Over the Course of a 10‐Week Prison‐Based Programme Predicts Increased Criminal Propensity: Testing the Exportation Hypothesis

Glenn D. Walters — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

ABSTRACT

Background

The importation model holds that inmate behaviour is a function of behaviours and thought patterns offenders bring with them into prison from the community. It may also be that offenders export behaviours and thought patterns they develop or refine in prison when they return to the community.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an increase in reactive criminal thinking in prisoners predicts recidivism following release.

Methods

A sample of 282 male prisoners housed in a medium security federal facility completed the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) at the beginning and end of a 10-week therapy group and were eventually released back to the community.

Results

The results of a Cox proportional hazards survival analysis revealed that prisoners who experienced a rise in reactive criminal thinking over the course of the 10-week group were significantly more likely to recidivate than prisoners who did not display an increase in reactive criminal thinking, controlling for several factors, including prior arrests.

Conclusions

These results indicate that growth in reactive criminal thinking during incarceration portends poor outcomes upon release from prison. This suggests that a lack of critical thinking, potentially attributable to a rise in reactive criminal thinking during incarceration, may interfere with a person's ability to reintegrate safely and effectively into society once they are released from prison.

Association of Self‐Rated Attribution of Blame for Criminal Acts and of Psychiatric Symptoms Among Patients Undergoing Specialist Forensic Psychiatric Treatment in Japan

Ikuko Arakawa, Noriomi Kuroki, Hidehiko Takahashi, Takayuki Okada — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

ABSTRACT

Background

Treatment goals for offenders with mental disorders include restoring and maintaining health, establishing social participation and preventing negative outcomes, including further offending. The development of patient insight into their prior offences may facilitate their reintegration into society and prevent further harms.

Aims

To find out whether, among offenders with mental disorder, their own causal attribution of their criminal acts, based on the Japanese version of the Gudjonsson blame attribution inventory-revised (GBAI-R-J), is associated with psychiatric symptoms according to the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) ratings.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting data from 45 patients in forensic psychiatric services, both in- and out-patients. All participants had a psychosis and a history of serious crimes. Attribution of blame was self-rated in the same session during which a clinician rated their symptoms using the PANSS. GBAI-R-J scores were converted into a categorical variable by allocating each participant into one of two groups—those scoring up to the half point or those scoring at or above it on each subscale. The three PANSS scale scores were treated as continuous variables.

Results

There was a significant positive relationship between the GBAI-R-J externalising blame scores and PANSS scores for positive symptoms and general psychopathology but not for negative symptoms. Neither the acceptance of personal the guilt factor nor the mental element factor, which imply attribution of the offence to mental disorder, was significantly related to any aspect of symptoms.

Conclusions

This is the first study to compare blame attribution for a serious index offence and mental state simultaneously, albeit at various stages of treatment and time after the offence. The association of persistent positive symptoms with externalising blame is understandable in terms of the nature of the symptoms, almost invariable including paranoid delusions. The absence of a relationship with acceptance of guilt or understanding the role of mental disorder in the offending suggests that many of these patients require further treatment to accept personal agency. A longitudinal study is indicated to test these possibilities further.

Incorporating Dynamic Risk Factors Into Forensic Case Formulations

Tony Ward, Alyssa Phillips — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, Volume 35, Issue 3, Page 139-141, June 2025.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the Courts: How England and Wales Could Benefit From Following an Australian Model

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

Abstract

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a set of symptoms and signs that may follow from exposure of the unborn child to alcohol during pregnancy. Characterised by cognitive and behavioural impairments, one secondary outcome from FASD, is encounters with the criminal justice system (CJS). In some countries, for example, England and Wales, it seems likely that many cases are missed at this point and, thus, courts are at risk of making unsafe judgements. We could learn a lot from countries where services are generally more used to dealing with FASD. Australia is one such country.

Issue Information

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, Volume 35, Issue 3, Page 1-3, June 2025.

Examining the Link Between Noncontributory Health Insurance and Crime

Ümit Acar, Abdullah Tirgil — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:18:33 -0300

ABSTRACT

Background

New literature has emerged examining the relationship between government-funded healthcare or health insurance for low-income people and crime rates. Studies for developing countries have, however, not yet been conducted in this area. To fill this gap, we studied Türkiye's noncontributory health insurance scheme (Green Card) that provides a full range of health cover to people whose per capita household income is less than one-third of the minimum wage and contemporaneous crime rates.

Aims

To examine the relationship between government-funded health insurance for low-income people and crime rates in Türkiye.

Methods

We used monthly criminal records data, according to date, for the crime committed during the 12 years 2010–2021, inclusive, from the Ministry of Justice of Türkiye and Green Card health insurance holder data from the Social Security Institution of Türkiye for the same period. We merged the two databases and used a two-way fixed-effect ordinary least squares analysis to test for any relationship between health insurance and crime.

Results

Our results indicate that a 10% increase in the Green Card health insurance rate is associated with significantly lower rates of assault, theft, damage to property and within-household ill-treatment crimes (1.4%, 0.8%, 1.5% and 4%, respectively).

Conclusions

Our results indicate that government funding for healthcare for low-income people is associated with lower rates of various types of crime. Although this is consistent with findings in other countries with similar healthcare arrangements, it is the first time such a study has been conducted in a low- to middle-income country. Further study is needed to explore where the greatest health gains were made among those with this type of insurance and how any such improvements relate to lower crime rates.

Transgender Individuals and the Law: Part I Introductory Essay

Margarita Abi Zeid Daou, Alan R. Felthous — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 08:08:43 -0300

Behavioral Sciences &the Law, EarlyView.

Forensic Criminology: An Introductory Essay

Matt DeLisi, Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 14:08:31 -0300

Behavioral Sciences &the Law, EarlyView.

Neuronal Nuclei That Are Activated After an Offensive Encounter in Female Djungarian Hamster (Phodopus campbelli)

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 04:54:27 -0300

ABSTRACT

Neural bases of aggression have been analysed mainly in rodent males, finding that the medial preoptic area (mPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), anterior hypothalamus (AHN), and medial amygdala (MeA) integrate the core aggression circuit. The neural regulation of territorial aggression in females has been little explored, despite the fact they can be as territorial as males. In this study using the c-Fos protein as a marker of neural activity, we analysed whether mPOA, BNST, AHN, VMH, and MeA are activated after an aggressive encounter in the female Djungarian hamster (Phodopus campbelli). Twenty females and 20 males were paired for 15 days. Mating was used as a factor in induced territoriality. The couples were organized into two groups with 10 couples each; in 10 of these pairs, females were subjected to resident intruder tests, while in the other 10 pairs, the females were not confronted. Before mating the males of both groups were vasectomized to prevent that their partners from becoming pregnant. This was done to separate territorial aggression from maternal aggression. All females Djungarian hamster subjected to resident intruder tests displayed territorial aggression. The results of this study showed that mPOA, BNST, VMH, AHN, and MeA were activated in confronted females of Djungarian hamster. In male rodents, these neuronal nuclei are also activated after confrontation, supporting the hypothesis that there is a homology at the neural level in the regulation of aggressive behavior between males and females.

A Meta‐Analysis of the Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Anger and Aggression

Thomas F. Denson, Olivia Choy, Elizabeth Summerell, Iana Wong — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 04:14:33 -0300

ABSTRACT

Anger and aggression are causes of significant suffering. Psychological methods to prevent and reduce anger and aggression have been partially successful; however, there is room for novel interventions, such as those informed by neuroscience. One such intervention is anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which involves administering a weak electrical current to the brain to stimulate cortical activity. In this meta-analysis, we synthesized 93 effect sizes from 25 sham-controlled experiments. We predicted that tDCS would reduce anger and aggression. The overall results showed no effect of tDCS on anger and aggression (Hedges' g = −0.03, CI_95% = −0.30, 0.24). Separate meta-analyses of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex showed no effects of tDCS. The meta-analysis was limited by low power in the source articles (average power = 0.33); No study reached the sufficient sample size to detect a medium effect. Thus, there is room for more well-powered research on the topic to determine whether tDCS may reduce aggression.

Peer‐Aggression Victimization and Perpetration in Middle School Youth: Estimating Prevalence and Frequency, Joint Trajectory Patterns, and Predictive Utility

Glenn D. Walters, Lindsey Runell, Jon Kremser — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 15:44:00 -0300

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine early adolescent trajectories of bullying/peer-aggression in terms of their prevalence, composition, and ability to correlate with concurrent delinquency. Three hypotheses were tested in a group of 1145 middle school students (49.6% male; mean age = 11.23 years) using longitudinal data spread out over three waves. The first hypothesis predicted that bullying/peer-aggression victimization would be significantly more prevalent and frequent than bullying/peer-aggression perpetration. The second hypothesis held that a semiparametric sequential process growth mixture modeling (GMM) analysis for two latent variables would identify pure victim and mixed victim–perpetrator trajectories but no pure perpetrator trajectories. The third hypothesis asserted that the trajectory models identified in the GMM analysis would differentially correlate with a change in delinquency, such that accelerating trajectories would be associated with a rise in delinquency and decelerating trajectories with a drop in delinquency. Analyses provided support for all three hypotheses: victimization was significantly more prevalent and frequent than perpetration; there were no pure perpetration trajectories, even after increasing the number of trajectories from 6 to 9; and accelerating trajectories were associated with a significant rise in delinquency from Wave 1 to Wave 3 and decelerating trajectories with a marginally significant decrease in delinquency from Wave 1 to Wave 3. These results highlight the value of studying change in the perpetration and victimization of peer-aggression as a way of understanding how bullying/peer aggression in early adolescence develops and contributes to the formation of other problems, such as delinquency.

Transparency, Punishment, and Judicial Behavior: Analyzing Criminal Sentencing Under China's Mass Publication Reform

Yali Peng — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 04:09:35 -0300

ABSTRACT

Crime and punishment remain central concerns in China's justice system, yet little is known about how transparency reforms shape judicial decision-making at the local court level. This study examines public scrutiny effects in criminal sentencing in one basic-level court through the lens of focal concerns theory. Drawing on a novel complete dataset of judgments rendered from 2012–2017 and interviews with eight judges from diverse courts, the analysis reveals that transparency requirements trigger multiple adaptive responses in how judges assess focal concerns. Post-reform judgments are generally longer, particularly in cases involving serious crimes, suggesting more thorough articulation of assessments. Results show a reduction in sentence length after controlling for case characteristics, suggesting transparency moderates how judges balance punitive concerns against proportionality and defensibility. While initial implementation of the reform improved sentencing consistency, standardization effects diminished over time, revealing the institutional challenges of sustaining transparency-driven changes. The qualitative findings highlight variations in reform responses, with judges in first-tier cities and those with stronger professional backgrounds reporting less dramatic changes than colleagues from other backgrounds. These findings advance understanding of how visibility mechanisms influence judicial decision-making and offer insights for policy reforms aimed at channeling discretion through transparency measures.

Manual and Machine Learning Approaches for Classifying Real and Forged Signatures—A Comparative Study and Forensic Implications

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 04:03:07 -0300

ABSTRACT

A handwritten signature is one of the forms of a biometric measure that creates an individual identity of the persons to mark their approval related to any document. The manual examination for determination of the authenticity of the handwritten signatures is a common practice amongst forensic document examiners. This process involves a detailed and thorough analysis of handwriting characteristics of an individual ensuring a comprehensive assessment of the each and every important feature. However, the use of artificial intelligence tools can reduce this manual work of experts for identifying forgery in signatures. The main objective of the present study was to classify the handwritten signatures as forged and genuine, manually as well as using tools of artificial intelligence, especially machine learning (ML) methods. A total of 1400 signatures, consisting of 700 forged and 700 real signatures were obtained. The signatures were obtained from 71 participants; one writer executed 700 signatures (real/genuine signatures) and 70 participants were asked to forge 10 signatures each by observing one genuine signature selected from a pool of 700 real signatures. The study employed two methods to examine the signatures: manual examination and by using machine learning-based models. In the manual examination, thorough comparison between real and forged signatures revealed that all the forged signatures were imitated and falsified that is not created by the original creator. In contrast, the machine learning-based models that is support vector machine (SVM) and random forest classifier (RFC) were utilized for classifying the signatures as either forged or genuine. The RFC and SVM achieved accuracies of 92% and 89.64% respectively for classification of the signatures as real or forged. Accuracy of both the models of the machine learning approach revealed that the approach may be used to reduce the manual work of forensic handwriting experts and allow this examination to be performed more quickly. However, the admissibility of AI-based examination of signatures is still challenged due to the lack of universal standards and a regulatory framework.

Perceived Security, Confidence in the Police and Subjective Well‐Being in Hong Kong: Evidence from the World Values Survey

Melody W. S. Ip, Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan — Wed, 28 May 2025 15:23:51 -0300

ABSTRACT

The legitimacy of the Hong Kong police has somewhat plummeted amid the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and the Pro-Democracy Movement in 2019. This study aims to explore the dynamics among Hong Kongers' perception of security, confidence in the police, and their subjective well-being using the Wave 7 (2017–2022) of the World Values Survey (WVS-7). Analysing the Hong Kong data that sampled 2075 participants (18 years and above; 952 males and 1123 females, Mage = 47.2 years), feelings of security and neighbourhood deviant behaviours (i.e., perceived security), and life satisfaction and happiness (i.e., subjective well-being) are used to explore their effects on the participants' confidence in the police. The findings indicate that the participants' feelings of security are positively correlated with their well-being and confidence in the police, respectively. Despite its nonsignificant moderation effect, this study found a significant mediation effect of the participants' confidence in the police in the relationship between their perception of security and well-being. Significant sociodemographic differences (i.e., gender, age, social class) in the participants' life satisfaction and happiness are also observed. These findings have important practical implications in areas such as public education and policy development/refinement, with the aim to foster Hong Kongers' confidence in the police and well-being.

Satire Versus Illicit: Policy Issues Regarding the Creation of Deepfakes Using AI Technology

Christopher S. Peters, Abby J. McGinnis, Sungjin Im, Hannah L. Hennessey — Mon, 26 May 2025 10:43:56 -0300

ABSTRACT

The emergence of deepfake technology, which uses artificial intelligence to create hyper-realistic videos or images by superimposing one person's face onto another's body, presents significant legal, ethical, and societal challenges. This study explores public perceptions of deepfakes, focusing on their legality and ethical implications. Participants evaluated various scenarios that differed in purpose (illicit or satirical) and the target's public profile (e.g., celebrity, politician, private citizen). Results revealed a generally negative view of deepfakes, with illicit deepfakes being less acceptable than satirical ones and those involving private citizens deemed the least permissible. Penalties for creators of illicit deepfakes were harsher, particularly when perceived harm and intent to harm were significant factors. The results highlight the importance of developing legal frameworks on deepfake creation, as well as possible practical implications within the realm of forensic psychology.

The Prevalence of Narcissistic Vulnerability in Men in English Prisons After Criminal Conviction for Stalking

Gemma Dearn, Jennifer Bradbury, Helen Thomas, Rachael Wheatley — Tue, 20 May 2025 14:34:05 -0300

ABSTRACT

Background

In earlier research with prisoners, we observed that convicted stalkers had skill deficits in interpreting their experiences of stalking and their motivations for it, suggesting narcissistic vulnerability.

Aims

Our primary aim was to explore the prevalence of narcissistic vulnerability in men serving a prison sentence in England and to investigate differences in narcissistic vulnerability and attachment styles between men convicted of stalking offences and men convicted of other offences but serving similar sentences.

Methods

Participants were from across 16 closed custodial settings in England. Everyone serving a sentence for a stalking offence was invited to participate together with a same size sample of men serving similar sentences for other offences and without a stalking history. 25%–30% of the eligible men agreed to participate. Each completed three psychometric scales, rating themselves on the Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale (NVS), the Brief-Pathological Narcissism Inventory (B-PNI) and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) scale. A series of independent sample t-tests were used to compare the experimental group to the other-conviction control group.

Results

Twenty-nine individuals sentenced for stalking offences and 25 other prisoners, all men, completed. The stalking group had significantly higher mean scores on narcissistic vulnerability according to both scales and significantly higher mean attachment style difficulties together with higher mean anxiety scores and avoidant scores.

Conclusions

Our findings add data on aspects of personality to a limited pool that supports understanding of men convicted of stalking. Although our sampling and data collection were both limited by the COVID-19 pandemic conditions, our findings further evidence the case for intervention with respect to ameliorating the personality characteristics of narcissistic vulnerability and attachment styles of such men.

Beyond the Evidence: How Race, Chronological Age, and Developmental Age Shape Juror Verdicts in Sexual Assault Cases

Bailey M. Fraser, Emily Pica, Joanna D. Pozzulo, Jenna Korn, Claire Scharfe — Wed, 07 May 2025 10:58:27 -0300

ABSTRACT

There is an overrepresentation of Indigenous people (both as accused and victims of crime) and those with developmental delays in the Canadian Criminal Justice System. The current research examined the influence of defendant and victim race (involving Indigenous people), as well as defendant developmental and chronological age, on mock-jurors’ perceptions and decisions in sexual assault cases. Experiment 1 examined the influence of defendant and victim race (Indigenous or White), and defendant chronological age (16- or 36-year). Experiment 2 examined defendant race (Indigenous or White), defendant developmental age (14- or 24-year), and defendant chronological age (14- or 24-year). In both experiments, mock-jurors rendered more guilty verdicts when the defendant was White, compared to Indigenous. Mock-jurors also were more lenient to the chronologically younger defendant in Experiment 1 and the developmentally younger defendant in Experiment 2. Finally, mock-jurors’ acceptance of rape myths was assessed; higher endorsement was associated with lower guilt ratings.

Letter to the Editor: Response to ‘The Lifelong Impact of Bullying Behaviours on Crime Through David Farrington's Legacy’

Ching‐Heng Tsai, Lien‐Chung Wei — Thu, 01 May 2025 10:15:05 -0300

Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, EarlyView.

Beyond Legal Rights: Understanding Mental Health and Autonomy in Criminal Self‐Representation

Shai Farber — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 13:54:51 -0300

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines criminal defendants who waived legal representation to self-represent in court. Through interviews with 16 participants and courtroom observations, findings reveal intersecting factors driving this decision: mental health challenges, desire for autonomy, attorney mistrust, dissatisfaction with past legal experiences, and underestimation of legal complexities. The research highlights defendants' vulnerability when exercising this right and connects negative prior legal encounters with self-representation choices. These insights into Israeli pro se defense suggest policy reforms balancing autonomy with support mechanisms. By prioritizing defendants' narratives, this research illuminates self-representation's social and psychological dimensions, advancing discourse on this understudied phenomenon.

Bias in Sentencing Men for Sexual Offenses Against Minors: Male Victims Bring More Punitive Sentences Than Female Victims

Shawn M. Rolfe, Bruce Rind, Thomas K. Hubbard — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:24:04 -0300

ABSTRACT

Prior theoretical and empirical research examining the influence of sex on sentencing has been primarily concerned with the sex of the offender, as opposed to the victim. The present study drew on a convenience sample of males (n = 1190) in state and federal correctional facilities across the country, examining minimum sentences in relation to crime type. The analysis focused on individuals convicted of contact or enticement sexual offenses against minors (n = 380), finding that adult male offenders were sentenced to longer sentences when involved with male versus female victims. When victims were aged 14–17, male victims yielded a median minimum sentence of 30 years, twice that for female victims (15 years). For younger age groups, the difference narrowed. These findings suggest that prejudicial sentencing is not limited to race/ethnicity but also includes sexual orientation. Future research should continue to examine victim sex in sex offense punishment. Policy implications are discussed.

“Sorting Things out”: A Scoping Review of Sexual Homicide Typologies

Eric Beauregard, Julien Chopin — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:14:13 -0300

ABSTRACT

Sexual homicides are complex crimes that have been the focus of numerous classification systems aimed at aiding investigations, understanding offender behavior, and informing treatment plans. Over the past 25 years, a variety of typologies have been developed to categorize these offenses. This scoping review examines these typologies, exploring their evolution and the key offender, victim, and crime characteristics used to define them. The review identifies 19 empirical typologies from Canada, France, the UK, South Africa, and other regions, most of which are based on police and offender data. Typologies typically include categories such as “sadistic” and “anger-driven” homicides, though the number of types varies across studies. Moreover, the review highlights gaps in current research, such as limited sample sizes and the need for more diverse cultural perspectives. Recommendations are made for developing a more comprehensive and validated typology that incorporates broader data sources and modern methodologies, such as machine learning techniques, to enhance profiling, investigation, and prevention efforts.

Using the Moral‐Situational‐Action Model of Extremist Violence (MSA‐EV) to Assess Fluctuating Levels of Risk in Women: The Relevance of Risk, Promotive, and Protective Factors

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:49:14 -0300

ABSTRACT

Our research examines the Moral Situational Action Model of Extremist Violence (MSA-EV) in differentiating radicalized women who are likely to proceed to acts of lethal violence from those who are not using an additional risk, protective, and promotive paradigm that has not been applied to this data previously Using the same unique dataset of 300 female terrorists, we found that risk factors were more common than promotive and protective factors but that all three elements were identified across all three domains of the MSA-EV. The propensity domain included 14 risk factors, seven protective factors, and five promotive factors; the mobilization domain 25 risk factors, one protective factor, and three promotive factors; and the action-capacity-building domain nine risk factors, three protective factors, and three promotive factors. As suggested by Wikström, these three categories of predictive variables were not cumulative in nature. Rather, they captured distinctive types of information that could be used differentially to inform investigations, interventions, and issues of primary prevention. These findings offer support to Farrington's (2016) description of the RPP paradigm as one that allowed researchers to “[l]ink explanation and prevention, link fundamental and applied research, and link scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.”

Similarities and Differences in Trauma Bonding Among Young Adults in the U.S. and Kenya: Implications for Forensic Assessment

Tiffany Chenneville, Klejdis Bilali, Serena Wasilewski, Joan Reid — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0300

ABSTRACT

Trauma bonding—a phenomenon wherein victims become attached to their abusers—remains critical in forensic criminology, particularly within the sex trafficking context. Despite extensive trauma bonding research, few validated measures exist and studies addressing its manifestation in different cultures is limited. This study addressed these gaps by comparing findings from validation studies of the Trauma Bonding Scale for Adults (TBSA) among young adults aged 18–29 in the U.S. (N = 619) and Kenya (N = 538). Participants completed an anonymous Qualtrics XM survey containing demographic items, the TBSA, and a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measure. Findings revealed that PTSD correlated with and predicted trauma bonding in both U.S. and Kenyan samples despite differences in PTSD and trauma bonding symptoms between samples. Implications for forensic assessment, classification, and intervention are discussed, highlighting the need for valid trauma bonding assessment across settings to identify and address culturally diverse victims' needs.

Risk Perception and Risk Communication: Multi‐Actor Perspectives on Pretrial Decision‐Making

Ashley E. Rodriguez, Evan M. Lowder, Peyton Frye — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:49:16 -0300

ABSTRACT

As jurisdictions across the United States implement pretrial risk assessments to advance pretrial reform, there has been a limited research focus on factors affecting risk assessment-guided decision-making. To advance this work, this study examined: (1) differences in perceptions of risk and utility of risk assessment information by criminal-legal role; (2) whether static or variable risk assessment presentation affected pretrial release decisions, including the moderating role of offense violence; and (3) factors affecting risk assessment-guided decision-making more broadly. Vignettes were issued to 298 judges, pretrial officers, prosecutors, and defense attorneys across the United States with random assignment to a one-value probability (30%, 40%, or 50%) or a range of probabilities (30%–50%) risk estimate. Findings showed that risk assessment presentation did not affect decision-making, and decision-makers either subjectively interpreted the risk assessment value or created their own risk criteria. Results necessitate more training for pretrial decision-makers on interpreting risk assessment information.

Transgender History, Part II: A Brief History of Medical and Surgical Gender‐Affirming Care

Norah Oles, Rodrigo Fontenele, Margarita Abi Zeid Daou — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:19:27 -0400

ABSTRACT

The history of gender-affirming care (GAC) dates back millennia. Ancient records acknowledged gender variance and early attempts at medical/surgical treatment. The twentieth century saw significant advancements in GAC, particularly in the success of gender-affirming surgeries. The emergence of centers like the Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic in the 1970s marked a turning point in GAC's recognition and acceptance. However, their sudden closure after just a few years hampered progress in GAC for the next several decades. In 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services overturned its prohibition on Medicare coverage for gender-affirming surgery, leading to greater access. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines have played a significant role in shaping contemporary GAC. The Standards of Care 8 (2022) emphasises patient-centered care and guideline flexibility. While challenges have marked the historical trajectory of GAC, it has also witnessed significant evolution which we review in this article.

The News And Times Information Network: Blogs, Sites, News Reviews

Michael Novakhov (Mike Nova) — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 11:27:58 -0400

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Sensory Penalties: Exploring the Senses in Spaces of Punishment and Social Control. Edited by Kate Herrity, Bethany E. Schmidt and Jason Warr (Emerald, 2021, 296pp., £70.00 Hbk)

Earle R. — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Sensory Penalties: Exploring the Senses in Spaces of Punishment and Social Control. Edited by HerrityKate, SchmidtBethany E. and WarrJason (Emerald, 2021, 296pp., £70.00 Hbk)

Male, Failed, Jailed: Masculinities and “Revolving-Door” Imprisonment in the UK. By D. Maguire (Palgrave, 2021, 243pp, £89.99 hb)

Schinkel M. — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Male, Failed, Jailed: Masculinities and “Revolving-Door” Imprisonment in the UK. By MaguireD. (Palgrave, 2021, 243pp, £89.99 hb)

Interactional Justice: The role of Emotions in the Performance of Loyalty. By lisa flower (Routledge, 2020, 220pp. £36.99 pb)

Gunby C. — Mon, 24 May 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Interactional Justice: The role of Emotions in the Performance of Loyalty. By lisa flower (Routledge, 2020, 220pp. £36.99 pb).

Mapping the Pains of Neo-Colonialism: A Critical Elaboration of Southern Criminology

Ciocchini P, Greener J. — Sun, 16 May 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Recent appeals to decolonize criminology argue for a radical reorientation of the subject towards Global South relevant research agendas, theories and scholars. This paper begins by problematizing the current theoretical tendencies in Southern criminology’s view of coloniality and the vision for decolonization. First, Southern criminology has not directly engaged in investigating ‘empire’ in its current form; second, decolonization is viewed as primarily epistemological (transforming systems of knowledge production is seen as the central mode for decolonization); and, third, there is a tendency to reify Southern institutional responses to crime as preferable to Northern crime control. Launching from this critique, we argue that a successful Southern criminology should take seriously the continuing importance of structures of neo-colonialization: the Global system of accumulation founded on various matrixes of inequality, facilitating dispossession, appropriation and exploitation. We develop three criminological analyses of contemporary neo-colonization in Global South contexts: state-corporate ‘regimes of permission’, political economies of gender violence and racialization through criminalization regimes.

#CarolBerman M.D., THE #FBI #INFORMANT and the #psychopathic #nincompoop who #destroyed the #American #Psychiatry. #American #Psychiatry became the servant to #FBI. Former #APA official Carol Berman was and is the FBI informer closely connected with them

Michael Novakhov (Mike Nova) — Sun, 09 May 2021 09:26:52 -0300

#carolberman md, THE #FBI #INFORMANT and the #psychopathic #nincompoop who #destroyed the #American #Psychiatry- Google Search https://t.co/bnGFZEJGmV pic.twitter.com/yIaPvo4M04
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 9, 2021

#American #Psychiatry became the servant to #FBI. Former #APA official Carol Berman was and is the FBI informant closely connected with them through her sex partner who worked for FBI. FBI used the American Psychiatry as their tool of suppression. Details will follow. INVESTIGATE! pic.twitter.com/lpKji3Lxvw
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 9, 2021

The Inconvenient Truth About Mobile Phone Distraction: Understanding the Means, Motive and Opportunity for Driver Resistance to Legal and Safety Messages

Wells H, Briggs G, Savigar-Shaw L. — Sun, 02 May 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Evidence for how phone-use impacts driving is clear: phone-using drivers are four times more likely to crash; demonstrate poor hazard detection ability; take longer to react to any hazards they notice; and can look yet fail to see. However, drivers are often resistant to research findings and, despite it being an enforceable offence, many still admit to using their phones. This paper combines what is known about the dangers of distracted driving with what research tells us about how drivers think about themselves, the law, and their risk of both crashing and being prosecuted. These blended insights explain why evidence may be resisted both by drivers and policymakers, highlighting the inconvenient truth of the distraction caused by mobile phone-use.

Securitizing the Colour Revolution: Assessing the Political Role of Triads in Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement

Lo T, Kwok S, Garrett D. — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

In Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, the use of Chinese triads to attack protestors has attracted international attention, forcing the regime to constrain further acts of grand illegitimate violence. Research suggests that triads were used as ‘thugs-for-hire’ by the regime to achieve political ends. The present study aims to examine why the triads were hired and what their specific roles and motivations were. It concludes that triads acted as non-state securitization actors, agent provocateurs or extralegal protectors depending on several factors, such as financial incentives, being stakeholders in occupied sites, business interests in mainland China and individuals’ political ideology. It suggests that triads were used as vigilantes against the threats of Western-instigated Color Revolution and hybrid warfare targeting China.

Rethinking Prosecutorial Discretion: Towards A Moral Cartography of Prosecutors

Tuesta D. — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

This article examines the justifications that a group of prosecutors employs when coordinating human trafficking investigations in the Amazon. The study is based on interviews with officials who work in Madre de Dios, Peru, a region affected by small-scale gold mining, whose demand for labour has increased the incidence of human trafficking. I draw from Boltanski and Thévenot’s polity model to elucidate three moral principles regularly endorsed by prosecutors in the course of criminal investigations: efficiency, civic and domestic values. Together these comprise a moral cartography of prosecution. This study from the Global South contributes to a more holistic—and pragmatic—understanding of prosecutors’ charging decisions, complementing research approaching this topic from the perspective of bounded rationality.

This is Denmark: Prison Islands and the Detention of Immigrants

Barker V, Smith P. — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

According to mainstream criminology, Nordic societies with their generous welfare states are supposed to moderate, if not restrict, penal powers. In the case of migration, we see the opposite pattern. In Denmark, we see extended use of penal institutions and penal harms to contain and remove unwanted populations from the region, including proposals for a prison island and the confinement of migrants in 19th century prisons. To make sense of these developments and interpret its social meaning, we unpack the logic of the punishment–welfare nexus and Nordic exceptionalism. We find that Denmark expands penal power to regulate non-citizens, deter migration and uphold national interests. These repressive practices are not exceptions to the rule but rather illustrate the exclusionary edge and very nature of the penal regimes in Denmark, a Nordic welfare state.

Parental Migration and Children’s Problem Behaviours in Rural China: Testing an Integrative Theoretical Model

Chen X. — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the social mechanism underlying the associations between parental migration and left-behind children’s delinquent and deviant behaviours in rural China. Using a middle school student sample, our results reveal that the effects of parental migration on children’s delinquency differ across caretaking arrangements. Specifically, compared with children living with non-migrant parents, those cared for by a remaining father (with a mother migrated) or by one grandparent (with both parents migrated) had weaker bonding with primary caretakers and schools, which led to delinquency and deviance directly or indirectly through more frequent association with deviant peers. In contrast, children living with a remaining mother or with two grandparents did not differ significantly from those living with non-migrant parents.

Segregation Seekers: an Alternative Perspective on the Solitary Confinement Debate

Laws B. — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Recent calls from senior managers, human rights groups and academics continue to scrutinize the impact of solitary confinement. But much less attention has been paid to prisoners’ own motivations for segregation. By analysing interviews with 16 segregated men in a high-security prison (Category-A) in England, this article foregrounds motivation. The argument involves a detailed description of the complex, and sometimes contradictory, motives that may lead prisoners into seeking isolation. It further attempts to explore the relationship between segregation and the wider prison environment. For many prisoners, segregation has a ‘negative benefit’ or amounts to a form of ‘lesser evil’. Such phrasing hints at the difficult decisions that prisoners navigate and offers an alternative perspective on solitary confinement.

Politics, Research Design, and the ‘Architecture’ of Criminal Careers Studies

Farrall S. — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Criminal careers research is one of the bedrocks—if not the bedrock—of criminology. It remains a key focal point of criminological research and has embraced ideas and theories from sociology, psychology, psychiatry and urban and community studies. Despite the widening of the landscape of what might be termed ‘the criminological enterprise’ (to include victimology, prisons research, punishment, deterrence and environmental criminology), criminal careers (now differentiated into studies of onset, persistence and desistance) remains a key plank of criminology. This article critiques the research design of longitudinal studies of criminal careers, arguing that a key explanatory factor has been consistently overlooked in criminal careers research due, in part, to the research design of such studies. In focussing on the role of politically motivated changes to economic policies and the restructuring of the industrial base this produced, I empirically relate individual offending careers to politics in ways very few have done before. The article touches upon a series of suggestions for how empirical studies of criminal careers might be improved.

Exception, Symbolism and Compromise: The Resilience of Treason as a Capital offence

Dudai R. — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

This article explores the causes, forms and consequences of the resilience of treason as a capital offence. Though generally overlooked by the literature on the death penalty, treason has been the second most common capital offence—after murder—in states’ law books in the post-WWII world and has had tangible effects on abolition trajectories. The article first traces the transformation of treason from the paradigmatic capital offence in the pre-modern era to a peripheral yet persistent component of contemporary death penalty. It then analyses and explains the dynamic of ‘exempting’ treason from abolition for common crimes. The third section examines situations where treason remains a capital offence on the books but is rarely used, functioning as ‘symbolic law’ with important consequences and spillover effects. In the conclusion, I argue that treason laws could become a central obstacle in the path to full global abolition of the death penalty.

Incarceration as a Fundamental Social Cause of Health Inequalities: Jails, Prisons and Vulnerability to COVID-19

Novisky M, Nowotny K, Jackson D, et al. — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Although research has established the disproportionate health burdens among incarcerated persons, the literature has yet to identify a theoretical framework for outlining the harms of incarceration associated with pandemics. We advance the literature theoretically by arguing two points. First, we assert that incarceration is a potent structural driver of health inequalities that must be considered as a fundamental social cause of disease. To underscore this point, we review how incarceration meets each of the four fundamental social cause criteria originally proposed by Link and Phelan. Second, given that incarceration is a fundamental social cause of disease, both currently and formerly incarcerated populations are likely to face heightened vulnerabilities to pandemics, including COVID-19, further exacerbating health disparities among incarceration-exposed groups.

‘You’re not Serving Time, You’re Serving Christ’: Protestant Religion and Discourses of Responsibilization in a Women’s Prison

Ellis R. — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Criminologists are increasingly concerned with how incarcerated persons navigate dominant carceral discourses. Insights from narrative criminology reveal that individuals draw on a variety of available discursive resources to adopt, subvert or negotiate dominant messages around what it means to be punished. This article draws on yearlong ethnographic observations inside one US state women’s prison to examine whether and how religion matters for responsibilization discourses promoted by state actors. Examining a case study of Protestant prison activities, I find that religious discourses served dual purposes in light of responsibilization. Interpretively, by describing prison as part of God’s plan, they offered a meaningful counterpoint that mitigated punitive discourses from prison officials. In practice, responsibilization discourses, filtered through the coercive carceral context, re-emerged through a normative religious lens with regard to prison rules and state authority. Considered at the intersection of race, class and gender, this article interrogates how women may draw on discourses from competing institutions such as religion in constructing self-narratives and enacting responsibilization, and how this matters for state control.

The Legitimacy of Change: Adopting/Adapting, Implementing and Sustaining Reforms within Community Corrections Agencies

Rudes D, Portillo S, Taxman F. — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Many criminal justice institutions implement evidence-based reforms. While most scholars are aware of implementation challenges, we still know relatively little about sustainability. Using longitudinal data from criminal legal staff implementing an evidence-based reform, this paper considers: What happens during the implementation of an organizational reform that affects continued use of these reforms? Guided by an organizational change framework, findings suggest sustainability aligns with key organizational goals including legitimacy, efficiency and effectiveness. While all sites saw the reformed practices as legitimate enough to initially consider adoption, two sites never adopted, four sites toyed with reform, and two sites continued to use the reform after the study was over. This paper explores sustainability and identifies legitimacy as an important factor that affects the routinization of new practices. Transformation of organizational change initiatives into routine practices should consider efforts to build legitimacy in lieu of primarily rationalizing on the values of efficiency and effectiveness.

Rehabilitation and dynamic security in the Italian prison: challenges in transforming prison officers’ roles

Santorso S. — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 21:00:00 -0300

Abstract

Drawing on prison officers’ accounts, this article addresses the extent to which the implementation of dynamic security and open cell regime has been successful in reforming Italian prisons. The article, based on a semi-ethnographic research in two prisons, sheds light on how the prison officers’ cope with the new rehabilitation-oriented role. The uniformed staff’s perceptions and experiences of the new regime are analysed, with a focus on the symbolic order produced over the rehabilitation and the effect of the complexity of the prison’s setting. Along with deepening understandings about the humanization of prison security, this article explores how the prison officers’ role and attitudes might impact and shape the idea of rehabilitation.

Pathways from Relative Deprivation to Individual Violence: The Effect of Subjective Perception and Emotional Resentment in South Korea

Park S, Hong Y, Kennedy L, et al. — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 20:00:00 -0400

Abstract

Criminological studies assert that individuals’ psychological cognition and emotional resentment mediate the effect of economic deprivation on individual violence; however, a limited number of studies have empirically addressed these subjective mediations. Furthermore, the effect of relative deprivation in Asian counties is seldom investigated. To fill this gap, we construct theoretical path models and examine the argument of relative deprivation in South Korea. A total of 2,040 individuals are surveyed face to face through stratified random sampling. The results show that the objective status of economic inequality does not directly affect individual violence. We conclude that the subjective perception of deprivation and emotional response are essential mediators for the effect of economic deprivation on individual violence.

Blogs In Brief | The News And Times - Blogs By Michael Novakhov

Michael Novakhov (Mike Nova) — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 08:03:22 -0300

Blogs In Brief | The News And Times - Blogs By Michael Novakhov
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“EXPERIENCE OF THE EXPECTED?” RACE AND ETHNICITY DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF POLICE CONTACT ON YOUTH*

LEE ANN SLOCUM, STEPHANIE ANN WILEY — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:25:35 -0300

Abstract

Proponents of police reform have called for changes in the way police interact with citizens, particularly with people of color. The rationale, in part, is that when people have more favorable perceptions of their police encounters, they view the police as more just and are more willing to cooperate and comply with the law. To assess whether perceptions of police-initiated encounters shape law-related outcomes, we examine how satisfaction with treatment during prior police contact affects procedural injustice, reporting intentions, norms supporting the use of violence, and delinquency. We also explore whether these relationships vary among Blacks, Whites, and Latinos. Our results indicate that youth who have been stopped or arrested fare worse than their counterparts with no police-initiated contact; however, the potentially negative ramifications of these encounters on all outcomes except violence norms are generally mitigated when youth are satisfied with their treatment. The effects of contact are mostly invariant across racial/ethnic groups when a robust set of control variables are included. We conclude that changing the perceptions of youth regarding how they are treated by the police may mitigate some of the harms of being stopped or arrested, but we caution that these perceptions are shaped by factors aside from police behavior during encounters.