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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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Results for social network analysis
19 results foundAuthor: Reyna, Enrique J. Title: Exploiting Weaknesses: An Approach to Counter Cartel Strategy Summary: The thesis, “Exploiting Weaknesses: An Approach to Counter Cartel Strategy,” provided an in-depth case study analysis of Los Zetas transnational criminal network to gain an understanding on its weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The thesis utilized social movement theory to illuminate its mobilizing structure and key essential factors that make Los Zetas vulnerable to disruption. In addition, the study identified Los Zetas’ financial support structure to expose its insidious methods. Finally, the thesis utilized social network analysis and geographical information systems to gain an understanding of its organizational networks, deduce possible safe havens, and key terrain of Los Zetas. Ultimately, the employment of the aforementioned theories revealed essential vulnerabilities, which form the essence of a practical disruption policy recommendation against Los Zetas. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2011. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 3, 2012 at: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=699795 Year: 2011 Country: Mexico URL: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=699795 Shelf Number: 124811 Keywords: Gangs (Mexico)Geospatial Information Systems (GIS)Los ZetasOrganized CrimeSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Morselli, Carlo Title: The Factors That Shape Organized Crime Summary: Organized crime has received considerable attention among policy-makers and law enforcement agencies in recent decades. This development is, in part, due to the disproportionate harms produced by the illicit activities of criminal organizations and networks, as opposed to individuals and small groups. High-profile wars between rival groups, such as that between the Hells Angels and Rock Machine occurring in Quebec during the 1990s, have also contributed to the growing concern about organized crime. In addition, an increasing volume of violence, especially homicide, in Canada appears to be gang-related. In response to the increases in organized crime, federal, provincial and territorial governments want to further understand the nature of organized crime, by building upon existing research that would allow decision-makers to implement approaches to combat organized crime that were based on empirical evidence. There continues to be substantial gaps in the empirical data, impeding the development of appropriate policy responses to criminal activities that may be associated with organized crime. One area that has been of particular interest is the structure of organized crime groups and the factors that contribute to varying structures. The literature reviewed indicated that the structure of organized crime varies in terms of their flexibility and adaptability. Studies of organized crime groups increasingly show that social networks are critical to their understanding and that there are many small, loosely structured networks. The assumption of using social network analysis is that the connections between individuals and groups are crucial determinants of the performance and sustainability of criminal organizations. The social network approach may also be applied at different levels of analysis, thus offering a more complete understanding and approach for containing organized crime. Such applications have been well documented at the individual level, as criminal career research has demonstrated. In this particular project, the network approach was used to identify those variables that have the greatest impact upon criminal organizations and the linkages between them. The framework for this project complements the recent work by the Australian Federal Police who have established the Target Enforcement Prioritization Index (TEPI). The TEPI is designed along a matrix (or quadrant) framework in which decision makers are able to contemplate the level of risk associated with a target and the level of success that enforcement may have if targeting such a threat. The AFP experience with the TEPI is an initial guide for the present report in that it provides an understanding of how specific features of individuals, groups, and environments may be used to assess the scope and structure of organized crime in a given setting. The focus on this project was to review the literature pertaining to the structure of criminal organizations and networks in order to ultimately identify the relevant variables that can then be applied to the development of analytical models. The identification of variables affecting the structures of and linkages between organizations will then serve as the basis for future statistical modeling that will enhance the understanding of these organizations/networks and inform strategies to disrupt them. The information provided in this report will help police and policy-makers to understand how specific features of individuals, groups and environments may help in the assessment of the scope and structure of organized crime in a particular setting. The analytical report created in this project includes: A catalogue of relevant individual, group, and environmental level variables; Justification from previous research or theory for the inclusion of each variable, with regard to how and why it is relevant to criminal organizational structures and linkages; The levels of measurement applicable to each variable; Sources for the data necessary to measure each variable; The explanatory power of each variable, given the evidence; and A discussion of the overall dataset and the implications for modeling and analytical purposes The report assesses a number of individual, group/organization, and environmental level variables that may influence how individuals or groups structure their criminal operations in a variety of criminal market and legitimate settings. In as much as possible, we categorize such factors along individual, group, and environmental levels of measurement. In many cases, however, a factor transcends more than one level of analysis, forcing us to address the issue more broadly. The report focused on the following themes: Formal Organizational Membership and Trust Personality Financial and Material Resources Violence Technological and Private Protection Capacities Language Skills, Ethnic Composition, and Social Embeddedness Crime Mobility, Diversity, and Continuity Upperworld Conditions and Facilitators Criminogenic Opportunities Target Priority Furthermore, an inventory of the variables found to explain the structure of crime in organized crime, criminal market, and criminal network research has been assembled in a separate catalogue (refer to the Appendix). This catalogue is meant to facilitate the work of law-enforcement and policy officials who are in constant search of new avenues of inquiry to a wide array of problems addressed in this report. The catalogue is designed as an outline of the more elaborate research review. It provides details on the variable’s level of measurement, essential coding, impact on the structural features of criminal groups, explanatory power, and possible data sources that may be used to gather factual data for practical purposes. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2010. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2012 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/sp-ps/PS4-89-2010-eng.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/sp-ps/PS4-89-2010-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 124849 Keywords: Criminal OrganizationsGangsOrganized CrimeSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Dupont, Benoit Title: Skills and Trust: A Tour Inside the Hard Drives of Computer Hackers Summary: Stories of the exploits of computer hackers who have broken into supposedly secure government and corporate information systems appear almost daily on the front pages of newspapers and technology websites, yet we know very little about the individuals behind these headlines. Most media accounts and academic studies on hackers suffer from a number of biases that this research attempts to overcome. A case study based on the seized communication logs of ten confirmed co-offenders is used to expand our knowledge of the social norms and practices that govern interactions between malicious hackers. After presenting the data and how the material became available to the author, the remaining sections focus on the two variables that define this criminal network’s performance: skills and trust. The skills under consideration are the three different sets of cognitive and practical abilities that malicious hackers need in order to succeed financially. Monetization and social skills, in addition to technical skills, play key roles in profit-oriented malicious hacking and explain why earning a decent living in the computer underground remains a laborious endeavour, even for advanced hackers. Trust, which facilitates the diffusion of technical, monetization, and social skills and fosters collaboration, was found to be much lower in this network than is generally assumed in the literature. The need for monetization and social skills as well as the lack of trust between members may partly explain why hacker networks are so ephemeral and vulnerable to law enforcement disruption. Details: Montreal: School of Criminology, University of Montreal, 2012. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2154952 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2154952 Shelf Number: 126746 Keywords: Computer CrimesHackersInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Dietz, Rebekah K. Title: Illicit Networks: Targeting the Nexus Between Terrorists, Proliferators, and Narcotraffickers Summary: Globalization and the liberal international marketplace have provided fertile ground for the rise of transnational and non-state actors. Unfortunately, while states and businesses have profited from the increased fluidity of borders and the rise of global commerce, so have the criminal organizations that threaten national and international security. These illicit networks are stateless; they conduct their business in failed or failing states, under the guise of legitimate commerce, and without regard to sovereign borders or even human life. They are the main facilitators of proliferation, terrorism, and narcotics around the world—undeterred and, perhaps, undeterrable. This thesis offers a comparative analysis of three main types of illicit networks: terrorist, proliferation and narcotics networks. Using Jemaah Islamiyah, the A.Q. Khan proliferation network, and the Medellín drug ‘cartel’ as case studies, it examines their typologies, motivations, structures, characteristics, and sources and patterns of funding. It examines if and how illicit networks overlap, with special attention to intra-network (e.g., terrorist networks with other terrorist networks) and inter-network (e.g., terrorist networks with narcotics networks) overlap. It then explores how this information can inform U.S. counter-network activity. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 135p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 19, 2012 at: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA536899 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA536899 Shelf Number: 126752 Keywords: Criminal NetworksDrug TraffickingIllicit NetworksMedellin CartelSocial Network AnalysisTerrorismTerrorist Networks |
Author: American Land Forces Institute Title: Transnational Criminal Networks in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Network-Centric Enterprise Summary: The purpose of this study is to understand the networks involved in transnational criminal organizations across Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. This study uses Social Network Analysis and general socio-cultural analysis techniques to analyze information gathered from open source news media, secondary data collections, analyses conducted by academics and nonprofit organizations, and interviews with former law enforcement officials. . This study analyzes the criminal organizations of each region (Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean) in terms of their (1) historical background, (2) hierarchy and composition, (3) alliances and rivalries with other regional criminal organizations, (4) major criminal activities, (5) recruitment methods and sources, and (6) weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Details: Mico, TX: American Land Forces Institute, 2012. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2012 at: http://alfinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Crime-Families.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Central America URL: http://alfinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Crime-Families.pdf Shelf Number: 126810 Keywords: Criminal CartelsCriminal NetworksDrug TraffickingGangsOrganized CrimeSocial Network AnalysisTransnational Crime (Latin America, Caribbean) |
Author: Kriegler, Anine Title: Using social network analysis to profile organised crime Summary: Social network analysis avoids some of the limitations of existing approaches to mapping organised criminal networks. It focuses on fluid interactions among individuals and determines social structures empirically, rather than relying on theoretical classifications thereby avoiding some of the pitfalls in traditional thinking about organised crime. However, it requires significant technical skill, time, and pre-existing expertise to generate and interpret an analysis. It also fails to account for the underlying social forces that may be crucial to network formation and functioning. It is a complex process that requires law enforcement and crime intelligence to partner with external researchers. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 67: Accessed September 11, 2014 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief57.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief57.pdf Shelf Number: 133275 Keywords: Crime Analysis (Africa) Criminal Networks Organized Crime Social Network Analysis |
Author: Dinh, Ngan Title: Human Trafficking in Southeast Asia: Results from a Pilot Project in Vietnam Summary: Human trafficking is one of the most widely spread and fastest growing crimes in the world. However, despite the scope of the problem, the important human rights issues at stake and the professed intent of governments around the world to put an end to "modern day slavery", there is very little that is actually known about the nature of human trafficking and those most at risk as potential victims. This is due in large part to the difficulty in collecting reliable and statistically useful data. In this paper we present the results of a pilot study run in rural Vietnam with the aim of overcoming these data issues. Rather than attempt to identify victims themselves, we rely on the form rural migration often takes in urbanizing developing countries to instead identify households that were sources of trafficking victims. This allows us to construct a viable sampling frame, on which we conduct a survey using novel techniques such as anchoring vignettes, indirect sampling, list randomization and social network analysis to construct a series of empirically valid estimates that can begin to shed light on the problem of human trafficking. Details: Bonn, Germany: Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), 2014. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA DP No. 8686: Accessed February 4, 2015 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp8686.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Vietnam URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp8686.pdf Shelf Number: 134541 Keywords: Human Trafficking (Vietnam)ImmigrantsMigrationSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Frutos, Dinorah Title: Uncovering the Linkages in Maritime Piracy Networks: Developmental Dynamics and Visualization of Network Data Summary: Maritime piracy has been on the rise for many years. Although public data on piracy attacks and piracy networks is limited, we have attempted to apply some new methodological tools to determine as far as possible, the properties of these complex systems. In particular, by employing external statistics and following the work of Clauset and Gleditsch on land-based terrorist organizations, we attempt to characterize the relationship between the severity and frequency of maritime piracy attacks. In addition utilizing social network analysis, we have aimed at accurately visualizing and representing key characteristics of maritime piracy as well as discerning non-obvious or emergent patterns of behavior and organizational structure specific to piracy networks as defined by their geographic locations (i.e., West Africa, east Africa and The Straits of Malacca and Lombok). Details: Paper presented at the INFORMS Annual Meeting San Diego 2009, San Diego, CA. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 17, 2015 at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/38932175/Uncovering-the-Linkages-in-Maritime-Piracy-Networks-Developmental-Dynamics-and-Visualization-of-Network-Data Year: 2009 Country: Africa URL: http://www.scribd.com/doc/38932175/Uncovering-the-Linkages-in-Maritime-Piracy-Networks-Developmental-Dynamics-and-Visualization-of-Network-Data Shelf Number: 136434 Keywords: Maritime Crime Piracy/Pirates Social Network Analysis |
Author: Salcedo-Albaran, Eduardo Title: Cape Town's underworld: Mapping a protection racket in the central business district Summary: This paper, the first in a series, presents and discusses the characteristics of the structure, actors involved, types of interactions and institutional effects of a criminal network. This case study is focused on security racketeering in Cape Town, South Africa. The analysis is based on data gathered from various sources, predominately media articles covering the period between 2010 and November 2013, and was developed by applying specific protocols of social network analysis. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 270: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper270V2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa URL: https://www.issafrica.org/uploads/Paper270V2.pdf Shelf Number: 136634 Keywords: Criminal Networks Organized Crime Social Network Analysis |
Author: Hashimi, Sadaf Title: "On to the next one:" Using social network data to inform police target prioritization Summary: As part of the portfolio of strategies used to achieve crime reductions, law enforcement agencies routinely establish a list of offenders to be targeted as priorities. Rarely considered, however, is the fact that targets are embedded in larger social networks. These networks are a rich resource to be exploited as they facilitate: 1) efficient prioritization by understanding which offenders have access to more resources in the network, and 2) assessments of the impact of intervention strategies. Drawing from law enforcement data, the personal networks of two mutually connected police targets from a mid-size city in British Columbia, Canada were constructed. Results show that of the 101 associates in their combined network, 50 percent have a crime-affiliated attribute. The network further divides into seven distinct communities, ranging from four to 25 members. Membership to these communities suggests how opportunities, criminal and non-criminal, form and are more likely to occur within one's immediate network of associates as opposed to the larger network. As such, seven key players that have the highest propensity to facilitate crime-like behaviours are identified via a measure of "network capital," and located within the communities for informed target selection. Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, 2015. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed January 12, 2016 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15667 Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15667 Shelf Number: 137469 Keywords: Communities Deterrence Intelligence-led policing Police Policies and PracticesSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Duijn, Paul A.C. Title: The Relative Ineffectiveness of Criminal Network Disruption Summary: Researchers, policymakers and law enforcement agencies across the globe struggle to find effective strategies to control criminal networks. The effectiveness of disruption strategies is known to depend on both network topology and network resilience. However, as these criminal networks operate in secrecy, data-driven knowledge concerning the effectiveness of different criminal network disruption strategies is very limited. By combining computational modeling and social network analysis with unique criminal network intelligence data from the Dutch Police, we discovered, in contrast to common belief, that criminal networks might even become 'stronger', after targeted attacks. On the other hand increased efficiency within criminal networks decreases its internal security, thus offering opportunities for law enforcement agencies to target these networks more deliberately. Our results emphasize the importance of criminal network interventions at an early stage, before the network gets a chance to (re-)organize to maximum resilience. In the end disruption strategies force criminal networks to become more exposed, which causes successful network disruption to become a long-term effort. Details: Sci. Rep. 4, 4238; DOI:10.1038/srep04238 2014. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 6, 2016 at: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep04238?WT.ec_id=SREP-704-20140304 Year: 2014 Country: Netherlands URL: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep04238?WT.ec_id=SREP-704-20140304 Shelf Number: 140167 Keywords: Criminal NetworksOrganized CrimeSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Agreste, Santa Title: Network Structure and Resilience of Mafia Syndicates Summary: In this paper we present the results of the study of Sicilian Mafia organization by using Social Network Analysis. The study investigates the network structure of a Mafia organization, describing its evolution and highlighting its plasticity to interventions targeting membership and its resilience to disruption caused by police operations. We analyze two different datasets about Mafia gangs built by examining different digital trails and judicial documents spanning a period of ten years: the former dataset includes the phone contacts among suspected individuals, the latter is constituted by the relationships among individuals actively involved in various criminal offenses. Our report illustrates the limits of traditional investigation methods like tapping: criminals high up in the organization hierarchy do not occupy the most central positions in the criminal network, and oftentimes do not appear in the reconstructed criminal network at all. However, we also suggest possible strategies of intervention, as we show that although criminal networks (i.e., the network encoding mobsters and crime relationships) are extremely resilient to different kind of attacks, contact networks (i.e., the network reporting suspects and reciprocated phone calls) are much more vulnerable and their analysis can yield extremely valuable insights. Details: Unpublished paper, 2015. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 23, 2016 at: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1509.01608v1.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1509.01608v1.pdf Shelf Number: 147811 Keywords: Criminal NetworksMafiaOrganized CrimeSocial Network AnalysisSocial Networks |
Author: Petrunov, Georgi Title: Analysis of Social Network Models of Transnational Criminal Networks operating in the Southeastern Border of the European Union Summary: This paper examines the transnational criminal networks (TCN) operating in the Southeastern border of the European Union (SBEU). More specifically, the analysis focuses on TCN operating on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, which became the external border of the European Union after the country’s accession to the EU in 2007. The primary data used for the analysis is based on court rulings from four criminal trial cases in Bulgaria. The indictments for each of the four cases were also studied, in order to provide more details about the criminal activities of the TCN. Details: Bogota, Colombia: Vortex Foundation, 2013. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Vortex Working Paper no. 10: Accessed February 23, 2017 at: http://media.wix.com/ugd/522e46_c7a68970d13d4fad80374ad3c7ffc0a7.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Bulgaria URL: http://media.wix.com/ugd/522e46_c7a68970d13d4fad80374ad3c7ffc0a7.pdf Shelf Number: 141199 Keywords: Border SecurityCriminal NetworksOrganized CrimeSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Garay-Salamanca, Luis Jorge Title: Illicit Networks Reconfiguring States: Social Network Analysis of Colombian and Mexican Cases Summary: People have often thought that as a rule, criminal gangs confront the State. We have this preconceived notion of the State as a homogeneous entity acting as a block to guarantee law enforcement, and of organized crime, such as drug trafficking, seeking ways to get away with breaking the law. In achieving these two objectives, violence ensues: the State resorts to coercion, and organized crime resorts to bribery, kidnapping, murder, or terrorism. However, research carried out during recent years shows that the history of the relationship between the State and organized crime is not always one of confrontation. Indeed, in some cases the latter has been able to infiltrate and to co-opt some State institutions in order to achieve its unlawful objectives. On the other hand, government officials and politicians, in many cases, get along well with organized crime, taking advantage of its criminal power in order to obtain egoistic, exclusive and morally unlawful benefits to the detriment of public interests. It has been reported around the world that policemen infiltrate gangs, criminal gangs bribe government officials to obtain privileged information, and government officials reach secret agreements with gangs of outlaws. However, the social situations analyzed in this book go beyond the classic stories of bribed policemen, infiltrated gangs, or egoistic government officials. This book analyzes cases in which the State has been infiltrated and manipulated, sometimes resulting from alliances between the organized crime and lawful officials and organizations. These alliances can be observed even at high decision-making levels, affecting the structure and operation of institutions. In previous books, the concept of Co-opted State Reconfiguration (CStR) has been introduced to describe situations in which unlawful groups reach agreements with authorities in order to infiltrate State institutions. This concept was also useful to describe situations in which lawful organizations, such as political movements, groups of individuals as landowners, government officials and politicians, establish alliances with unlawful groups to take advantage of their criminal and violent potential. In both cases, the objective is to manipulate and use legitimate institutions in order to obtain unlawful benefits, or obtain lawful benefits that are socially questionable. In both cases the result goes beyond the economic framework, encompassing objectives of political, criminal, judicial and cultural manipulation, and to gain social legitimacy. The CStR has been defined as a more developed and complex process of State Capture (StC), since in the traditional StC lawful economic groups manipulate law making in order to attain exclusive economic benefits. Against this backdrop, the objective of this book is to go deeper into the conceptual, methodological, and empirical issues of the State Capture (StC) and Co-opted State Reconfiguration (CStR). To fulfill this objective, a conceptual and empirical analysis of specific cases of organized crime in Colombia and Mexico will be made. A methodology identifying when a social situation may be defined as either traditional or systemic corruption, StC or CStR, will be presented, developed, and applied. This methodology will also be used to infer the institutional scope, or the degree of damage that a criminal organization may impinge on informal and formal State institutions. Therefore, the StC and CStR will be the guiding concepts throughout the book. The empirical issues will be developed through the social network analysis (SNA), in which alliances such as the above mentioned are found. The first network analyzed is a Mexican cartel, well known for its extreme violent actions throughout the past decade. The second network analyzed is related to an unlawful paramilitary group operating in a Colombian province called Casanare. This province has been favored for more than two decades with huge amounts of public resources coming from oil royalties. However, most of the province’s budget has been misspent, stolen, or appropriated by lawful agents and outlawed organizations, and diverted for purposes other than providing for the social needs of a poor and backward population. The third network is related to five Colombian provinces in the Atlantic Coast of Colombia: Sucre, Córdoba, Cesar, Atlántico, and Magdalena. In these provinces, the United Self–Defense Forces of Colombia [Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC], the most powerful unlawful paramilitary group that has ever existed in the recent Colombian history, consolidated its unified command at the end of the nineties. This group, with its increase of de facto power, combined violent actions, drug trafficking, and corruption in order to grab large portions of public budget, manipulate elections, and ultimately, get elected to the Colombian Congress. These actions were carried out with the purpose of promoting law making that favors its interests and achieving social legitimacy at the same time. Details: Bogota, Colombia: Metodo Foundation, 2010. 140p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 23, 2017 at: http://media.wix.com/ugd/f53019_f5aa311ed5854d24b2d823f0176e593c.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Colombia URL: http://media.wix.com/ugd/f53019_f5aa311ed5854d24b2d823f0176e593c.pdf Shelf Number: 141201 Keywords: CartelsCriminal NetworksCriminal ViolenceGang-Related ViolenceOrganized CrimeSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Lopez Guevara, Estefania Title: Babies Trafficking Networks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria Summary: This document is the Social Network Analysis applied to criminal structures involved in the market of child trafficking operating across various African countries. Besides presenting an explanation of the methodology applied for modeling the criminal network, the document includes a description of the operations carried out in the child trafficking market, and the main actors involved. It also presents the sources and cases that were modeled and analyzed, as well as the main characteristics of the specific criminal networks. Details: Bogota, Colombia: Vortex Foundation, 2017. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: http://media.wix.com/ugd/522e46_2b050e7ae37a4723a34f4535fcc79485.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Africa URL: http://media.wix.com/ugd/522e46_2b050e7ae37a4723a34f4535fcc79485.pdf Shelf Number: 141219 Keywords: Child TraffickingCriminal NetworksHuman TraffickingSocial network Analysis |
Author: Rhodes, Anne Title: Drug Use and Social Support Outcomes in Probationers: A Longitudinal Social Network Analysis Summary: This study focuses on the social networks of probationers, who comprise the largest segment of the criminal justice population in the United States, but about whom there are few studies of network processes. It provides information on how elements of a probationer's social network change over time and can affect drug use. This study employs longitudinal analysis of the social networks for 251 substance abusers on probation to examine how these networks are influenced by an intervention designed to increase pro-social behaviors and how network changes impact drug use. Baseline drug use of the probationers was examined according to the number of substances used in the last 6 months. Blacks were less likely to be polydrug users (aOR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.84), while those using cocaine or heroin as their primary drug of choice were more likely to be polydrug users (aOR: 3.02, 95% CI: 1.32 to 6.94). Age at first illicit drug use was also significant, with those initiating drug use younger than 18 more likely to be polydrug users (aOR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.01 to 4.46).The majority of probationers had drug user networks with the same number of persons in them over the 12-month follow-up period (82.5%), and perceived social support that also did not change (76.1%). Men were less likely to change their drug user networks over time and older persons were less likely to have decreasing social support over time. Those with low drug use that have increasing (aOR= 5.08, 95% CI: 1.09 to 23.75) and decreasing (aOR= 6.45, 95% CI: 1.35 to 30.85) drug user networks over time were more likely to be in the lowest drug using group compared to those with stable larger drug user networks. Older persons were less likely to be in the drug use trajectory (aOR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.99), whereas those with high criminal risk were more likely to be in a stable drug use class compared to an increasing drug use class (aOR=2.52, 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.64). The findings of this study indicate that changing the drug using networks of probationers may be difficult, given that most are stable over time and effective interventions to decrease substance use may need to target individual and structural factors, rather than social support and network composition. The finding that smaller networks that do change over time were associated with lower rates of drug use indicates that programs could also focus on mechanisms that determine how and why probationers choose drug using network members. Reducing drug using peers for corrections-involved populations may be difficult, but can lead to lower drug use rates which can also reduce recidivism. Details: Richmond, VA: Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 9, 2017 at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4446&context=etd Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4446&context=etd Shelf Number: 147616 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug Offenders Probationers Social Network Analysis |
Author: Griffin, Darrin J. Title: Werther Effect in Active Shooter Events Summary: If it bleeds it leads - this is an unfortunate but real mentality in the industry of news media. Reporting practices have led to what is perceived as sensationalism of negative events. The Werther effect establishes the connection between publicized suicide events and a spike in incidents of suicide that follow (see Kim et al., 2013). Given the established behavior of the Werther effect, investigations should seek to understand what impact, if any, media publicizing has on copycat behavior of other life-ending incidents. Recently, active shooter events have become heavily publicized in the media. This begets a logical question: Are there copycat active shooters that seem to be motivated by media? This study served to explore the possible presence of copycat phenomena of contemporary active shooters through media sensationalism. Through the analysis of shooters' written manifestos available through public record we examined references made within their writings to previous active shooters. This relational data was input into social network analysis software (i.e., UCINET) to construct a network visualization. Google Trend analytics were also used to explore whether media portrayals might be driving interest in past active shooters - especially Columbine and Virginia Tech (VT). Findings support the notion of an idolization effect in the context of active shooters with the focus being on the large shootings of the past. The need for journalist ethics in active shooting contexts is discussed. Details: Unpublished paper, 2014. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 13, 2018 at: http://djgriffin.people.ua.edu/uploads/6/3/6/5/63651523/submission_version_werther_effect_in_active_shooter_events_alabama_communication_conference__1_.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://djgriffin.people.ua.edu/uploads/6/3/6/5/63651523/submission_version_werther_effect_in_active_shooter_events_alabama_communication_conference__1_.pdf Shelf Number: 149459 Keywords: Active ShooterCopycat CrimesGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesJournalistsMass MediaMass ShootingsSocial Network AnalysisWerther Effect |
Author: Hollywood, John Title: Using Social Media and Social Network Analysis in Law Enforcement. Creating a Research Agenda, Including Business Cases, Protections, and Technology Needs Summary: In April 2017, the National Institute of Justice convened an expert panel to identify high-priority needs for law enforcement's use of social media and social network analysis. The panel characterized business cases for employing social media and social network analysis in law enforcement, including monitoring for short-term safety threats in postings; identifying those at high risk of involvement in violence, either acutely or chronically; and investigating specific crimes and organized crime networks. The panel also specified a core case not to do: monitoring of First Amendment-protected activity for vague purposes. The panel next specified a framework for providing computer security, privacy, and civil rights protections when employing these types of analysis. The framework includes data protections for ensuring legal backings and information security; analytic protections for ensuring protection of findings, legal backing, and equitable justice outcomes; and protections on enforcement actions to ensure consistent and equitable actions and outcomes. Finally, the panel identified and prioritized needs for innovation related to social media and social network analysis. The first part of the resulting innovation agenda concerns developing policies and strategies, including best practices for transparency and collaborative decisionmaking with communities, as well as model policies. The second part is technical development, starting with assessing current tools and how they might be better tailored to law enforcement. The third part concerns law enforcement-specific training, starting with assessing gaps in current training. Training on legal issues is a short-term priority. The final part is creation of a help desk to help law enforcement agencies navigate requests to social media companies and interpret the resulting data. Key Findings - Business cases for social media and social network analysis The panel discussed five core business cases for employing social media and social network analysis in law enforcement: monitoring for activity indicating short-term safety threats in postings, and communicating responses as needed; identifying those at high risk for involvement in violence; actively monitoring the high-risk to see whether violence may be imminent; investigating organized crime networks; and investigating specific crimes. The panel also discussed one core case not to do: monitoring First Amendment-protected activity for vague or unspecified purposes. Core security, privacy, and civil rights protections Data protections relate primarily to documenting procedures and policies, and having protections for, data searches and collections. Analysis protections provide a common set of policies and procedures needed for the deployment and use of analytic tools drawing on social media and other personal communications data. Action protections ensure both that policing practices are not distorted and that both enforcement and social service actions are employed consistently and equitably. An innovation agenda for social media analysis and social network analysis in law enforcement The first part of the expert panel's innovation agenda is to support working with communities to develop policies and strategies for using social media and social network analysis. The second part is technical research on law enforcement-specific social media and social network analysis. The third part is supporting law enforcement-specific training on social media and social network analysis. The final part is creation of a help desk to help law enforcement agencies navigate requests to social media companies. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 27, 2018 at: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2301.html Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2301.html Shelf Number: 150934 Keywords: InternetLaw Enforcement TechnologyPolice TechnologySocial MediaSocial Network Analysis |
Author: Everton, Sean F. Title: Tracking, Destabilizing and Disrupting Dark Networks with Social Networks Analysis Summary: This guide introduces how to use social network analysis to develop strategies for tracking and disrupting dark networks (i.e., criminal, terrorist networks). While much of its focus is on social network analysis, it is more than a methodological handbook. It includes a strategic emphasis as well. It is one thing to learn how to estimate basic social network analysis metrics. It is quite another to learn how to place such metrics within a larger strategic framework. That is why this introduction begins by briefly outlining how we understand social network analysiss strategic role for destabilizing and disrupting networks. (It is a topic that we turn to in more detail in the final chapter.) After this outline, it turns to the unique challenges that dark networks pose for analysts, including those employing social network analysis. It concludes with an overview of what is to come in the following chapters. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2008. 220p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Dec. 7, 2018 at: https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/34415 Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/34415 Shelf Number: 153946 Keywords: Dark Networks Internet Crimes Social Network Analysis |