The gendered general strain theory posits that differences in delinquency across gender are due to differences in coping with negative emotions. The present study tests its validity over a 10-year... Show moreThe gendered general strain theory posits that differences in delinquency across gender are due to differences in coping with negative emotions. The present study tests its validity over a 10-year follow-up. We measured exposure to strain, levels of anxiety/depression, anger/irritability, and delinquent behaviors through questionnaires and interviews during residential care (T1) and then 10 years later (T2) in a sample of 80 men and 54 women who were placed in youth welfare and juvenile justice institutions in Switzerland during childhood/adolescence. We observed that, in men, less delinquency at T1 and more symptoms of anxiety/depression at T1 are related to less delinquency at T2. In women, none of the emotional variables nor strain predicted delinquency over time. Results give important insights regarding the risk factors related to long-term delinquency in men but only partially support the gendered general strain theory. Show less
This article conducts comparative research to advance our understanding of the causes of terrorism. Primarily, by assessing differences and similarities between left-, right- and jihadist... Show moreThis article conducts comparative research to advance our understanding of the causes of terrorism. Primarily, by assessing differences and similarities between left-, right- and jihadist extremists and terrorists, the prevalence of certain variables amongst populations of radicalized individuals will be determined. Secondly, by contrasting, where possible, these prevalence rates with representative samples from the broader population, the distinc- tiveness of these biographical details amongst extremists and terrorists is discussed. The article compares the Analysen zum Terrorismus, one of the most comprehensive studies of (left-wing) terrorism ever conducted, with original empirical work on contemporary right-wing and jihadist extremism and terrorism. Results suggest that extremists and terrorists from these contexts are not distinctive in terms of socio-economic backgrounds, educa- tional achievements, criminal antecedents or suicide attempts. There does appear to be a higher prevalence of unemployment, broken homes and related childhood stressors. The importance of social movements and groups in drawing and anchoring individuals to extremism and terrorism is empha- sized across ideological boundaries, as is the influence of societal and poli- tical contextual factors, such as political representation of extremist views. Show less
The geographic concentration and diffusion of crime and deviancy are longstanding criminological inquiries, yet few studies have examined how certain illicit behaviors transcend neighborhood... Show moreThe geographic concentration and diffusion of crime and deviancy are longstanding criminological inquiries, yet few studies have examined how certain illicit behaviors transcend neighborhood borders and connect neighborhoods in patterns of crime and deviancy. A structural neighborhood interdependence may account for the enduring nature and spread of crime, making it critical to understand how neighborhoods are connected in crime patterns to guide crime prevention and disruption efforts. This study examines neighborhood interdependence through the case of repeat buyers of commercial sex in illicit massage businesses in a metropolitan city in the United States. By frequenting venues for illicit commercial sex in multiple neighborhoods, buyers create inter-neighborhood connections through which the demand for an illicit market can spread across neighborhoods. Using online review data about buyers of commercial sex, this study analyzes this neighborhood interdependence as a network comprised of nodes (“neighborhoods”) and edges (“connections between neighborhoods”). Exponential random graph models were used to analyze how characteristics of neighborhoods, the space between neighborhoods, and the overall network of neighborhoods explain inter-neighborhood connectivity in an illicit market for commercial sex. The implications for research, policy, and practice will be discussed. Show less
