Crime Script Analysis

Preventing Crimes Against Business

Harald Haelterman

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781137546128
• eBook ISBN:
  9781137546135
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Management
• Index: Social Sciences

This book positions script analysis as a useful and pragmatic tool, which can guide the selection and implementation of preventive measures in business environments. It illustrates how the concept aligns with the crime-specific orientation found in environmental criminology, and particularly explores the theoretical foundations of situational crime prevention, the approach to which it is deemed most relevant and supportive.

The volume provides clear guidance on how to apply script analysis in daily practice, covering its main building blocks and key features. These are illustrated by a series of case studies into various crime types. Moving beyond the use of script analysis with the intent to disrupt the crime-commission process, the author further explores the wider benefits of the approach to both academics and practitioners. He identifies what is needed most if we want to embrace the full potential of script analysis for preventive purposes.   <

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

Harald HaeltermanCrime Script AnalysisCrime Prevention and Security Management10.1057/978-1-137-54613-5_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction

Harald Haelterman¹

(1)

Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

End Abstract

1 Introduction

This book is about the application of script analysis in the interest of situational crime prevention. The standard methodology applied for designing situational projects, according to Clarke (1997b: 15), is ‘a version of the action research model in which researchers and practitioners work together to analyse and define the problem, to identify and try out possible solutions, to evaluate the result and, if necessary, to repeat the cycle until success is achieved’. Accordingly, a generic situational crime prevention project comprises five stages: a collection of data about the nature and dimensions of the problem; an analysis of the situational conditions that permit or facilitate the commission of the crimes in question; a systematic study of possible means of blocking opportunities for these particular crimes; the implementation of the most promising, feasible, and economic measures; and a (constant) monitoring of results and dissemination of experience (Gladstone 1980, cited in Clarke 1997a, b: 15).

In previous work, it is argued that for each potential measure that has been identified to tackle a predefined risk or problem, an ex ante consideration is to take place of its financial, ethical, esthetical, and consequential cost (see e.g. Haelterman 2009, 2011, 2013; Haelterman et al. 2012). It is further argued that this assessment should include a careful consideration of potential interdependencies and of a number of preconditions such as the availability and practicability of a measure to end-users, the level of knowledge and expertise that is required to implement it, the need for end-users to be aware of the problem that is being dealt with, their belief in the effectiveness of the proposed solution(s) and their commitment to help solve the problem, and to co-operate with other stakeholders to reach the desired outcome (Ibid.). Such ex ante consideration of interdependencies, costs, and preconditions enables practitioners and policymakers to make informed decisions on what measures are best to implement or enforce. In this previous work, however, little was included on the effectiveness of situational measures in general and on how to identify potential candidates for consideration. Script analysis, it is argued, may contribute significantly to filling that gap.

In ‘The procedural analysis of offending and its relevance for situational crime prevention’ (1994), Cornish borrows the script concept from cognitive science and applies it to examine the crime-commission process. According to Cornish (1994: 151), the concept offers ‘a useful analytic tool for looking at behavioural routines […] and a way of generating, organizing and systematizing knowledge about the procedural aspects and procedural requirements of crime commission’. Yet according to Cornish (1994), the script concept ‘has the potential for eliciting more crime-specific, detailed and comprehensive offenders’ accounts of crime commission, for extending analysis to all the stages of the crime-commission sequence, and for helping to enhance situational crime prevention policies by drawing attention to a fuller range of possible intervention points’.

Over the past decades, the technique has been applied in a variety of settings and for a variety of crime types (Leclerc and Wortley 2014a). It has been applied to break down offender actions as well as to examine the patterns of interchange between offenders and their victims (see e.g. Leclerc et al. 2014). Despite its apparent success amongst academics, it has not yet found its way into daily corporate practice. Reasons for that can be manifold. One reason might be that descriptions of script analysis to date have been rather abstract, using terminology that may not appeal to everyday practitioners. Its attributes, however, prove to be surprisingly simple and straightforward, enabling easy buy-in if presented in a logical and common-sense manner. The latter is one of the main aims of this book.

Apart from assessing the value of script analysis to those responsible for designing preventive controls in a business environment, this volume further intends to be a reference work for students and academics who want to learn more about (recent developments in) crime script analysis. Moving beyond the use of the technique with the intent to disrupt the crime-commission process, it explores the wider benefits of the approach to both academics and practitioners, and identifies a number of development needs that are considered key if we want to embrace the full potential of script analysis for preventive purposes. It further provides an overview of the theoretical approaches to which the concept of script analysis is deemed most relevant and supportive, and challenges some of their key attributes. In summary, this volume aims to address five questions. What is script analysis and where does it originate from? Does it have a real potential to guide the implementation of situational crime prevention and if yes, why? How does situational prevention relate to other crime prevention strategies and why does it appear to grow in popularity in the private sector? How can script analysis best be applied in a business environment? And what is needed most to boost its potential even further? Various sections have been dedicated to each of these questions, and for those who have neither the time nor the inclination to study these sections in full detail, the key messages have been summarized in a general conclusion.

Chapter 2 provides a general introduction into the concept of script analysis, into its historical roots in cognitive science, and into the way it was originally introduced in the criminological domain. It positions the crime event as one among many events occurring within the crime-commission process, illustrates how script analysis was adopted to gather and organize information about this process, and provides a definition of crime script analysis and its key attributes. It distinguishes single-perspective from interpersonal scripts and illustrates how the technique enables crime prevention practitioners to assess how the crime-commission process can be influenced or disrupted. It provides an overview of situational techniques available to crime prevention practitioners and goes on to introduce the main topic of this book, which is the application of script analysis to tackle crime in a workplace environment.

Chapter 3 puts the concepts of crime script analysis and situational crime prevention in a broader theoretical context. It shows how the early application of script analysis in criminology coincided with the emerging focus on the proximal influences on criminal behaviour, on the relevance of situational variables, and on the role of opportunity. It illustrates how the concept fits in with the crime-specific orientation found in environmental criminology and explores the theoretical foundations of situational crime prevention, the approach to which it is deemed most relevant and supportive. After having provided a brief introduction into situational crime prevention, environmental criminology, and the rational choice perspective, this chapter touches on one of the main criticisms that has been raised against the latter. It explores what other, more traditional criminological theories tell us about offender rationality and effective crime prevention, and argues that this criticism does not impede the value of script analysis nor that of situational crime prevention. It goes without saying that those who can do without this theoretical background and who are mainly looking for its practical pay-offs, can move straight on to Chap. 4.

Chapter 4 explores the main building blocks and key features of a somewhat simplified scripting methodology tailored to those tasked with designing or redesigning controls in a business environment. It links the scripting exercise to (enterprise) risk management, internal controls, and control frameworks. It further differentiates between proactive, reactive, and hypothetical scripting and goes on to argue that crime script analysis can prove to be a useful tool to assist management and crime prevention practitioners in assuring that the required controls to mitigate crime are in place and fit for purpose. Using a step-by-step approach, it shows how to develop and visualize a proper crime script, how to identify potential intervention points, and what to take into consideration when selecting or (re)designing the most promising preventive controls. Two commonly recognized success criteria for situational crime prevention are at the heart of this discussion. First, it is argued that both the effectiveness and efficiency of situational controls depend on an in-depth knowledge of the MO displayed by the offender (see e.g. Cornish 1994). Second, it is stressed that successful measures tend to be characterized by their crime-specific approach, meaning that ‘one size fits all’ does not apply when it comes to designing or selecting effective controls (see e.g. Cornish 1994; Clarke 1997a, b; Moreto and Clarke 2014).

In Chap. 5, the application of script analysis is illustrated in a number of case studies. These include analyses of both ‘simple’ and slightly more complex crimes. Each case study includes a brief description of the crime phenomenon at hand; a basic script with an overview of some potential controls derived from that script; and an initial assessment of the estimated financial, ethical, and esthetical cost related to the implementation of these controls.

Prior to reaching an overall conclusion, Chap. 6 covers both the wider benefits of the approach as well as a number of areas for further improvement. Benefits include those that are of interest to academics and those that can be achieved by practitioners in the field. With regard to the latter, it is argued that script analysis has practical implications for anticipating displacement and other reverse effects; for identifying and gaining from spillover effects resulting from preventive interventions; for targeting hot products and hot MOs; for offender and geographic profiling; and for supporting training, product development, and strategic (and problem-oriented) policing. Development needs, finally, include the need to improve the quality of reporting, the need for automation and standardization in the interest of (large-scale) scripting, and the need to boost the exchange of (depersonalized) data on offender MOs.

As will become clear from these various chapters, applying script analysis in the most effective and efficient manner is a work in progress. If this volume can contribute even the slightest bit to support or speed up this process, time has not been wasted.

References

Clarke, R. V. (Ed.). (1997a). Situational crime prevention. Successful case studies (2nd ed., p. 357). New York: Harrow and Heston.

Clarke, R. V. (1997b). Introduction. In R. V. Clarke (Ed.), Situational crime prevention. Successful case studies (2nd ed., pp. 1–44). New York: Harrow and Heston.

Cornish, D. B. (1994). The procedural analysis of offending and its relevance for situational prevention. In R. V. Clarke (Ed.), Crime prevention studies, Volume 3 (pp. 151–196). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

Haelterman, H. (2009). Situational crime prevention and supply chain security: An ex ante consideration of preventive measures. Journal of Applied Security Research, 4, 483–500.CrossRef

Haelterman, H. (2011). Re-thinking the cost of supply chain security. Crime, Law and Social Change, 56(4), 389–405.CrossRef

Haelterman, H. (2013). Situational crime prevention and supply chain security. Theory for best practice (p. 60). CRISP Report. Alexandria, VA: ASIS Foundation Research Council.

Haelterman, H., Callens, M., & Vander Beken, T. (2012). Controlling access to pick-up and delivery vans: The cost of alternative measures. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 18(2), 163–182.CrossRef

Leclerc, B., Smallbone, S., & Wortley, R. (2014). Interpersonal scripts and victim reaction in child sexual abuse. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime. Offender decision making and script analyses (pp. 101–119). New York: Routledge.

Leclerc, B., & Wortley, R. (Eds.). (2014a). Cognition and crime. Offender decision making and script analyses (p. 261). New York: Routledge.

Leclerc, B., & Wortley, R. (2014b). The reasoning criminal. Twenty-five years on. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime. Offender decision making and script analyses (pp. 1–11). New York:...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Frontmatter
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Crimes as Scripts
• 3. Crime and Criminality
• 4. Scripting Crime Against Business
• 5. Case Studies
• 6. Wider Benefits and Future Development Needs
• 7. Conclusions
• Backmatter