Posts Tagged ‘research’
Posted on: July 5th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Being a victim of crime affects the victim personally, and the larger community. This is a series of blog posts about victims of crime in Canada. Throughout the series, I draw on several current resources to help us understand victimization, and why preventing victimization is smart on crime.
We need to understand victimization, and the needs of victims of crime, because of the impact being a victim has on their lives, and the huge cost to society. As a caring society we need to support victims. We need to help them overcome the trauma they have experienced.
Here are a few things you might not know about victims of crime in Canada:
- Only one quarter of Canadians reported being victims in 2009
- 93% of Canadians feel safe and think they will not become victims
- 81% of assault victims know the perpetrator
- 50% of victims of a violent crime suffer moderate or extreme distress
- The cost of pain and suffering experienced by victims of crime in 2008 totaled over $65 billion
- In 2004, 2% of the population experienced 60% of all violent crime
Information like this raises questions about how to best support people when they become victims of crime. For example, what is it about that 2% of the population that make them so vulnerable to violent crime? What can we do to help them? Can we prevent further victimization?
I will look at these questions in more depth in three additional blog posts. I will take a look at the importance of addressing root causes of crime, the consequences and aftermath for victims of crime and supports for victims within our Waterloo Region community.
Resources used in this post:
Introduction to Intervention with Crime Victims (2011)
Multiple Victimization in Canada, 2004
Author: Tracie McGrath-Levis
Tracie McGrath-Levi is a completing a student placement with WRCPC and has contributed previous posts to Smart on Crime. In addition to completing her Bachelor of Social Work degree at Renison College, University of Waterloo, Tracie works full-time with the John Howard Society in Milton. In her role there Tracie works in court four days a week in an adult diversion program and in bail.
Posted on: June 22nd, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Early this week, the U.S. Justice Department launched a new website. Crime Solutions does one simple thing – it tells me what works and what doesn’t when it comes to effective programs and initiatives in criminal justice, crime prevention and services for victims of crime.
I love their simple, and visual, rating system. It uses evidence based research to tell me whether or not a program is successful at achieving its goals. Brilliant.
If you’re a research geek like many of us in the Crime Prevention Council office, you can also dig into the methodology behind the reviews, the evaluation outcomes and the studies referenced in the process.
Smart on Crime in Waterloo Region clearly supports evidence based practice for crime prevention. In fact, we would go so far as to say that being smart on crime means we support initiatives and programs that are shown to work or have promise, and that we stop supporting initiatives and programs that don’t work.
Makes good, smart sense.
Public Safety Canada also publishes a list of Promising and Model Crime Prevention Programs. It’s always great to have access to Canadian examples and several of the projects listed in this report we are familiar with. It would be great to see some more dynamic information about the programs… the U.S Justice Department just might be leading the way on that front.
Posted on: June 17th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Waterloo Region is host to the fifth largest population of newcomers in Canada. As a student completing my masters in social work and doing a work placement at the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council (WRCPC), I’ve come to wonder about the perceptions that citizens have about immigration and crime. During my time at WRCPC, this topic really caught my interest because I am very interested in new comers’ experiences and addressing the challenges they face when integrating into Canadian society.
Last year, approximately 280,000 immigrants were granted permanent residence status in Canada, making 2010 the highest in over fifty years. In the June issue of The Walrus magazine, Rachel Giese writes a very relevant article, “Arrival of the Fittest”. She sets the context for a discussion on dropping crime rates and rising immigrant within the story of a ship from Sri Lanka carrying 492 Tamils, including women and children. She brings attention to the poor reception of these refugees who desired to come to Canada to flee the devastation in their country, twenty-six years of civil war and the 2004 tsunami. Giese talks about Canada’s lack of understanding or empathy for this population, who have been referred to as “gatecrashers” for wanting to come to Canada for safety.
Canada’s acceptance of immigrants has become and will continue to become one of the staples of our economy. In my studies I have come to understand that not only is immigration necessary for the stability of our workforce and economy, but it also allows Canada to welcome a variety of talented, caring and unique individuals and families into our diverse nation. Giese points to a recent Canadian poll that found that 46% of Canadians believed immigration was having a negative effect on the country. Additionally, she mentions that “in times of social upheaval and economic hardship, immigrants are a convenient scapegoat, accused of bringing with them an element of deviance and criminality: they upset the social order, the line goes, steal our jobs and our property, and ruin our neighborhoods.”
But, is there really evidence to show that immigration contributes to higher crime rates? On the contrary, “Arrival of the Fittest” suggests that crime rates are dropping as immigration increases, especially in areas with high immigrant populations. Several American studies mentioned in this Time magazine article show similar evidence that increased immigration does not lead to increased crime. For example, results of one study showed that third generation Americans were 45% more likely to commit violent acts than first generation immigrants of any background.
I believe that we have some valuable lessons to learn from the sense of community and support that new comer populations often bring with them from other countries. A connected community means a strong community. Instead of allowing new comers to become the “scapegoat” for criminal activity and crime rates, Canadians should take advantage of the opportunity to get to know their neighbours, no matter where they were born, and forge a new, stronger sense of community. A community where neighbours accept, care and look out for one another. Just some food for thought!
Author: Jacinda Clouthier
In addition to completing her Masters of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University, Jacinda works with Veteran’s Affairs in Pembroke,Ontario, assisting ill or injured military members upon their return from the Canadian Forces.
Posted on: May 20th, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Over the last 5 years, the province of Alberta (Canada) has been making and taking great strides in proactive crime prevention. Not just in theory, but in practice. Just last week, they released their Crime Prevention Framework.
“Research has shown us that reacting to crime with enforcement efforts does not result in reduction [of crime] to the levels Albertans want to see. Crime prevention through policies and programs that address the underlying factors contributing to crime is necessary if we are to make Alberta a safer place.”
“Crime prevention is a responsibility shared by individual citizens, families, neighbourhoods, municipalities, community-based service delivery agencies, the private sector, and all levels of government.”
It sounds like we’re singing from the same songbook… Here in Waterloo Region, we also have a root causes/risk factors approach to crime prevention and the belief that together, we can make our community stronger and safer.
‘Smart on crime’ is growing!
Posted on: April 29th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Each month we focus on research, blogs and news from around the world addressing smart approaches to crime prevention. We’re always on the lookout for websites and resources to draw from. Since the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy (WRIDS) Task Force is deep into the data collection phase of their project, it seems only fitting that we share some items related to substance use and addictions within communities.
The following programs and initiatives illustrate several Smart on Crime directions including Education and Learning, as they aim to educate clinicians and the public about diverse ways to deal with substance use.
- [Canada] The Calgary Drug Treatment Court (CDTC) started operations in May of 2007 having obtained funding through the City of Calgary. The program requires offenders to complete three stages: a mandatory residential treatment stage, a rehabilitation stage to help men and women re-enter the community as clean, sober, crime-free citizens, and a graduation and sentencing stage. Lasting an average of 18 months, offenders are required to appear weekly before a judge and participate in regular drug testing. A multi-disciplinary approach fosters success for participants by providing wrap-around services for those seeking help.
More information: The Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Courts
- [United States] The ‘warm line’ is a free, nationwide service launched recently on April 8, 2011 which offers peer-to-peer mentorship and resources for primary care physicians on incorporating screening and follow-up for substance-using patients into regular patient care. The ‘warm line’ service offers responses within 24 hours to physicians and other health care providers at no cost. Registration is required, and all physicians are provided with the contact information of a mentor who is a specialist in screening, brief intervention, treatment and referral for patients with substance use problems. Mentors can then be contacted, via phone or email, with specific questions about clinical situations involving alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. The initiative stresses the importance of the patient-doctor relationship in identifying unhealthy behaviors before they evolve into life threatening conditions.
Screening Tool Examples | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- [Kenya] Drug addiction? Try community therapy. The Therapeutic Community (TC) model has the ability to heal, restore and transform an addict. Research-based evidence by the International Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has documented the success of this model in treating individuals with drug problems stemming from social and psychological causes. Its success comes from peers helping peers and “community as method,” ensuring everyone in the community plays a role.
Locally, the Stonehenge Therapeutic Community in Guelph is an example of the initiative recommended for those communities dealing with addiction issues including Cost Province, Kenya.
Therapeutic Community | Stonehenge Therapuetic Community
Authored by: Tracie McGrath-Levis, BSW Practicum Student to WRCPC
What additional resources would you recommend related to women, violence and crime? Have your read anything thought provoking that you care to share? Post a comment to let us (and other readers) know about it!
Posted on: April 26th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Sounds like a smart approach to me.
As the United States struggles to deal with its over-burdened and over-flowing prison system, a great deal of evidence-based research is emerging that points toward options for reducing over-incarceration without compromising public safety and improving approaches for dealing with complex social issues.
A recent publication from the U.S. based Justice Policy Institute, “compares and contrasts the criminal justice policies and social, economic, and governmental structures of five countries – Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Finland and Germany – to the United States.”
“The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation and holds 25 percent of the world’s total imprisoned population,” said JPI executive director Tracy Velázquez. “As federal, state, and local governments are trying to make ends meet during particularly difficult economic times, they need to broadly rethink what options might be available to them. We hope this report helps policymakers re-imagine justice systems to save taxpayers money, treat people fairly and make us safer at the same time.”
This report also contains relevant information for Canada!
Posted on: March 24th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Just think about it… a research centre whose sole purpose is to think creatively about how the courts and justice system can better serve citizens. That’s what you’ll find in the U.S.-based Center for Court Innovation that grew out of one Manhattan community court experiment in 1993. In 18 years, the evidence for community courts has shown that engaging the community in the court system, where they live, and providing practical, proactive approaches to solving individual and community issues leads to longer and more lasting change.
The Center for Court Innovation maintains a practice of “innovation based on evidence”. And others within the U.S. justice system, at the very top levels, agree. Mary Lou Leary of the U.S. Department of Justice sees the effectiveness of community courts in 5 basic principles; they:
- reduce crime by addressing root causes
- streamline the justice system by providing access directly within the community
- change sentencing practices of the courts by providing the system with more options than just fines and punishment
- solve individual problems with unique solutions
- increase public trust in the justice system
Watch this 10 minute video which highlights examples from across the U.S. My favourite part is at minute 7:15 where the Dallas Police Chief, David Brown, states, “community court is not soft on crime. It’s being smartest on crime; there’s smart, smarter and smartest. The smartest law enforcement agencies attend to the social service needs of the people who live there”.
Justice, community and civic leaders involved in community courts seem to be driven by the passion for change for people and the creative solutions to help them get there. That seems smart on crime to me: evidence-based, collaborative, cooperative, flexible and responsive and with a social change orientation.
There are currently 37 community courts in the United States, one in Vancouver, British Columbia, one in Liverpool, England and one in Melbourne Australia.
Posted on: March 16th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
Each month we focus on research, blogs and news from around the world addressing smart approaches to crime prevention. We’re always on the lookout for websites and resources to draw from. March kicked off with International Women’s Day earlier this month. It seems only fitting that we share some items related to women.
- [International] In 2007, the world’s population of people living in cities reached 50% and half of that number is women and girls. In many cities, women and girls remain particularly vulnerable to violence and crime. Women in Cities International (WICI) uses participatory research methods with groups of women in Argentina, Russia, Tanzania and India to produce the baseline findings in “Learning from women to create gender inclusive cities“. WICI doesn’t mince words when they say ensuring women’s safety should be of primary concern for urban governance and city development.
Download the Report | My City! My Safety! | WICI website
Download the Report | ICPC Website
- [United States] The state of Oklahoma sends more women to prison (per capita) than any other U.S. state. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse aims to change that with its own “smart on crime” plan. Their proposal includes alternative interventions and programs at 17 different points between an arrest and incarceration. Their aim is to reduce prison costs, provide more rehabilitative options and reduce the impact of incarceration on families.
- [International] And of course, there are all the resources from the UN Women program for gender equality and the empowerment of women. They have pan-national studies, statistics and best practices beyond your imagination.
What additional resources would you recommend related to women, violence and crime? Have your read anything thought provoking that you care to share? Post a comment to let us (and other readers) know about it!
Posted on: March 8th, 2011 by Smart on Crime
International Women’s Day has come and gone 100 times and still, much remains to be done to address the inequitable status experienced by women and girls in all societies. Why does this matter for crime prevention?
Well, two World Health Organization (WHO) reports outline clearly that inequality can and does lead to violence: sexual violence, physical violence and emotional violence. All forms of violence are disproportionately experienced by women and girls in all countries across the world. The WHO advocates for an approach that addresses ALL aspects of violence where inequality is manifest; at home, in our communities, and finally in society at large.
Violence prevention: the evidence
Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: Taking action and generating evidence
The WHO reports also show that in all areas, a direct connection can be made between experiences of inequality and experiences of violence. Women and girls remain less valued, less paid, less powerful than their male counterparts. When coupled with issues of problematic substance use, easy access to weapons, differential value based on gender and a family history of abuse and neglect, the consequences are all too visible in the lives of so many.
But not all is lost. And that is what makes the WHO reports so SMART. They show, through research, that as we make changes to the inequitable status of women and girls, violence decreases. School based programmes that challenge the perceptions that girls are inferior have been shown to be particularly effective. I encourage you to read the reports and look for areas where you can strive to implement more equal practices in your places of work, the community, at home and your places of faith.
Author: Christiane Sadeler, ED, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Posted on: February 28th, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
In a recent report, Why Canadian Crime Statistics Don’t Add Up: Not the Whole Truth, written for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, author Scott Newark argues that violent crime has actually increased in Canada despite Statistics Canada reporting a decrease in violent crimes for the past decade. We could have predicted the controversy this would cause. Professor Anthony Doob and lawyer Edward Greenspan, among others, are taking Newark to task on the research methodology used for this report.
Doob and Greenspan contend that Newark’s report is flawed by his use of data that cannot be compared statistically. To get even more technical, they also suggest that Newark uses numbers from older reports with different definitions of “violence” and that he looks at overall numbers of violent crime without accounting for increases in population. Doob and Greenspan are unequivocal that these are statistical errors that end up showing an increase when in reality there was a decrease.
Anna Maria Tremonti recently interviewed Scott Newark on The Current. Audio of the interview can be found online. It is well worth a listen as Tremonti digs into the challenges of presenting and interpreting complex data like crime statistics.
While the debate about the data continues, the fact remains that Canada’s public safety and crime policies will be influenced by one set of data or another.
And that’s why numbers matter.
