Criminology

Our growing Criminology list takes a critical stance and features boundary-pushing work with innovative, research-led publications.  

A particular focus of the list are books that engage with our global social challenges, both on a local and international level. We aim to publish books in a wide range of formats that will have real impact and shape public discourse. 

Criminology

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This chapter explores how the isolation and remoteness of islands might influence and inflect criminological theorizing. As touched on in Chapter 2, islands have tended to be imagined through a Western lens as spaces that are both idealized and feared; their separateness and isolation prompt visions of paradise, but also dislocation and banishment. Island isolation promises a reprieve from the pressures of ‘mainstream’ (‘mainland’) society, but for those who emigrate (or are exiled) to islands, also implies abandonment – the island-dweller either abandoning mainland society, or indeed mainland society abandoning them. This chapter considers the use of islands as sites for managing sick and polluted bodies, including through quarantine stations and lock hospitals, drawing parallels to the way that islands have been used for banishment of the criminal body (for example, islands as prisons). Overall, we argue that criminology has often lacked critical engagement with public health, despite its historical and contemporary significance in regulating bodies, and despite frequent crossover in the use of isolated island spaces to prevent pollution of the body politic by ‘disappearing’ sick, poor, and criminal classes. This chapter seeks to at least partially correct this.

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Online misogyny is a form of online abuse against women and girls which is rooted in a hatred and mistrust of women which seeks to silence them and reinforce gender inequalities. This study extends existing research in this area by examining online misogyny within the context of the #MeToo movement. The #MeToo movement created a safe space for women to share their experiences of sexual violence, and while this promoted solidarity, support and healing, there was also an abusive backlash towards the women involved. Based on a thematic analysis of abusive YouTube comments directed at women sharing their experiences of rape, it was found that 69 per cent of abusive comments were characterised by one or more of the seven rape myths: she asked for it, it wasn’t really rape, he didn’t mean to, she wanted it, she lied, rape is a trivial event, and rape is a deviant event. This article discusses each rape myth and demonstrates how rape myths are (re)produced in online misogyny towards victims/survivors of rape and concludes by arguing this response attempts to discredit victims/survivors, the #MeToo movement and disrupt the safe space the movement created to derail the collective conversation about men’s violence against women and girls.

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Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (GBV) has become an increasing issue in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic which prompted a significant rise in online activity. In addition to amplifying traditional forms of abusive behaviours such as stalking, bullying and sexual harassment, information and communication technologies have facilitated new manifestations of violence such as image-based abuse, doxing, gendertrolling, impersonation and hacking, among others. Women, children, sexual, religious and ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable groups are particularly vulnerable to elevated risks of experiencing violence. Based on findings from a scoping review, this article discusses how certain key stakeholders – identified as technology companies, government and legal systems, and social support systems – are used in the help-seeking process by those who have experienced technology-facilitated GBV. We seek to highlight particular nuances which key actors must consider when addressing technology-facilitated GBV and summarise gaps and propose recommendations to inform policy and programming efforts in low- and middle-income countries across Asia.

Open access

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a key area of concern hindering progress towards gender equality. Students at university are especially vulnerable to sexual assault and intimate partner violence, but the mental health effects of such violence (and of the burden of reporting) may not be considered during university investigations. This article provides an overview of the current guidelines for investigating GBV in university proceedings in the UK context and offers concrete recommendations to better account for mental health in such inquiries.

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A movement in higher education policy within the United States is being made to require affirmative consent: a verbal ‘yes’ or some form of clear nonverbal communication that means yes. As a means to address nonverbal communication in sexual situations, the authors focused this study around the question of what do traditionally-aged college students believe constitutes nonverbal consent? Participants included 27 undergraduate students, ages ranging from 18 to 24 years. Findings revealed a series of 12 nonverbal behaviours that exhibited different forms of what the participants saw as constituting affirmative sexual consent. These behaviours included sex noises and/or heavy breathing, nodding, display or use of a contraceptive, arousal, and removing another individual’s clothing, among others. The authors utilise Sexual Scripts Theory and previous literature to analyse the findings. The main key implication from this study is that without a contextual setting, nonverbal indicators of sexual consent are difficult to interpret and highly conditional.

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This article examines the window of opportunity concept and its implications for police officers’ and social workers’ perceptions of abused women’s agency. The study consists of a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with eight police officers and eight social workers who have worked according to the so-called Icelandic model. This model is based on the assumption that a window of opportunity exists. It is thus a relevant case for analysing the concept’s implications for practical work with and support of abused women.

We found that the empirical basis for the window of opportunity concept was meagre. However, the professionals working with domestic violence thought that the concept was relevant, useful and in accordance with their experiences. During the time period they perceived as the window of opportunity, they attributed agency to abused women, and considered it important to offer support before the window closed. At the same time, they tended to underestimate women’s agency, and viewed a choice not to accept support as a sign that the woman had returned to the abuser.

Open access