Identifying victim types in sexual homicide: A latent class analysis using interactional victimology theories.

Sexual homicide (SH) research has focused on those who commit these crimes and the crimes themselves. This leaves the victim, an equally crucial piece to the puzzle, left as a sort of afterthought, despite the valuable insight that victimology provides to the crime. For the current study, victim information related to their routine activities and lifestyles was taken from an international database containing 662 solved cases of SH. Nine victim variables were used in a latent class analysis to find hidden subgroups within the victim population. Three classes were identified-low-risk, homebody, and overt risk victims-which suggests that SH victimization varies depending on the victim lifestyles and routine activities. These groups were externally validated by examining their association with different phases of the crime commission process. Some sexual homicide offenders may be more drawn to a victim because they present as vulnerable and opportunistic, while others might be methodically targeted. The theoretical relevance of this typology, along with investigative and prevention strategies, is discussed.

Why is the risk of industrial non-routine activities high and how can it be evaluated? An integrated approach.

Non-routine activities such as startup, shutdown, maintenance, and operation commissioning require increased human interaction with the corresponding process. Owing to operator or procedural violations, the risk of accidents can be high during non-routine activities, even though they are performed less frequently. To identify and evaluate the hazards of non-routine processes, an integrated method combining job hazard analysis (JHA), hazard and operability analysis (HAZOP), and deviation degrees is proposed. JHA is applied to break down an operational process into steps, which are further defined as nodes in HAZOP for hazard scenario analysis. The concept of deviation degree is defined by integrating the operational and control function deviations to quantify the deviation analysis. Finally, the heating-furnace startup process in an oil and gas gathering and transmission station was selected to illustrate the proposed integrated method. The results show that this method constitutes a systematical and intuitive approach to identify hazard scenarios and evaluate risks, as well as to establish preventive measures for non-routine processes.

Examining the Use of Offshore Online Gambling Sites in the United States via Routine Activities Theory: A SEM Analysis.

Despite the recent proliferation of legal online gambling in the Unites States, offshore gambling sites still remain prevalent, causing various problems in the U.S. Although numerous law violations occur in this domain, prior research has reported limited information about offshore gambling, mostly focusing on offshore gamblers' characteristics and motivations. Using routine activities theory, this study attempted to understand environmental and theoretical factors that affect the use of offshore sites by focusing on offshore gambling-generating contexts that involve offshore sites and online casino reviews. Major findings show that the online visibility of offshore sites may be a key predictor of the use of the sites by U.S. players. In addition, online casino reviews providing a blacklist of online gambling sites served as informal guardians, helping players avoid unreliable offshore gambling sites that pose a risk to their customers. Policy implications were suggested based on the findings and provided insights toward effective online gambling regulatory efforts.

Changing contexts: A quasi-experiment examining adolescent delinquency and the transition to high school.

In a quasi-experiment, we examine whether changing schools during the transition from 8th to 9th grade influences adolescent delinquency, using a sample of more than 14,000 students in 26 public school districts (PROSPER study). The dataset follows students for eight waves from 6th through 12th grade and facilitates a unique, direct comparison of students who change schools with those who remain in the same school during this period. Results show that students who transition between schools report significantly less delinquency after the shift than those who do not, and that this difference persists through 10th grade. This decline is most pronounced when adolescents from multiple middle schools move to a single high school (i.e., multifeeder transitions). Students who transition between schools have fewer delinquent friends and participate in less unstructured socializing following the change in school environment, which partially mediates their reduced delinquency. Results provide some support for theories of differential association and routine activities. Our findings highlight the role of a crucial, yet understudied, life transition in shaping adolescent delinquency. The results from this quasi-experiment underscore the potential of alterations in social context to significantly dampen juvenile delinquency throughout high school.

What is a capable guardian to older fraud victims? Comparison of younger and older victims' characteristics of online fraud utilizing routine activity theory.

Objective: The paper compares victim group characteristics: we test routine activities theory to compare the differences in online fraud vulnerabilities of victims aged 18-54 and victims of 55 and above. Methods/sample: A representative sample of US citizens 18 and above was collected in October 2020. Victims under 55 encompassed 35.3% (n = 915), victims 55 and above 12.9% (n = 334) of the total sample (n = 2,589). We utilized non-parametric statistical methods for testing whether older and younger victims' characteristics can be derived from the same independent variables. Results: Computer time, computer familiarity, and technical guardians determine online victimization in older individuals, similarly to younger age groups. However, older victims differ in characteristics from younger victims. Seniors were less likely to apply technical guardians such as camera cover, identity theft monitoring, and credit card freeze, even after experiencing online scams. Being a single parent was a protective factor for older individuals, but having a full-time job made older individuals more prone to experience online fraud victimization compared to being retired. In addition, older victims were less likely to report scams than younger ones. Conclusion/implications: Although this research found significant differences between older and younger fraud victims' characteristics, target suitability and capable guardianship must be further investigated and conceptualized when applying routine activities theory for online fraud against older people.

Paws on the Street: Neighborhood-Level Concentration of Households with Dogs and Urban Crime.

The formative work of Jane Jacobs underscores the combination of "eyes on the street" and trust between residents in deterring crime. Nevertheless, little research has assessed the effects of residential street monitoring on crime due partly to a lack of data measuring this process. We argue that neighborhood-level rates of households with dogs captures part of the residential street monitoring process core to Jacobs' hypotheses and test whether this measure is inversely associated with property and violent crime rates. Data from a large-scale marketing survey of Columbus, OH, USA residents (2013; n = 43,078) are used to measure census block group-level (n = 595) rates of households with dogs. Data from the Adolescent Health and Development in Context study are used to measure neighborhood-level rates of trust. Consistent with Jacobs' hypotheses, results indicate that neighborhood concentration of households with dogs is inversely associated with robbery, homicide, and, to a less consistent degree, aggravated assault rates within neighborhoods high in trust. In contrast, results for property crime suggest that the inverse association of dog concentration is independent of levels of neighborhood trust. These associations are observed net of controls for neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics, temporally lagged crime, and spatial lags of trust and dog concentration. This study offers suggestive evidence of crime deterrent benefits of local street monitoring and dog presence and calls attention to the contribution of pets to other facets of neighborhood social organization.

Relationship Between The "Sexual Abuse Whirlpool" and Gender, Type of Abuse, Victim-Perpetrator Relationship, Disclosure, Psychological Reactions, and Revictimization of Sexual Abuse Victims.

According to the Sexual Abuse Whirlpool framework, when a vulnerable child is noticed by a perpetrator, the state of vulnerability he/she is in will reach a severe level. The SAW asserts that the method applied by the perpetrator has a multiplier effect on the child's vulnerability and accelerates the process resulting in abuse. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the SAW and gender, type of abuse, victim-perpetrator relationship, disclosure, psychological complaints and reactions (PCRs), and revictimization of sexual abuse victims. A mixed research method was used: First, the vulnerabilities of the victims were extracted from the forensic interview forms with a qualitative method (n = 199). Then collected data were tabulated and digitized quantitatively. Victims who were exposed to penetrative abuses, who did not disclose, had serious PCRs, and who were re-victimized had high scores of the SAW. Whirlpool would decrease in places where there is a quality parent-child relationship.

The Unusual Case of Sexual Homicide Against Males: Comparisons and Classification.

This study examines the specificities of sexual homicides involving male victims. First, this study aims to identify characteristics specific to SH involving male victims by comparing them to SH involving female victims and determine whether rational choice approach and routine activities theories are useful to explain the crime-commission process. Second, this study aims to provide the first empirical classification of SH involving male victims. The sample used in this research comes from the Sexual Homicide International Database (SHIelD) including 662 cases of cases-100 cases involving male victims and 552 involving female victims. Bivariate and multivariate analysis are performed to examine the differences between the two groups and latent class analysis is used to generate an empirical classification of cases involving male victims. Findings indicate the victim's gender plays an important role in the different choices made by sexual homicide offenders of male victims to successfully complete their crime. They adapted their crime-commission process to overcome the risks associated with a physical confrontation with a male victim (i.e., target selection, approach strategy, method of killing). Classification analysis suggests that it exists three different types of sexual murderers assaulting male victims: the robber sexual murderer, the sadistic sexual murderer, and the pedophile murderer. This research proposes the first empirical typology of sexual homicide involving male victims and provides both a true picture of the reality and a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon.

Communities, Streets, and People: A Multi-level Study of the Correlates of Victimization.

The current study adds the context of the immediate microgeographic environment (measured as the street segment) to the study of individual victimization. Using residential survey and physical observation data collected on 449 street segments nested within 53 communities in Baltimore, MD, we employ multilevel logistic regression models to examine how individual risky lifestyles, the microgeographic context of the street, and community level measures influence self-reported property and violent crime victimization. Results confirm prior studies that show that risky lifestyles play a key role in understanding both property and violent crime victimization, and community indicators of disadvantage play a role in explaining violent crime victimization. At the same time, our models show that the street segment (micro-geographic) level adds significant explanation to our understanding of victimization, suggesting that three level models should be used in explaining individual victimization. The impact of the street segment is particularly salient for property crime.

The impact of COVID-19 on police officer activities.

Objective: This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on police reactive and proactive activities in Houston, Texas. Seven types of police officer reactivity and three distinct categories of proactivity were examined. Methods: Weekly calls for service data from January 1, 2018-December 31, 2020 were analyzed through interrupted time series using ARIMA models. Results: Police responses to property, traffic-related activities, and service-related calls all decreased when compared to previous years. A significant increase was observed for violent crime calls. Self-initiated activities performed by specialized crime units significantly decreased, but there was a significant increase in self-initiated patrol. Activities performed by a specialized response unit initially increased, but then went back to pre-pandemic levels following the death of George Floyd. Conclusions: Observed decreases in reactivity may be attributed to changes in citizens' routine activities. COVID-19 was associated with increased demands for police responses to violence, consistent with extant research. A unique contribution of this study was the incorporation of officer proactivity. Changes to proactive patrol could also be attributed to changes in the routine activities of citizens. This study adds to the growing body of literature examining the impact of COVID-19 on police services.

Household occupancy and burglary: A case study using COVID-19 restrictions.

Introduction: In response to COVID-19, governments imposed various restrictions on movement and activities. According to the routine activity perspective, these should alter where crime occurs. For burglary, greater household occupancy should increase guardianship against residential burglaries, particularly during the day considering factors such as working from home. Conversely, there should be less eyes on the street to protect against non-residential burglaries. Methods: In this paper, we test these expectations using a spatio-temporal model with crime and Google Community Mobility data. Results: As expected, burglary declined during the pandemic and restrictions. Different types of burglary were, however, affected differently but largely consistent with theoretical expectation. Residential and attempted residential burglaries both decreased significantly. This was particularly the case during the day for completed residential burglaries. Moreover, while changes were coincident with the timing and relaxation of restrictions, they were better explained by fluctuations in household occupancy. However, while there were significant decreases in non-residential and attempted non-residential burglary, these did not appear to be related to changes to activity patterns, but rather the lockdown phase. Conclusions: From a theoretical perspective, the results generally provide further support for routine activity perspective. From a practical perspective, they suggest considerations for anticipating future burglary trends.

Cyber-harassment victimization of Portuguese adolescents: A lifestyle-routine activities theory approach.

Cyber-harassment refers to a pattern of repeated, intentional, and unwanted annoyances, impositions, threats, or other aggravating actions mediated by Information and Communication Technologies. Globally, substantial proportions of adolescents experience cyber-harassment, resulting in a host of deleterious health-related consequences. This study tested the empirical utility of the Lifestyle-Routine Activities Theory in accounting for adolescent cyber-victimization. A representative sample of 627 adolescents, aged 12-16, enrolled in schools from northern Portugal and Azores, were surveyed. Consistent with the theoretical assumptions, older adolescents, who used tablets, published information on social network profiles, added unknown people as friends, met face-to-face with them, and had parents with less knowledge of their online contacts were at increased risk of being cyber-victimized. Theoretical and practical implications are elaborated.

The Role of Low Self-Control and Risky Lifestyles in Criminal Victimization: A Study of Adolescents in South Korea.

In this study, we examine the links between low self-control, risky lifestyles, and victimization. Specifically, we explore a full mediation model to test whether risky lifestyles (unstructured activity, association with deviant peers, and delinquency) account for the effect of low self-control on victimization. For the current study, we apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to data from 1057 South Korean adolescents. The results indicate that low self-control only has an indirect effect on victimization, primarily through unstructured time and one's own delinquency. Risky lifestyles were found to fully mediate the influence of low self-control on victimization. The findings demonstrate the utility of the integration of self-control with routine activities and lifestyle theories as a robust framework through which to examine victimization. Specifically, the results suggest that individuals maintaining low levels of self-control self-select into contexts that are conducive to victimization, increasing their attractiveness and suitability as targets for victimization in the absence of capable guardians.

Collective efficacy and the built environment.

Collective efficacy is a prominent explanation for neighborhood crime concentrations. Just as crime is concentrated in particular neighborhoods, within-neighborhoods crime is concentrated in particular criminogenic locations. Research suggests criminogenic locations are determined by features of the built environment. This study links collective efficacy with situational opportunity to propose that collective efficacy facilitates the removal of criminogenic features of the built environment. I test this by examining associations 1) between past collective efficacy and present criminogenic features of the built environment, as well as 2) between those built environment features and crime, net of present collective efficacy. These are modeled using piecewise structural equations with generalized linear mixed-effect regressions on data from 1,641 blocks in 343 Chicago neighborhoods. Four types of police-reported crime are modeled using eight block-level built environment features in the 2003 Chicago Community Area Health Study (CCAHS; N = 3,074) and neighborhood collective efficacy from the CCAHS and the 1995 Project in Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Community Survey (N = 7,672). Findings suggest neighborhoods with high collective efficacy maintain low rates of crime in part by limiting criminogenic built environment features, in particular, abandoned buildings. This crime control pathway is important because changes to the built environment are long lasting and reduce the need for future interventions against crime.

Changes in activity locations during the COVID-19 pandemic and associations with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and alcohol use.

Introduction: Restrictions and guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 caused considerable and rapid changes to individuals' daily routines. This study examines how activity locations changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing restrictions, and whether these changes were associated with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and alcohol use. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted early in the COVID-19 pandemic (May-June 2020) in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania. Participants (n = 265) reported visits to activity locations in the last 30 days and retrospectively for February 2020 (pre-pandemic). A principal components analysis was conducted to assess change in utilization of activity locations. Component scores of changes to activity locations were compared by sociodemographics. Poisson and zero-inflated negative binomial models were used to examine the relationship between component scores and pandemic depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, loneliness, and drinking days. Results: Five distinct principal components of activity location changes were identified. The first component, characterizing broad reductions in activity locations during the early phases of the pandemic, was associated with increased depression and loneliness. Conclusions: Results indicate non-uniform shifts in routine activities during the pandemic and highlight the importance of understanding how changes to the social environment affect individuals' psychological wellbeing and alcohol use.

The impact of parental monitoring on cyberbullying victimization in the COVID-19 era.

Objective: The purpose of the current research was to examine the predictors of cyberbullying victimization among South Korean students during a period in which the coronavirus disease was spreading worldwide. We assessed whether parental guardianship protected against victimization when most people worked from home and school instructions were shifted to online learning. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data collected between October 6 and November 13, 2020. Binary logistic regression models were developed based on the Routine Activities Theory theoretical model to investigate the correlates of cyberbullying victimization among participants. Results: The results showed that respondents' routine online activities were closely related to victimization, and parental guardianship provided partial protection by reducing non-violent victimization. Conclusion: Parents could play a critical role in protecting children from cyberbullying victimization. Future research should continue to investigate the impact of parenting on reducing cyberbullying victimization, specifically the effects of different parenting styles and protections.

Multiscale biomechanics of the biphasic articular cartilage in the natural hip joint during routine activities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The investigation of the biomechanical behaviour of the articular cartilage (AC) under physiological loading is important to understand the joint function and onset of pathologies. This study aimed to develop a multiscale computational modelling approach and apply the approach to investigate the time-dependant biphasic behaviour of the AC in the natural hip joint under repetitive physiological loading over 80 cycles amongst six routine activities. METHODS: A subject-specific musculoskeletal multibody dynamics (MBD) model was developed based on the anthropometry and motion capture data collected for a male subject. A corresponding FE model of the natural hip joint with biphasic AC was created based on the bone geometries exported from the MBD model. A multiscale computational modelling was then developed to couple the MBD model and the FE model and used to investigate the time-dependant biphasic behaviour of the AC under subject-specific physiological loading over 80 cycles amongst six routine activities. RESULTS: The results showed that for all the activities considered, the interstitial fluid pressure in the AC supported over 80% of the loading. The maximum values of the peak contact pressure and peak fluid pressure for the whole cycle increased firstly and then remained stable over time from the 1st cycle to the 80th cycle. At these instants, the contact areas were located at the centre region of the AC. By contrast, when the contact area was located at the edge of the AC, these peak pressures were found to increase over time for some of the activities (squat, ascending stairs, descending stairs) but decrease for the other activities (normal walking, standing up, sitting down). CONCLUSION: This study for the first time developed a multiscale computational modelling approach to couple a musculoskeletal MBD model of the body and a detailed FE model of the natural hip joint with biphasic AC, which enabled the evaluation of time-dependant biphasic behaviour of the AC under realistic physiological loading conditions. The study may have important implications in biomechanical studies of human cartilage to understand the joint function and biomechanical factors related to joint disease, and to support the development of cartilage substitution.

Relative risk of postpartum maternal morbidity among cesarean-delivered women: A multisite prospective cohort study in a large district, India.

Introduction: Family doctors manage mild to moderate postpartum morbidities that do not receive attention. The morbidities are higher after cesareans, which are increasing in number. The aim was to calculate the relative risk of various maternal morbidities occurring during 6 months postpartum among cesarean-delivered women in Pune District, India. Material and Methods: This was a large multisite study, which included all 11 non-teaching government hospitals performing at least five cesarean sections per month, one teaching government hospital, and one private teaching hospital. All eligible cesarean delivered and an equal number of age and parity matched vaginally delivered women were the participants. The obstetricians interrogated women before discharge, after 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 6 months. Results: In this study 3,112 women participated. At any visit and among any group lost to follow-up proportion was <10%. There was no major intra-operative complication among vaginally delivered women. The relative risks of acute and severe morbidity as intensive care unit admission and blood transfusion among cesarean-delivered women were 2.59 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.96 to 3.44], 4.33 (95% CI = 2.17 to 8.92), respectively. The adjusted relative risk of surgical site pain and infection at 4 weeks; surgical site pain at 6 weeks; and lower abdominal pain, breast engorgement/mastitis, urinary incontinence, and weakness at 6 months among cesarean-delivered women was higher (P < 0.05). Vaginally delivered women resumed family activities earlier. Conclusion: Health care workers, including family doctors, during follow-up of cesarean-delivered women, must assess for pain, induration/discharge at the surgical site, urinary incontinence, and breast engorgement/mastitis.

The Influence of Religious Involvement on Intimate Partner Violence Victimization via Routine Activities Theory.

Routine activities theory attempts to explain victimization by examining how one's behavior, or routine activities, increases or decreases their likelihood of victimization. It has been postulated that religious individuals are less likely to associate with motivated offenders, less likely to reduce their target suitability, and more likely to enhance their guardianship, in turn reducing victimization. How, if at all, this theoretical framework can predict protection from a specific form of victimization, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), remains unexplored. Using the American subsample of the International Dating Violence Study (n = 4,162), this article attempts to determine whether religious involvement can serve as a factor that reduces IPV victimization indirectly through the three elements of routine activities theory: motivated offenders, target suitability, and capable guardianship. To test this research question, a series of logistic regression models are conducted. Results of these models indicate that religiosity does have a negative and significant impact on victims of IPV, net of variables derived from routine activities theory. This study is among the first to suggest that perhaps this theoretical framework may not be applicable to all forms of victimization. The major practical implication of this finding is that IPV victimization could be reduced using faith-based strategies. For example, religious counseling or preventive and intervention programs that increase prosocial bonds between partners are viable options in helping to reduce IPV victimization among couples. Nevertheless, it is imperative to determine other non-religious programs or methods to protect from IPV for individuals who are not religious.