Toward a More Structured Crime Scripting Method

Abstract

Abstract-Scripts have been used in different disciplines to characterize how individuals conceptualize the conduct of goaloriented tasks. Cornish introduced this modelling approach to the field of environmental criminology as a more systematic way to identify offenders' decisions during the commission of crime. Despite the growing number of articles about crime scripts, there is limited information about the scripting process itself. In particular, there is no publication describing all of the activities involved in the scripting of crime in a comprehensive manner. As a result, the procedural aspects of physical and cybercrimes are predominantly modelled using intuitive rather than structured methods. To fill in this gap, the current study introduces the concept of crime script lifecycle and examine the stages involved in crime scripting process. Following a bottom-up approach, the research involved searching for information relevant to the production of crime scripts and synthesizing the results into a conceptual model. The resulting description of the crime scripting process should improve crime scripting practice, and create a roadmap for future research in this field.Index Terms-crime script, crime requirements, business process model, modus operandi.

Crime scripting: A systematic review

“…Borrion (2013) highlighted the importance of applying a formal verification or validation process to assess the quality of the generated crime scripts – see also (Dehghanniri and Borrion, 2016; Hutchings and Holt, 2015). To validate their script, Brayley et al (2011) indicated they had used it as a ‘stimulus for a structured brainstorming session’ aimed at identifying interventions.…”

Antiquities in a time of conflict: a crime script analysis of antiquities trafficking during the Syrian Civil War and implications for conflict antiquities

“…This project employed a combination of both, as it began with a simple model of antiquities trafficking using data from wellstudied cases, and applies and adapt this model based on the data relating to Syria. With no standard format to inform how the script should appear or operate, the development of the various elements of the script (stages, format, and content) were constructed and adapted as a result of the data (Borrion 2013;Dehghanniri and Borrion 2017). The critical methodological considerations involve the selection of (a) a script type; ((b) data sources and content analysis; (c) data sources; and (d) script development.…”

Crime script for mandate fraud

“…The potential drawbacks with crime scripting are that little research has been done on the action scripting process. This has led to the procedural aspects of physical and cybercrimes being predominantly modelled using intuitive rather than structured methods (Dehghanniri and Borrion, 2016, p. 1).…”

“…This is potentially a poignant point as it could be impacting LEs ability to effectively counter the issues. It has been argued that reducing crime requires a targeted approach, based on detailed knowledge of the crime in question (Dehghanniri and Borrion, 2016, p. 1). With a lack of leadership and direction it is possible that LE does not have the capacity to deliver a targeted approach for digital fraud offences.…”