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The surge of interest in digital currencies has led to a corresponding global increase in Ponzi schemes associated with cryptocurrencies. Scammers of cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes often target older adults who are cash-rich and have limited knowledge of digital assets. Therefore, to reduce the number of victims, it is imperative to increase the understanding of the crime itself. However, there remains a paucity of scholarly exploration focused on the criminal mechanisms underpinning such schemes and the strategic decision-making process of the perpetrators. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature and enhance the current understanding of cryptocurrency-based Ponzi schemes through an examination of their operational tactics. The methodology employed in this study distinguishes the progression of these schemes into two stages: the pre-crime phase and the criminal event phase, each scripted for further clarity, yielding three scripts for the former and eleven for the latter. Based on these parsed narratives, this research proposes several policy strategies aimed at curtailing the prevalence of cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies have been made of different subtypes of individuals who committed sexual homicides, the research into nonstranger and stranger sexual homicides remains limited. This study therefore aimed to examine whether those who sexually murder nonstrangers differ from those who kill strangers. Data derived from police records, court documents, and published case reports spanning a 31 year period (1988–2018) in mainland China were used to examine the modus operandi of 127 males who committed sexual homicides (45 nonstranger and 82 stranger cases). Relative to nonstranger sexual homicides, stranger sexual homicides were more likely to have been committed by individuals with a previous sexual offense conviction and the victims were more likely to have been single and employed at the time of the offense. Furthering the analysis, a logistic regression found that individuals who targeted strangers were significantly more likely to have committed their homicide at an outdoor location, to have been sexually motivated, and to have used murder weapons that required more physical strength than those who killed nonstranger victims. These findings can be informative to law enforcement agents and security professionals in their investigative processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to analyze the configurational aspects of intentional homicide cases that occurred in the city of Maceió (AL) between the years 2015 and 2017. The proposed methodological design consisted of a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach, based on data provided by the Civil and Military Police of the state of Alagoas and the State Secretariat for Resocialization and Social Inclusion It was found that: homicides recorded during the aforementioned period were more frequent on weekends, during nighttime hours; Public streets were the main locations for the occurrence of these crimes, with qualitative differences associated with the victim's gender; The dynamics of criminality were described as the main motivating factor for the analyzed cases; The profiles of the victim and the aggressor show similarities in terms of gender, race, age group, and education level; Both findings corroborate those of national and international studies. The need for specialized long-term studies was also highlighted in order to identify the conditions that contribute to the sustainability of the homicide configurations identified and described in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comparative examination of different groups of sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) is currently limited. To expand our understanding of Chinese sexual homicides, this study aimed to distinguish between the modus operandi (MO) characteristics of repeat (i.e., with previous arrest and/or conviction) and nonrepeat (i.e., without previous arrest and/or conviction) offenders. Data were gathered from police arrest records, court documents, and published case reports in mainland China, covering a 31‐year period (1988–2018). A sample of 86 male SHOs (31 repeat and 55 nonrepeat offenders) was identified and the offenders' MO characteristics were examined. Compared with nonrepeat offenders, repeat offenders were significantly more likely to commit sexual murder in outdoor locations, approach their victims initially using a non‐surprise approach, engage in nonvaginal penetration of their victims, use a personal weapon to kill their victims, and move their victims' bodies away from the crime scene. However, repeat offenders were less likely to be arrested immediately after committing the murder. The findings have practical implications for police investigative strategies, such as suspect prioritization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The relevance of preventing and solving such crimes is growing, and a special place in this is occupied by forensic research, in particular, the analysis of modus operandi of criminals. The purpose of the study was to investigate the modus operandi of serial sex offenders. Methods. The main method of research was criminal profiling based on 50 cases in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, for which the verdict was passed. Results. A number of indicators were investigated, including the characteristic method of attack, the choice of the victim, how the contact with the victim was established, and the method of committing the offence. As a result, it was established that criminals can be divided into two characteristic types according to modus operandi: the first type carries out a sudden attack or pursuit of the victim, is characterised by a violent method of attack, and the crime is often accompanied by bodily harm. The psycho-emotional portrait of attackers of this type is characterised by greater impulsivity and spontaneity of actions. The main motivation for committing a crime is to satisfy a sexual urge. Criminals of the second cluster tend to commit planned attacks, mostly indoors, establish contact with the victim, resort to manipulation and threats. They have a less pronounced passion and tend to plan crimes. The dominant motivation can be either sexual or the satisfaction of sadistic tendencies and dominance. Conclusions. This study focuses on the characteristic modus operandi and psychological characteristics of criminals who commit serial sexual offences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penelitian ini mengkaji modus pendanaan terorisme yang digunakan oleh Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) berdasarkan Analisis Putusan No. 308/PID.SUS/2020/PN JKT.TIM. Temuan penelitian menyoroti beragam metode pendanaan yang digunakan oleh JI, termasuk pembentukan badan usaha, infaq anggota, dana dari masyarakat, usaha di sektor perkebunan kelapa sawit, dan dana dari organisasi teror luar negeri seperti Al Qaeda. Analisis menunjukkan bahwa dalam konteks infaq anggota, terjadi variasi dalam besaran sumbangan yang mungkin dipengaruhi oleh kepemimpinan internal, menunjukkan fleksibilitas dalam model pendanaan JI. Selain itu, pemanfaatan usaha di sektor perkebunan kelapa sawit di Sumatera sebagai sumber pendapatan utama menyoroti strategi diversifikasi sumber pendapatan yang digunakan oleh JI. Saran dari penelitian ini mencakup pentingnya pemblokiran pendanaan terorisme dan perlunya pengembangan lebih lanjut terhadap analisis ini. Kolaborasi dengan lembaga seperti PPATK menjadi kunci untuk melakukan analisis yang lebih mendalam terkait temuan ini. Upaya bersama antara pemerintah, lembaga penegak hukum, dan lembaga keuangan sangat diperlukan untuk mengatasi masalah pendanaan terorisme ini secara efektif. Dengan pemahaman yang mendalam tentang modus pendanaan terorisme oleh JI, diharapkan langkah-langkah preventif yang lebih efektif dapat diambil untuk menjaga keamanan nasional dan regional

This study explored the existence of the profile of the rapist in Spain, as well as the differences between sexual aggressors according to the age of the victim, in relation to the modus operandi and the previous relationship, and the effect that the latter variable could have on the victimization theme. For this purpose, a non-experimental study was carried out with a sample of 36 sentences of those convicted of rape in Spain, in the period December 2023 and January 2024. Statistically significant differences were found between offenders who chose victims under 16 years of age and those who chose victims 16 years of age or older in the modus operandi, the existence of a previous relationship and kinship. In addition, the absence of a clear profile of rapist was confirmed. However, no significant differences were found in the victimization theme. It is concluded that, given the characteristics of the rapist found, together with the differences in the modus operandi, emphasis should be placed on intervention prior to the criminal act, as well as on individualizing prevention and intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of government institutes offering affordable super specialty and tertiary healthcare in India has traditionally not been able to keep pace with the growth in population, most of whom are too poor to be able to afford private healthcare services. To meet this mandate, 6 new institutes built on the template of the premier institute of the country—the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi—were founded and began operations in 2012. Using the progress of our department as an example, the aim of this report is to outline the principles that were followed to set up the department of neurosurgery. The Department of Neurosurgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, began providing services in August 2017. Data related to the inception and development of the department were collected. The department has grown during the past 5 years from 400 outpatients and 79 inpatients in 2017 to 11,144 outpatients and 1624 inpatients in 2022. Only 59 surgeries were performed in 2017 compared with 597 routine and 311 emergency procedures performed in 2022. Currently, the department has 7 faculty members performing all forms of complex skull base, craniovertebral junction, vascular, endovascular, epilepsy, and functional surgeries. A total of 134 studies have been reported in national and international journals, and 8 patents have been granted. We report the unique experiences of one department that could be useful as a template and as guidelines for the establishment process of a new department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El abuso sexual de menores online ha aumentado a la par que el desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías. Para evitarlo necesitamos conocer las características de agresores y víctimas, así como el modus operandi. Con ese objetivo, en el presente trabajo analizamos 20 sentencias españolas (periodo 2017-2020). La muestra se compone de 20 agresores (varones, edad media = 35 años) y de 65 víctimas (46% chicas, edad media = 14 años). Aunque no existía un perfil homogéneo, como en investigaciones previas, los infractores eran mayoritariamente varones jóvenes, desconocidos y sin antecedentes penales, aunque con edad media superior. Las estrategias de persuasión eran semejantes a las de la literatura pero diferentes por sexo (engaño y coacción en chicas, corrupción en chicos). Se propuso un encuentro en persona en el 90% de los casos, que tuvo mayor aceptación cuando el agresor era conocido. La discapacidad de las víctimas es un factor de riesgo. En la discusión tratamos de desmitificar estereotipos con la finalidad de contribuir con material empírico a los programas de prevención.

The objective of this article was to analyze the modus operandi of influence strategy employed by JBS and Odebrecht to gain a competitive advantage in their relationship with the State. This work proposes an advancement in the theoretical understanding of "influence strategy" by differentiating it from the generic concept of "non-market strategy." emphasizing the active and intentional role of corporations in influencing decision-making processes for regulatory and legislative benefits. The modus operandi of campaign contributions, lobbying, partisan platforms, and corruption is demonstrated. Content analysis was used to examine over 35 hours of video with 27 executives from the respective companies. The study revealed that JBS and Odebrecht developed sophisticated methods of political influence to manipulate political decisions and favor their commercial interests. Th is allowed the identification of a complex web of interactions and influences that these corporations exert on politics and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past studies on criminal expertise showed that some sexual offenders possess skills related to avoiding detection. An important question that remains unaddressed in the literature, however, is whether unsolved cases can be used as a "proxy" for expertise. The present study sought to provide the first empirical examination of criminal expertise in a sample of solved (n = 732) and unsolved (n = 309) stranger sexual assault cases involving theft. We used binary logistic regression to determine whether behavioral indicators of criminal expertise predicted case status. Findings showed that the most relevant factors related to case solvability were not related to detection avoidance strategies used by the offender, but rather, whether semen evidence was found at the crime scene and the number of sexual acts performed against the victim. Interestingly, cases involving fetish theft were also more likely to remain unsolved. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anuario de Psicología Jurídica is the property of Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Journal on Criminology is the property of Policy Studies Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite the changes they have undergone over time, acts of terrorism and, in particular, the ways in which they are committed have remained virtually the same, in fact, as the psychology of those who commit such acts. All acts of terrorism share a number of common features: first of all, they are characterized by the transnational, international nature of the attack and a pronounced physical and psychological aggression. Acts of terrorism are also usually characterized by their complex nature. The process of learning about these acts does not always have a corresponding finality. Prosecuting authorities often gather incomplete information and draw unjustified conclusions, incorrectly determine the direction of the investigation and make errors in the process of drafting their statements. However, knowledge of the criminal event must be obtained on the basis of the provisions determining the scope and limits of evidence in criminal cases and the forensic nature of the criminal act. In relation to the work of investigating acts of terrorism, success is guaranteed by the creative use of scientific knowledge in practical work, including forensic knowledge. Only under such conditions will the decisions taken be legal and well-founded, ensuring that the results correspond to the knowledge of objective reality. In connection with this, a proper examination of the forensic nature of the crime of terrorism and how it was committed is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comprehensive survey paper offers a panoramic exploration of the dynamic realm of cybercrime policing, encompassing a wide spectrum of intricacies from cybercrime definitions to establishing a robust investigative framework. Navigating through the intricate tapestry of cybercrime, the study meticulously classifies and contextualizes cybercrime taxonomies, typologies, and defining attributes. Emphasizing the importance of a holistic understanding, the research dissects the stages of cybercriminal activities, shedding light on the multifaceted strategies employed in executing cybercrimes. By deconstructing the entire cybercrime lifecycle, this paper enhances the granularity of comprehending cyber incidents, consequently facilitating more effective investigative preparedness. An essential focal point of this investigation is the indispensable role of digital artifacts in the cybercrime landscape. The study underscores their pivotal significance in catalyzing cybercrime investigations and shaping the trajectory of law enforcement efforts. Additionally, the study probes the repercussions of cybercrime on victims, dissecting the complex interplay between public perception of policing and law enforcement’s perspective on victims. Amid the intricate challenges faced by cybercrime policing, the research uncovers diverse investigation approaches and underscores the criticality of well-defined digital investigation procedures. Moreover, the study delves into the symbiotic collaboration between public and private sectors, highlighting the joint efforts of private entities and law enforcement agencies in combatting cybercrimes. A cornerstone of this survey is the evaluative scrutiny of existing investigative models, culminating in the proposition of a robust and comprehensive cybercrime investigation framework. Rooted in meticulous research methodologies, this endeavor contributes a valuable resource poised to inform and guide future research in the ever-evolving field of cybercrime policing. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, this survey paper equips law enforcement with essential insights to navigate the complexities of cybercrime and safeguard digital realms with utmost efficacy.

Hardly any research exists that empirically compares (near-)domestic and cross-border sex trafficking. The few studies that do are based on relatively small samples and only represent US data. This study substantially extends the scarce scientific knowledge about the differences between the two types of sex trafficking, based on European data. Our sample consists of all 658 (near-)domestic sex traffickers and all 424 cross-border sex traffickers, registered by the prosecution service in 2008–2017 who are brought to court in the Netherlands. We collected data on these traffickers from registers of the prosecution service, from a file analyses on the indictments/verdicts, and from registers of Statistics Netherlands. These data provide insight into the characteristics of the traffickers, their victims and modus operandi. Our findings show that significant differences between the two types of sex trafficking exist, which is of great importance for better tailored prevention and identification strategies. The most prominent finding is that the threshold to get involved in (near-)domestic sex trafficking is lower than for cross-border sex trafficking. (Near-)domestic sex traffickers are, compared to cross-border sex traffickers, younger (as are their victims), they seldom need to migrate, they operate on a smaller scale (more one-to-one and for a shorter period of time) and practically never in a criminal organization. Furthermore, they use violent means of coercion to control their victims more frequently than cross-border sex traffickers, which can be interpreted as additional evidence for a less organized practice. These findings contribute to a more complete understanding of sex trafficking, in particular of the traffickers who were seldom the direct subject of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human trafficking is an act that contradicts the dignity and integrity of human beings. Human trafficking is becoming increasingly rampant, even reaching regions such as East Nusa Tenggara. Perpetrators of human trafficking use various methods to target victims. Human trafficking is deeply disturbing to many members of society as it contradicts human rights, thus requiring the government to promptly eradicate this crime as stipulated in Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of Human Trafficking Crimes. This study is an empirical legal research conducted in the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police and Class IIA Kupang Penitentiary. Data collection techniques involve interviews and literature studies. Both primary and secondary data are used. The processed data is analyzed qualitatively in a descriptive manner. Based on the research and discussions, the following findings can be identified: The methods used by perpetrators to target victims include enticing victims with high salaries, document forgery, victim abduction, debt entrapment, and nonprocedural/illegal recruitment of migrant workers abroad. The efforts to combat human trafficking carried out by the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police involve preemptive, preventive, and repressive measures. The obstacles faced by the police in combating human trafficking include the fact that most perpetrators are located outside the country, perpetrators operate discreetly and individually, making detection difficult. Cases are reported by parents only after their children become victims, and some parents consent to their children's illegal employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Criminological theories and widespread assumptions about crime suggest that the modus operandi involved in sexual crimes should have changed over time given various contextual changes, such as better criminological knowledge (e.g., forensic awareness) as well as improved investigative techniques (e.g., forensic evidence analysis). The aim of this study was to test whether the modus operandi patterns of individuals having committed a sexual assault against female strangers have changed over time during the period of 2003–2017. More specifically, the study has identified changes in the trends of monthly counts and (relative) participations for sexual assaults during the study period in France. The measure of participations – a concept borrowed from the field of criminal career – was used to overcome the inherent limitations associated with this type of data. Results show that despite some significant changes in the modus operandi involved in sexual crimes, overall the modus operandi patterns appear to be fairly stable over time. The findings are discussed in light of their theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In comparison to more common crimes like robbery of cash-in-transit, the idea of bank-related robbery--also known as "associated robbery"--has received very little attention. Even though the crime of bank-associated robbery has seen a large rise in instances and related losses, there is still little to no scientific research on the topic. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate and characterize the modus operandi (MO) employed in bank-related robberies, a crime phenomenon that appears to be specific to South Africa. Eleven participants who are subject matter experts (SMEs) on the topic participated in in-depth qualitative interviews to learn more about the phenomena. According to the report, bank-related robberies fall into two primary categories: robberies that occur before cash deposits and those that occur after cash withdrawals. The police do not categorize bank-related robberies in the same way that the banking industry does, which is the biggest obstacle to preventative efforts. In order to address the aforementioned issue, this study adds to the body of knowledge on the subject in order to inform prevention initiatives. The results also show that carrying a lot of cash increases the risk of becoming a victim of crime for bank customers. Therefore, it is advised that bank customers carry the least amount of cash possible on them to make themselves less appealing to robbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

While many scholars acknowledge terrorist innovation as a crucial issue, it still remains a rather under-researched phenomenon. This paper intends to map the field in order to propose an original conceptualization of terrorist innovation. In doing so, it draws on the Terrorism Studies, Strategic Studies, and Business Studies literatures to propose a definition of terrorist innovation, while also distinguishing between the categories of tactical, operational, and strategic innovation. Additionally, enriched with empirical observations, the paper explores potential drivers of the innovation process. Finally, it provides a set of suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovations such as digitalisation have an increasingly important role in our society. This development is also reflected in police work. In particular, the access to information on a global scale has increased the international character, adaptivity, and fluidity of criminal organisations. As such, there is a pressing need to better understand the evolving nature of these organisations and their associated modus operandi. While digitalisation enables access to lots of information and yields information overload challenges, developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer new opportunities to tackle these challenges. In particular, they provide support in the automatic extraction and analysis of unstructured sources of information to efficiently make sense of large amounts of textual information sources. In this paper, we will explore the potential and challenges of various AI methods to extract criminal modus operandi from unstructured open text sources, like law court sentences. Such open text sources are reliable information sources that include detailed validated information on the criminal activities and the modus operandi evolution in a given country. The application of this approach offers an alternative to the examination of classified police information and it also facilitates cross-country comparisons. The inherent complexity of modus operandi and the unstructured character of law court sentences yield the need to align and structure the modus operandi question with particular text mining methods. Specifically, we propose a step-wise approach to analyse automatic extraction of modus operandi-related problems via exploration, detection, and categorisation analysis. This decomposition enables to align these problems to specific functions of text-mining or machine learning methods, such as similarity detection, clustering, or named entity recognition. Using practical examples we demonstrate how this approach enables to automatically extract relevant information from court cases sentences for analysing modus operandi evolution in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the US-Pakistan relationship during the Trump administration from a neo-classical realist lens. Along with systemic influences, the analysis framework also includes the role of domestic and cognitive factors in understanding both sides' perceptions, behaviors, and preferences toward each other. During Trump's presidential term, both sides could not fritter away the mistrust and move beyond the traditional course of engagement characterized by tactical convergence based on the rewards for service rendered by Pakistan. Pakistan was not a strategic choice for Washington since the two countries had contrasting expectations on evolving global developments, emerging regional geo-political and domestic reconfigurations. Parallel to this, Pakistan's economic vulnerabilities were exploited by the Republicans to reassert their leverage in bargaining. This grey area helped the White House allure Pakistan with its carrot-and-stick approach and compelled policy planners in Islamabad to think that a strong foreign policy always rests on a strong domestic base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consensus and common ground among scholars toward defining the concept of gangsterism. The type and nature of the so-called gang groups are also stated differently in the existing literature. The aim of this study is to explore the incidence and management of street gangs in two selected Ethiopian cities. A cross-sectional, descriptive mixed research design was implemented to investigate the issue at hand. Purposive sampling is used to recruit the participants. For primary data, focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interviews are implemented, and for secondary data, police records are accessed and reviewed. A total of five FGDs and 35 in-depth interviews (15 from Jimma and 20 from Addis Ababa) have been carried out. The findings of the study indicated that street gangsterism, though not organized in a sophisticated manner, is a widespread urban problem in Ethiopia. Secondary data obtained from the Addis Ababa police commission portray that crime typologies typical for street gangsters are highly prevalent. The immediate causes of street gangsterism are highly linked with a lack of resources to sustain one’s living at the individual level. Family disintegration and faulty socialization at the meso level and meager political-economy policies of the country at structural level are also risk factors for street gangsterism. Street criminals used newly emerging modus operandi including ginter (deceiving), haya sost (the 23), shuashua (swindling), gichit (collusion), and entif (spitting) to commit crimes against property and related offenses. Addressing existing problems requires unreserved commitment and effort of everyone at the individual, community, and system level.

Copyright of Djoussour El-maarefa is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the years, several myths have been peddled within societies and academic circles in relation to exploring the mysterious lives of serial killers. Socio-psycho factors have been used to explain some of their criminal behaviour. Some mythologies about serial killers are that most of them are loners, abused children, and sexually motivated killers. Some researchers have also attributed mental challenges, drugs, and alcohol as possible motives for serial killers. In some instances, some serial killers have confessed to heard unknown controlling voices, urging them to kill their victims. We are not in a rational or neutral position to know whether voices, hearing by serial killers, are actually factual experiences or not. However, to enter a plea of insanity for murder is widely known with the criminal law field. This is the reason why in some cases, offenders are accessed to ascertain their fitness to stand trial. This article deals with a very serious challenging crime and highlights the safety of citizens. The article has three aims, first, to explore and debunk the secretive world of serial killers. Second, to explore the serial killer's motives and modus operandi. Third, to highlight the dangers serial killers pose to society. Some of the findings are that serial killer does not always live a life of a loner, and some understudy of serial killers found out some of them live a family life. Several serial killers were abused as children and from dysfunctional families and social backgrounds. Most serial killers are men and there is a patriarchal domineering and controlling personality, ascribed to serial killers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovations such as digitalisation have an increasingly important role in our society. This development is also reflected in police work. In particular, the access to information on a global scale has increased the international character, adaptivity, and fluidity of criminal organisations. As such, there is a pressing need to better understand the evolving nature of these organisations and their associated modus operandi. While digitalisation enables access to lots of information and yields information overload challenges, developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer new opportunities to tackle these challenges. In particular, they provide support in the automatic extraction and analysis of unstructured sources of information to efficiently make sense of large amounts of textual information sources. In this paper, we will explore the potential and challenges of various AI methods to extract criminal modus operandi from unstructured open text sources, like law court sentences. Such open text sources are reliable information sources that include detailed validated information on the criminal activities and the modus operandi evolution in a given country. The application of this approach offers an alternative to the examination of classified police information and it also facilitates cross-country comparisons. The inherent complexity of modus operandi and the unstructured character of law court sentences yield the need to align and structure the modus operandi question with particular text mining methods. Specifically, we propose a step-wise approach to analyse automatic extraction of modus operandi-related problems via exploration, detection, and categorisation analysis. This decomposition enables to align these problems to specific functions of text-mining or machine learning methods, such as similarity detection, clustering, or named entity recognition. Using practical examples we demonstrate how this approach enables to automatically extract relevant information from court cases sentences for analysing modus operandi evolution in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this commentary, I delve into areas in which I agree as well as disagree with Glen Pettigrove's interesting ideas. I am very much in agreement with his views about the limited use of the proportionality principle in attempting to explain what virtue adds to value. The main portion of his essay, however, lies in his treatment of three approaches purporting to explain how virtue adds to value: Hurka's recursive theory; what Pettigrove calls the 'response-dependent' view; and his own account, which he calls the 'modus operandi' view. Though I agree with his criticisms of the recursive theory, I express concerns about his treatment of the response-dependent view, as well as about Pettigrove's own modus operandi account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In virtually every corner of ethics—including discussions of value, practical reasoning, moral psychology, and justice—it is common for theorists to suggest that our actions, attitudes, or emotions should be proportional to the degree of value present in the objects or events to which they are responding. I argue that there is a fundamental problem with these approaches: they overlook the character of the agent and what it adds to the equation. I show that a commitment to proportionality is at odds with both ordinary and admirable instances of love, ambition, and forgiveness. To make room for disproportional attitudes and actions, I introduce a novel account of virtue and its relation to value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has resulted in deep changes to the retail landscape, which have been the subject of extensive research. Most studies have only seen this growing phenomenon as a source of benefits for shoppers. However, this technological optimism runs into problems when the technologies offered by retailers are ignored or abandoned by shoppers. To address this gap, our research investigates how shoppers react to the digitalization of retailing through the prism of ambivalence. A systematic literature review identified a dataset of 108 papers in major journals published between 2005 and 2020. Our critical analysis revealed positive and negative reactions to digitalization among shoppers. Grouping these into pairs of two opposites, we propose an initial conceptualization of shopper ambivalence divided into eight distinct components. We also highlight the components of shopper ambivalence that merit further attention and offer a research agenda accordingly. Finally, our conceptualization may help managers to make sense of the heterogeneous reactions of shoppers to the technologies they offer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the modus operandi strategies employed by 120 coaches who committed sexual abuse toward 331 athletes under their authority. More than 2,000 Canadian court judgements and media reports were identified using online search databases. Using descriptive analysis, 51 strategies used in six modus operandi stages were identified. Results highlighted the most frequent strategies used by coaches for each stage of the crime commission process. Additionally, findings revealed the influence of the victims' gender, coaches' sport level and year of coaches' first offenses on modus operandi strategies used. Implications for crime prevention measures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: La digitalisation a entraîné de profonds changements dans le paysage de la distribution qui ont fait l'objet de recherches approfondies. La plupart des recherches ont considéré ce phénomène uniquement comme une source d'avantages pour les chalands. Cependant, quelques chercheurs ont récemment souligné l'écart entre cet optimisme technologique et les problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les distributeurs lorsque les technologies qu'ils proposent sont fréquemment ignorées ou rapidement abandonnées par les chalands. Pour combler cette lacune, notre recherche étudie la manière dont les chalands réagissent face à la digitalisation de la distribution à travers le prisme de l'ambivalence. Une revue systématique de la littérature a permis d'identifier un ensemble de 108 articles publiés dans des revues majeures entre 2005 et 2020. Notre analyse critique a révélé des réactions positives et négatives des chalands à l'égard de la digitalisation. En regroupant ces derniers par paires de deux opposés, nous proposons une conceptualisation initiale de l'ambivalence des acheteurs divisée en huit composantes distinctes. De plus, nous mettons en évidence les composantes de l'ambivalence des acheteurs qui nécessitent une plus grande attention des chercheurs et proposons un agenda de recherche en conséquence. Enfin, notre conceptualisation peut aider les managers à mieux comprendre le sens des réactions hétérogènes des chalands confrontés aux technologies qu'ils proposent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the modus operandi strategies employed by 120 coaches who committed sexual abuse toward 331 athletes under their authority. More than 2,000 Canadian court judgements and media reports were identified using online search databases. Using descriptive analysis, 51 strategies used in six modus operandi stages were identified. Results highlighted the most frequent strategies used by coaches for each stage of the crime commission process. Additionally, findings revealed the influence of the victims' gender, coaches' sport level and year of coaches' first offenses on modus operandi strategies used. Implications for crime prevention measures are discussed.

The concept of expertise applied to the criminal context assumes that offenders are driven by the abilities to both maximize the payoffs and minimize the risks associated with the crime-commission. This study tested the articulation between these two types of decisions taken by stranger rapists to successfully commit their crime. Specifically, this study aims to identify whether offenders whose modus operandi is indicative of criminal expertise are more likely to use forensic awareness strategies. Multivariate analyses conducted on 1,551 cases showed that stranger rapists who adopted behaviors indicative of expertise were more likely to use forensic awareness strategies to decrease the risk of police detection. Mixed associations were found between the number of forensic awareness strategies and their nature (i.e., protecting identity vs. destroying evidence) and rapists' expertise, thus leading to a four-type theoretical classification of expertise: novice, bold, opportunistic, and expert stranger rapists. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies have been made of different subtypes of individuals who committed sexual homicides, the research into nonstranger and stranger sexual homicides remains limited. This study therefore aimed to examine whether those who sexually murder nonstrangers differ from those who kill strangers. Data derived from police records, court documents, and published case reports spanning a 31 year period (1988-2018) in mainland China were used to examine the modus operandi of 127 males who committed sexual homicides (45 nonstranger and 82 stranger cases). Relative to nonstranger sexual homicides, stranger sexual homicides were more likely to have been committed by individuals with a previous sexual offense conviction and the victims were more likely to have been single and employed at the time of the offense. Furthering the analysis, a logistic regression found that individuals who targeted strangers were significantly more likely to have committed their homicide at an outdoor location, to have been sexually motivated, and to have used murder weapons that required more physical strength than those who killed nonstranger victims. These findings can be informative to law enforcement agents and security professionals in their investigative processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Criminological theories and widespread assumptions about crime suggest that the modus operandi involved in sexual crimes should have changed over time given various contextual changes, such as better criminological knowledge (e.g., forensic awareness) as well as improved investigative techniques (e.g., forensic evidence analysis). The aim of this study was to test whether the modus operandi patterns of individuals having committed a sexual assault against female strangers have changed over time during the period of 2003-2017. More specifically, the study has identified changes in the trends of monthly counts and (relative) participations for sexual assaults during the study period in France. The measure of participations - a concept borrowed from the field of criminal career - was used to overcome the inherent limitations associated with this type of data. Results show that despite some significant changes in the modus operandi involved in sexual crimes, overall the modus operandi patterns appear to be fairly stable over time. The findings are discussed in light of their theoretical and practical implications.