University College London
Master’s Degree Crime and Forensic Science
Module: Foundations of Security and Crime Science 18/19
Exam Questions I studied with My Answers, based on the material given in class and
my personal notes. I got a B for this exam. I only studied 5 out of 10 topics, because
this was the smartest way to get a B, guaranteed, and I did. The exam was:
Out of the 10 topics, 8 topics will be featured in the exam, but you only have to
answer 1 question from 4 of the 8 topics. Studying 5 topics WELL guarantees ‘B’.
If you’re struggling to study all 10 topics, these for me were the easiest ones to study,
and I have the answers in the end you can use for your exam.
Topic 1: What is Crime Science?
a. In her inaugural address as Director of the JDI, Professor Laycock (2001) set out
an agenda ‘to change the way in which we think about crime and its control’.
Why did she believe that we need to think about crime and its control
differently, and what changes in thinking did she advocate?
b. What is ‘crime science’ and how does it differ from other approaches to dealing
with crime?
c. With its roots in environmental criminology, crime science often takes a crime
event focus. What does ‘a crime event focus’ mean and how does it influence
the approach taken to crime reduction?
d. What does the ‘crime drop’ refer to? How does the ‘security hypothesis’
attempt to explain the crime drop?
Topic 2: The Offender
a. What is meant by ‘criminal careers’ and what does criminal career research say
about different kinds of offenders?
b. What is meant by the person-situation interaction and what are the
implications of the person-situation interaction for understanding the causes of
crime and terrorist acts?
c. It is often argued that the rational choice perspective may be suitable to be
applied to acquisitive crimes such as theft but is not appropriate for ‘irrational’
crimes that involve emotional responses or psychological disturbances. Do you
agree or disagree with this criticism?
d. What is meant by a ‘crime precipitator’ and how is this concept different from
the rational choice perspective?
, Topic 3: Understanding Crime Patterns
a. What is the routine activity approach? Select an example of a particular crime
type or terrorist act and show how the routine activities approach might
explain observed patterns for that behaviour.
b. Within crime pattern theory, what is meant by ‘awareness space’? How are
awareness spaces created and what implications do they have for crime?
c. What is meant by ‘journey to crime’ and how do journey to crime patterns vary
according to factors such as offender age, offence type, and value of the crime?
d. What is meant by repeat victimisation? Select an example of a particular crime
type or terrorist act and consider whether boost or flag explanations best
account for the repeat victimisation patterns observed for that behaviour.
Topic 5: Situational Crime Prevention
a. What is the preventative health care model and how might it be adapted to
develop preventative responses to the problem of crime and terrorism?
b. What is situational crime prevention? Select a particular crime-type or terrorist
act and, with reference to the research literature, show how it may be reduced
through the use of situational strategies.
c. What is meant by crime displacement? Is displacement the ‘Achilles’ heel’ (i.e.
fundamental weakness) of situational crime prevention?
Topic 6: Design against Crime
a. What are the key features of crime prevention through environmental design
(CPTED)? How might CPTED be used to inform the design of a public building in
an urban setting to protect it from possible terrorist attack?
b. How do some of the principles underpinning the CPTED conflict with those
underpinning New Urbanism? With reference to the research literature, which
approach do you think is more effective in reducing crime?
c. What is meant by CRAVED? Select a CRAVED product (either an existing one, or
one that you predict will become CRAVED in the future) and show how the
concept might be used to help develop ways to prevent crime associated with
that product.
d. What is meant by EVIL DONE? With reference to the research literature,
outline how EVIL DONE might be used to help develop strategies to prevent a
terrorist attack.
, Topic 1: What is Crime Science?
a. In her inaugural address as Director of the JDI, Professor Laycock (2001) set out
an agenda ‘to change the way in which we think about crime and its control’.
Why did she believe that we need to think about crime and its control
differently, and what changes in thinking did she advocate?
Intro to JDI.
The Jill Dando Institute (JDI) of Security and Crime Science was set up in 2001 after the murder of Jill
Dando, a journalist and former Crimewatch presenter. JDI is the very first institute of Crime Science
in the world, and is located at University College London, England. The Jill Dando Institute (JDI) of
Security and Crime Science was set up to look at crime from a scientific point of view, rather than
constantly relying on the Criminal Justice System to deal with offenders, incarcerate them, and
employ tougher penalties in hopes of deterrence.
Laycock.
- Professor Laycock first set out in defining crime science as a distinct approach to crime control,
merging prevention and detection together.
- She advocated for new ideas, new techniques and new thoughts on the (1) focus on crime, (2)
being evidence based, (3) multidisciplinary, (4) crime science approach, and (5) involve the public.
Focused on Crime
- She believed that the problem of crime cannot be simplified to a problem of the criminal and we
cannot keep relying on the criminal justice system to facilitate reform.
- Traditionally, the focus was mainly on catching an offender after the crime took place, instead of
preventing the crime from occurring. She wanted to move away from focusing on placing blame on
the offender or other individuals and focus on scientific methods which ‘reduce temptation’ and
prevent crime.
Evidence Based
- She believed that reduction of crime will not be achieved simply through technology, target-
hardening and introducing more CCTV-cameras, but it’s about getting the Police and students to
think like scientist
- The reason why thinking as a scientist is important, i.e. physics and chemistry, they test
hypothesis, they experiment, and that’s how they build knowledge. That is what Professor Laycock
believes we should be doing more of, researching, experimenting, testing hypothesis, in relations to
crime control, rather than based on assumptions, theories and political considerations.
