Copycat Crime And Copycat Criminals: Concepts And Research Questions

Abstract

Copycat crime is a commonly acknowledged but under-researched social phenomenon. This work aims to encourage future research by further developing copycat crime theory and by offering a set of related research questions and testable hypotheses to prospective researchers. First, a set of 23 theoretical concepts culled from wide ranging disciplines and research that touch upon copycat crime and are helpful for conceptualizing copycat crime dynamics are discussed. Second, with its multi-disciplinary nature argued, copycat crime is forwarded as a unique crime phenomenon deserving of research attention under the rubric of three under-studied general research questions: "What are the characteristics of 1) criminogenic media, 2) copycat offenders, and 3) copycat settings? Lastly, associated with the three research questions a set of 44 specific copycat hypotheses are offered as unaddressed but testable propositions regarding copycat crime. It is hoped that a delineation of the current state of knowledge regarding copycat crime and specific research hypotheses that can be explored will spur the additional needed research required to understand the media-crime connection.

Publication Date

12-1-2016

Publication Title

Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture

Volume

18

Issue

1

Number of Pages

49-78

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

Socpus ID

85028948068 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85028948068

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