niki colombino - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by niki colombino
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 2015
Although ample evidence demonstrates that sex crime policies focused on "stranger danger" types o... more Although ample evidence demonstrates that sex crime policies focused on "stranger danger" types of offenses that occur in public places do little, if anything, to reduce sex crime, we have much less data with which to inform primary prevention strategies. Using archival data collected from the files of 1468 sex offenders, this study provides empirical data on offense location and how it varies by victim-offender relationship. Though 4% of cases occurred in areas normally restricted by residence restrictions or child safety zone legislation, only 0.05% of the offenses were perpetrated by a stranger against a minor victim in a restricted location. By providing narrative descriptions of the types of sex crimes that occur in child-dense locations, this study provides a richer and more contextualized notion of the nature of risk in public-restricted locations. Given the infrequent occurrence of sex crimes in child-dense locations, it is argued that tertiary sex crime prevention efforts ought to focus on where sex crimes most frequently occur (i.e., in the home and by known perpetrators) and that resources be shifted to primary prevention.
The Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology, 2014
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2011
Justice Research and Policy, 2009
Residence restriction laws, which aim to restrict known sex offenders from residing near child-de... more Residence restriction laws, which aim to restrict known sex offenders from residing near child-dense community structures, appear, in part, to be based on the assumption that sex offenders are likely to seek out their victims in public places where children congregate. The current study examined the locations where offenders first came into contact with their victims and the locations where offenders perpetrated offenses. Archival case files (N = 405) of adult male sex offenders were analyzed to determine the frequency with which sex offenders met their victims and offended in public, semipublic, or private locations. Descriptive analyses revealed that 76.5% of the sex offenders in this sample met their victims in private locations, while 7.7% met their victims in semi-public settings, and 15.8% met their victims in public settings. Similarly, 82.2% of index offenses took place in private locations, while 10.9% and 6.9% occurred in semi-public and public locations, respectively. Given that a minority of offenses occur in public settings, sex offender-specific legislation that restricts offender access to childdense places may be most effective if tailored narrowly to offender subtypes most likely to seek out victims in public places.
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 2015
Although ample evidence demonstrates that sex crime policies focused on "stranger danger" types o... more Although ample evidence demonstrates that sex crime policies focused on "stranger danger" types of offenses that occur in public places do little, if anything, to reduce sex crime, we have much less data with which to inform primary prevention strategies. Using archival data collected from the files of 1468 sex offenders, this study provides empirical data on offense location and how it varies by victim-offender relationship. Though 4% of cases occurred in areas normally restricted by residence restrictions or child safety zone legislation, only 0.05% of the offenses were perpetrated by a stranger against a minor victim in a restricted location. By providing narrative descriptions of the types of sex crimes that occur in child-dense locations, this study provides a richer and more contextualized notion of the nature of risk in public-restricted locations. Given the infrequent occurrence of sex crimes in child-dense locations, it is argued that tertiary sex crime prevention efforts ought to focus on where sex crimes most frequently occur (i.e., in the home and by known perpetrators) and that resources be shifted to primary prevention.
The Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology, 2014
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2011
Justice Research and Policy, 2009
Residence restriction laws, which aim to restrict known sex offenders from residing near child-de... more Residence restriction laws, which aim to restrict known sex offenders from residing near child-dense community structures, appear, in part, to be based on the assumption that sex offenders are likely to seek out their victims in public places where children congregate. The current study examined the locations where offenders first came into contact with their victims and the locations where offenders perpetrated offenses. Archival case files (N = 405) of adult male sex offenders were analyzed to determine the frequency with which sex offenders met their victims and offended in public, semipublic, or private locations. Descriptive analyses revealed that 76.5% of the sex offenders in this sample met their victims in private locations, while 7.7% met their victims in semi-public settings, and 15.8% met their victims in public settings. Similarly, 82.2% of index offenses took place in private locations, while 10.9% and 6.9% occurred in semi-public and public locations, respectively. Given that a minority of offenses occur in public settings, sex offender-specific legislation that restricts offender access to childdense places may be most effective if tailored narrowly to offender subtypes most likely to seek out victims in public places.