Crime News Trends in Finland: A Review of Recent Research

In this article, we present findings of crime media research conducted in Finland during recent years. As this body of research has mainly been published in Finnish, the core results have not been available for international audiences until now. The amount of crime news reporting has consistently increased both in the newspapers and in television news broadcasts during the last decades. A series of representative surveys also show that the majority of people read and view crime news on a regular basis and are thus constantly exposed to these media messages. We conclude our article by contrasting crime news trends with the development of fear of crime in Finland, and by discussing possible links and explanations to the relationship.     

Does Media Violence Cause Violent Crime?

Over the past 60 years, hundreds of studies have shown that viewing violence in the media can influence aggressive behaviour. However, the vast majority of these studies are laboratory based, and tell us little about how media violence influences real criminal behaviour. This paper reviews research involving crime statistics, offender populations, and longitudinal studies to evaluate the claim that such a link exists. When integrated with other long-term studies on the development of crime, it is concluded that the link between media violence and crime is weak after other environmental factors are taken into account.     

A Multilevel Analysis of the Vulnerability,Disorder, and Social Integration Models of Fear of Crime

The current research tests three conceptual models designed to explain citizens’ fear of crime—vulnerability, disorder, and social integration. These models are assessed for differential impact across the cognitive and affective dimensions of fear of crime. The analysis reported here considers the consecutive and simultaneous influence of individual- and city-level factors using multilevel modeling techniques. Recently collected survey data for 2,599 citizens nested within 21 cities across Washington State provide the empirical evidence for the analysis. Results indicate that the disorder model is best able to explain variation in both the cognitive and affective dimensions of citizens’ fear of crime across cities. The vulnerability and social integration models explain significantly less variation. Further, the vulnerability model lacks directional consistency across the observed dimensions of fear. Societal implications of the research findings are discussed.

Use of Protection Motivation Theory to Assess Fear of Crime in Rural Areas

Fear of crime has long been the purview of sociology, with attitudes more extensively researched in higher risk urban populations. A sample of 184 rural participants from 36 states in the USA responded to a questionnaire on experiences of crime victimization, and attitudes toward crime, using the multidimensional Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) model. For the entire sample, perceived noxiousness of crime and personal risk corresponded to a recent history of victimization. Yet, victimization did not appear to alter perceptions of efficacy of proposed response or self efficacy in response to crime. When sorted by gender, women did express differences in perceptions of efficacy based on experience. The findings argue for fear of crime as a multidimensional construct, with implications for both research and applied programs.     

新闻犯罪的预防与抗制

新闻犯罪是伴随信息社会的到来所必然出现的社会问题,它的产生是由新闻工作者新闻法制观念的淡薄、新闻媒介和新闻记者地位的错位、正确价值观念的沦丧三方面所致.新闻犯罪具有主体特征、主观特征、客体特征及客观特征,打击并有效控制此类犯罪的必要途径是完善刑事立法、发挥刑法威慑作用并辅以法律、职业道德培训.     

Constructing Crime against the Elderly in Swedish Crime Prevention Campaigns

The study investigates how crime prevention activities frame the problem of crime against the elderly, regarding character, causes, effects and solutions. Data was collected through participant observations, interviews and analysis of a film produced by a local crime prevention council in Sweden. It is concluded that crime prevention for seniors produces complex and contradicting images of the problem. In situational crime prevention seniors are warned to look out for strangers stalking them or trying to access their homes. Statements that victimization is uncommon among the old are combined with warnings that invoke images of mysterious ever-present perpetrators. In social crime prevention, where causes and interventions of crime are discussed, crime prevention officers link the problem to established social problems such as drug abuse and juvenile delinquency. This way of framing the problem is typical for a Swedish Social Democratic perspective, where lack of community and integration are defined as causes of social problems. It is concluded that warnings to look out for strangers who ask for help may be at odds with this striving towards community.     

The definition of ICT Crime

In the last few years, a lot of attention has been paid to what is usually called ‘ICT Crime’. In this contribution, the term ICT Crime is analysed from both a practical and theoretical legal perspective. It will be argued that it is very difficult if not impossible to define ICT Crime unequivocally. Furthermore, there seems to be insufficient grounds to see ICT criminality as an autonomous legal discipline, as an independent functional discipline or as a specialisation. An important reason for dealing with ICT Crime as if it is a problem area seems to be fear in governmental organisations that new technology could lead to forms of criminality that are outside their reach of control. Furthermore, the application of ICT has led to a reorientation of legal powers with respect to investigation and prosecution. However, these subjects should be dealt with at an international level.     

Fear,Social Interactions,and Violence Mitigation

The fear of crime is generally considered as a social ill that undermines dimensions of individual well-being. Prior research generally specifies the fear of crime as an outcome variable in order to understand its complex etiology. More recently, however, researchers have suggested fear has a deterrence function whereby it reduces individuals’ involvement in violent encounters. This notion could hold important clues to understand the social sources of violence. We examine whether the fear of crime inhibits involvement in violent encounters, both as offender or victim, and if adjustments in routine activities explain these effects. The results suggest fear of crime reduces violence involvement, in part, by constraining routine activities. We conclude that the fear of crime appears to be a mechanism of violence mitigation that, paradoxically, bolsters physical well-being. The results are discussed with regard to their implications for criminological theory and research on interpersonal violence.     

“腐败暴力”犯罪及其防治

腐败暴力犯罪是私欲恶性膨胀的领导干部，谋官害命的极端腐败犯罪行为。本文剖析了此类犯罪的主客观特点和犯罪根源，提出了要加强思想教育、权力制约、重点惩治、民主政治等方面建设，使其不想犯罪、不能犯罪、不敢犯罪的对策。     

罪刑均衡蕴意探究

罪刑均衡形式上的抽象框架是 :罪与刑的质的相称与量的相称的有机统一。其中 ,罪是指以已然之罪为主、未然之罪为辅的罪的统一体 ;刑是指以报应之刑为基础、预防之刑为引伸的刑的统一体。罪刑均衡抽象框架的基本要求 ,在我国现行刑法的规定中 ,有着一定的体现。     

Perception of Seriousness and Concern about White-Collar Crime: Some Results of an Opinion Survey Among Swiss Banks

Scientifically, little is known about white-collar crime in Switzerland or concern about white-collar crime and even less about how concerned bank employees are about this criminality. This article is based on a small opinion survey of Swiss bank employees and tries to explore perceptions of seriousness and concern about white-collar crime among people who, in their position, might have to face this issue regularly. Past assumptions on the public’s indifference towards white-collar crime seem not to be confirmed in this study as the results obtained demonstrate a greater sensitivity with respect to white-collar crime and especially towards crimes perpetrated by corporations. Even though Swiss bank employees do qualify white-collar offences as very serious acts, they are still more punitive with regard to ordinary crimes.     

Neighborhood immigrant concentration and violent crime reporting to the police: A multilevel analysis of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey*

Using data from the Area‐Identified National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), we provide a national assessment of the impact of neighborhood immigrant concentration on whether violence is reported to the police. By drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives, we outline how the level of violence reporting could be higher or lower in immigrant neighborhoods, as well as how this may depend on individual race/ethnicity and the history of immigration in the county in which immigrant neighborhoods are located. Controlling for both individual‐ and neighborhood‐level conditions, our findings indicate that within traditional immigrant counties, rates of violence reporting in immigrant neighborhoods are similar to those observed elsewhere. In contrast, within newer immigrant destinations, we observe much lower rates of violence reporting in neighborhoods with a large concentration of immigrants. Our study findings reveal comparable patterns for Whites, Blacks, and Latinos. The results have important implications for theory, policy, and future research.     

Criminal Violence and Youth in Sweden: A Long-term Perspective

Since the mid-1980s, the Swedish public has become increasingly concerned about juvenile violence. This article confronts the public belief of increasing juvenile violence with systematic criminological data from crime statistics and other sources. Based on police and court statistics, as well as data from victimization studies and cause-of-death statistics, it is concluded that there is good reason to believe that Sweden is currently experiencing an 'enforcement wave' with regard to juvenile violence (particularly in the youngest age brackets), which reinforces the image of dramatic increases in the level of juvenile violence. The reasons why juvenile violence is thought to be on the increase even in the face of a lack of hard empirical evidence are discussed. Four long- and short-term trends are proposed as possible explanations: (i) the well-ordered modern society; (ii) the role of the mass media; (iii) the growth of feminine values; and (iv) the application of an offensive model of crime policy.     

White and Mexican Heritage Elders' Crime Victimization Perspectives

Abstract

Prior research on the fear of crime among the elderly has shown that elders are more afraid of being a victim of crime than are younger persons and that such fears may vary depending upon where people reside. This study compares the level of fear of criminal victimization of elders living in three adjacent southwestern communities. White elders live in an age-restricted community within two of the studied communities. The third community is not age-restricted, and the elders who reside there are primarily of Mexican heritage. This study found that Mexican heritage elders expressed more fears associated with crime and victimization than did white elders. In studying gender differences, this study found no significant differences between the expressed level of fear of crime between male and female respondents. Nonetheless, most elders will undertake a variety of reasonable measures to protect themselves when they are home or go out, a finding that is consistent with previous research that studied white elders.     

在校大学生犯罪的原因与预防

近年来,大学生犯罪率呈上升趋势。纠其原因,和大学生的生理特点、心理特点以及大学生所处的社会环境有着密切的关系。鉴于大学生犯罪原因的复杂性,对大学生犯罪应实施预防的系统工程。在这一系统工程中,包括预测系统、预防系统与控制系统。具体的措施为:从心理咨询工作的开展到校园文化的净化,从关注高校管理体制到增强大学生的法制教育,从深化高校的全面改革到治理高校的周边环境。     

受贿罪立法问题研究

我国刑法关于受贿罪的立法,在立法思想上存在着矛盾,对受贿罪的犯罪对象规定的范围过窄,对受贿罪与行贿罪的关系处理不当,过分强调受贿数额对受贿罪法定刑的影响。这些问题在一定程度上影响了刑法在惩治贿赂犯罪方面功能作用的发挥,有必要从立法层面上研究解决。解决这些问题,既是有效地打击贿赂犯罪的需要,也是我国刑法与《联合国反腐败公约》相衔接的要求。     

Fear of crime while camping: examining perceptions of risk,safety precautions,and victimization effects

Past research suggests that fear of crime is influenced by several factors including perceptions of risk and previous victimization. Fear of crime may also vary by location and context. The current study examines the influences on fear of crime among campers including perceptions of risk and past experiences with victimization while camping. Survey data collected from individuals camping in state and national parks were analyzed. Fear of crime was significantly related to perceptions of risk and taking safety precautions, however experiencing a previous victimization while camping was only marginally related to fear. Participants expressed higher levels of fear and perceptions of risk in their own neighborhoods compared to when camping. These results are discussed in terms of policy implications and suggestions for further research.     

The Relationship Between Crime Reporting and Police: Implications for the Use of Uniform Crime Reports

Empirical studies that use reported crime data to evaluate policies for reducing crime will understate the true effectiveness of these policies if crime reporting/recording behavior is also affected by the policies. For instance, when the size of the police force increases, changes in the perceived likelihood that a crime will be solved may lead a higher fraction of victimizations to be reported to the police. In this paper, three data sets are employed to measure the magnitude of this reporting bias. While each of these analyses is subject to individual criticisms, all of the approaches yield similar estimates. Reporting bias appears to be present but relatively small in magnitude: each additional officer is associated with an increase of roughly five Index crimes that previously would have gone unreported. Taking reporting bias into account makes the hiring of additional police substantially more attractive from a cost–benefit perspective but cannot explain the frequent inability of past studies to uncover a systematic negative relationship between the size of the police force and crime rates.     

From ethnocide to ethnoviolence: Layers of native American victimization

The contemporary phenomenon of ethnoviolence - otherwise known as hate crime - has its roots deeply embedded in the historical persecution of Native Americans by representatives of 'the state and private individuals alike. Genocidal policies and practices of the past have their present counterparts in anti-activist and anti-treaty violence, as well as in isolated acts of violence against individual Native Americans. This paper traces the threads that bind together the (d)evolution from ethnocide to ethnoviolence.     

美国《犯罪被害人权利法》扩张适用及其启示

《犯罪被害人权利法》标志着美国犯罪被害人保护立法达到了顶峰,但是环境犯罪被害人的出现使该法的适用引起了争议。反对者的主要理由是基于审判程序的复杂性、被害人的难以确定性和媒体报道所导致的不公正性,然而,支持者认为适用该法不仅不会导致审判程序复杂化,而且能够合理地保护环境犯罪被害人的权利并保证审判的公正性。引起争论的深层原因在于环境犯罪被害人的特殊性。美国《犯罪被害人权利法》的扩张适用对我国环境犯罪被害人的保护具有启发意义。首先是扩展传统犯罪被害人的定义;其次是保障环境犯罪被害人的刑事诉权;最后是完善环境犯罪被害人的救济制度。