A core element of AQMeN’s research on crime has involved examining changes in patterns of youth crime and justice over time. In addition to our research on the crime drop in Scotland and our study of criminal careers over the period of the crime drop, we have examined the relationship between youth crime and poverty, assessed the case for increasing
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A key aim of AQMeN was to develop new methodologies using quantitative data. Within the crime and victimisation strand, we have developed several projects using crime data that have made a significant contribution to methodological development within the field of criminology. Further details of these projects are given below. (1) Modelling Escalation in Crime Seriousness (Francis and Liu) Latent variable
» Read moreExisting international research has found that crime ‘typically’ concentrates and persists at a small number of micro-locations and, in so doing, has supported the development of effective and efficient place-based policing initiatives. This research set out to question whether, in an era of falling crime, the spatial scale and urban patterning of crime density has remained stable or exhibited change.
» Read moreThis research examines change in crime at a regional level across Britain. Existing work on regional crime trends has tended to focus on simple mapping or cross-sectional analysis; but there has been very little published work on longitudinal change at a regional level. In addition, there are gaps in knowledge about relative change in crime trends across UK jurisdictions, especially
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Homicide is currently at a record low in Scotland. In 2014-15, there were 59 homicides committed (including murder and culpable homicide), which is the lowest figure since 1976, and the homicide rate has more than halved over the past twenty years. But this is not just a numbers game. Although we know that homicides have decreased overall, there is less
» Read moreIn the first of the AQMeN Research Briefing paper series, Les Humphreys, Brian Francis and Susan McVie, from the Crime and Victimisation research strand, examined trends in crimes of dishonesty, non-sexual crimes of violence, motor vehicle offences and miscellaneous offences. They explored the relationship between these types of crime and a range of factors known to be associated with crime.
» Read moreAQMeN Director Professor Susan McVie explores Scotland’s reputation as ‘the most violent country in the developed world’ in this blog post. Drawing on figures from the Scottish Government Homicide in Scotland 2014-15 bulletin, together with data from the 2012/13 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, AQMeN research on crime and victimisation and a number of international and UK comparative studies, Professor
» Read moreThe November 2015 edition of Scottish Justice Matters was guest edited by AQMeN Director Susan McVie, Professor Lesley McCara (The University of Edinburgh) and Maggie Mellon, Vice Chair of the British Association of Social Workers. The edition focuses on poverty, inequality and justice in Scotland, and features AQMeN research into patterns of victimisation in Scotland, the relationship between crime and
» Read moreAQMeN Director Susan McVie responded to the March 2016 figures from the Scottish Crime and Justice survey. The Justice Strategy for Scotland sets out a vision for “an inclusive and respectful society where all people live in safety and security”. So the latest crime figures, published this week, showing another large reduction in victimization will be welcome news for the
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Key points: There is perhaps an assumption among the general public that offenders tend to escalate in seriousness as they develop in their criminal career. Few criminologists, however, have attempted to understand how seriousness of offending increases, remains stable or decreases over the criminal life-course. Using the Offenders Index data for England and Wales, Francis and Liu compared different methods
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