Title

Estimating The Prevalence Of Copycat Crime: A Research Note

Keywords

copycat crime; media; meta-analysis; policy implications

Abstract

Commonly perceived as rare, copycat crime has not been sufficiently studied. In an effort to encourage research, this research note offers a refined estimate of the proportion of offenders and at-risk individuals who report personal copycat crime histories. An analysis of 10 estimates spanning 50 years of self-reported copycat crime prevalence among just under 1,500 respondents was conducted. Collectively, the 10 study estimates indicate that about one in four respondents reported personal copycat crime histories. A random effects model indicated that prevalence estimates vary significantly across studies but effect moderators were not able to be identified. Copycat crime was indicated as a characteristic of a substantial number of offenders and at-risk youth. Copycat crime is deserving of more serious research and a number of associated research questions await attention.

Publication Date

11-27-2014

Publication Title

Criminal Justice Policy Review

Volume

25

Issue

6

Number of Pages

703-718

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403413499579

Socpus ID

84908139330 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84908139330

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