Examining the Effect of Perceived Responsibility on Online Bystander Intervention, Target Hardening, and Inaction

Failure to take responsibility for intervening has been identified as a primary barrier to bystander intervention. Building on these findings, we examine how perceptions of responsibility affect responses to witnessing victimization in the online realm—a topic that has received limited attention. Using a maximum-likelihood selection model, we analyze data from the Pew American Trends Panel ( N = 3709) to estimate the effects of respondents’ perceptions of the role different groups should play in addressing online harassment on their likelihood to engage in intervention, target hardening, or inaction in response to witnessing online harassment, conditioned upon their likelihood of having witnessed such behavior. Findings indicate that the greater role respondents believe online users should have in addressing online harassment, the more likely they are to intervene. ( b = .310). The greater role respondents believe law enforcement or elected officials should have in addressing online harassment, the less likely they are to intervene ( b = −.135 and −.072, respectively). These findings have implications for future efforts to curb online harassment through users’ crime prevention efforts.

Supermarket Operators’ Perception of Effects: Shoplifting Crimes Within the CBD In Nairobi County, Kenya

This paper established prevalence of the characteristics in the shoplifting crimes and determined the supermarket operators’ perception of the effects of shoplifting crimes on society. The study was guided by three objectives: to establish offender characteristics of the shoplifting crimes, to establish prevalence of the characteristics in the shoplifting crimes and to determine the supermarket operators’ perception of the effects of shoplifting crimes on society. The study was guided by Rational Choice and the Routine Activity Theories. The study used a census sampling technique with a sample size of a hundred respondents. These included 90 junior employees of Tuskys, Uchumi and Naivas Supermarkets, 3 branch managers, 3 police officers within the area of the study and 4 officials of the Nairobi Supermarkets Association. Interview schedule was used to collect data. Data collected was organized, summarized and interpreted thematically by use of graphs, frequency tables, and percentages. The findings revealed that the prevalence of shoplifting was 1-2 incidences in a week. The results also revealed that the most commonly used method was concealing of items which were majorly done by women. Further, whereas there are other types of shoplifters, a concern raised by 30% of the respondents is that significant number of criminals has made shoplifting a career. This should inform policy makers, especially in this era of unprecedented unemployment. Additionally, as indicated by 55% of the respondents, staff colluded with criminals to steal from the supermarkets. This should appeal to supermarket operators as this may have an implication on supermarket businesses in the CBD. The study recommends several target hardening strategies to counter shoplifting crimes that included using high Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) programmed surveillance and records linked to the law enforcement through alarm trigger alerts in case of suspicious activities, with high-quality identifiable traceable images of shoplifters, to local law enforcement agencies.

The uncertain commodity of ‘security’: Are private security companies ‘value for money’ for domestic violence services?

Reflecting on Loader and White ’s (2018) suggestion that the labour of private security workers is difficult to ‘commodify’, this paper uses original empirical data to show that there are four elements to what private security workers ‘do’ for victims of domestic violence when contracted by domestic violence advocacy services: they provide (a) practical ‘target-hardening’ measures, (b) ‘expert’ advice on security, (c) forms of ‘security therapy’ as workers talk clients through their safety-based anxieties and (d) forms of ‘security theatre’ as workers provide the appearance of providing security despite the efficacy often being unclear or uncertain. Each of these elements have significant risks that can threaten the interests of victims and domestic violence services.

27. Crime control

This chapter reflects on the crime control approach. Criminologists and criminal justice practitioners who adopt this standpoint accept that crime is inevitable; but they are also committed to minimising its effects, either by restricting opportunities to offend or by acting decisively where crimes are committed. Crime control and retributive interventions may well coincide, despite their differing motivations, for example in the case of imprisonment. But crime control also extends well beyond deterrent sanctions to include other measures geared towards the assessment and management of potential risks, target hardening, proactive policing, offender surveillance, and restrictions. The chapter then looks at the role of the police in crime control including zero tolerance, intelligence-led policing, and community policing as well as the role of other agencies, such as architects, the community, private security providers, and the judiciary. It considers how predictive tools might be used to minimise the risk of reoffending and assesses some of the impacts and outcomes of crime control strategies.

Sociological Implications on Safety of Journalism as a Profession in Nigeria

All over the world, Journalists are known as the fourth realm of the Estate charged with the responsibility of disseminating information to the societal members. Despite the contribution of the noble profession towards nation building, large number of journalist in the past and recent time in Nigeria faces series of challenges ranging from kidnapping, assault, harassment, torture, arbitrary detention, murder, imprisoned at the virtue of saving the nation. The gravity and magnitude of the prevalence insecurity in the profession has gotten to a state of psychological trauma and lost of interest for the profession. Several publications were reviewed; Anomie (Robert Merton) and Situational Crime Prevention (Ronald Clarke) theories were adopted. Qualitative method and purposive sampling technique was adopted in conducting in-depth interviews among 10 public members and 25 journalists from 4 media print Organisations, 3 radio stations and 2 television stations in Nigeria, In Nigeria journalist are faced with numerous insecurity issues and there is an urgent need to readdress the issues to save the nation from retrogressive development. Several recommendations are stated to safe the profession( a) the struggle for the survival of the profession should not be left alone to either the Government or the journalists it should be collectively addressed by all, More so, proactive methods, deterrence measures target hardening, access and facilitators control needs to be in placed to tackle the menace

Online Activism to Cybercrime

This article defines hacktivism and provides an overview and background on the development, challenges, and activities associated with the term. It further discusses hacktivism involving political elections, financial records, and dangers to society posed by hacktivists. Coverage was assigned to solutions which involved a multi-country response, addressing infrastructure weaknesses in those countries, technological challenges such as phreaking, and target hardening involving modern day institutions. Solutions, recommendations, and implications for future research are provided.