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Temporal Variability of Theft Types in the Historic Centre of Porto
Publication . Azevedo, Vanessa; Magalhães, Mariana; Paulo, Daniela; Maia, Rui; Oliveira, Gisela; Guerreiro, Maria Simas; Sani, Ana; Nunes, Laura M.
: Criminology theories imply that time is a relevant variable, especially for the prevention
and intervention of criminal occurrences. Thus, the study of criminal temporal patterns has been
described as being of great relevance. The present study focuses on describing and exploring
the influence of temporal and seasonal variables on the occurrence of different types of theft in
the Historic Centre of Porto through the analysis of official records of the Public Security Police.
Significant differences were found regarding the time of day and season of occurrence, even though
it is not observed for all the types of theft analysed. Overall, theft was more prevalent at night and
less frequent during winter, which is congruent with previous literature and the routine activity
theory. Being the first case study in Porto city, Portugal, this research may be of extreme importance
for both designing prevention and intervention policies in the area, and for inspiring future research
on a criminal time analysis.
The Mediating Effect of Parental Involvement on School Climate and Behavior Problems: School Personnel Perceptions
Publication . Caridade, Sónia Maria Martins; e Sousa, Hélder Fernando Pedrosa; Pimenta Dinis, Maria Alzira; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta
As a reflection of the culture and norms of the school community, the school climate (SC) is a potential factor connected to students’ major behavior problems (BP). Parental involvement (PI) is considered as an essential factor for SC, contributing to promote good students’ educational results, as well as better social functioning. The present study aimed to analyze the mediating effect of PI on the relationship between SC and BP, taking into consideration the school personnel perceptions. A total of 329 school personnel (teachers versus no teachers) aged between 29 and 66 (M = 50.78, SD = 7.56), mainly female (79%), were integrated in the sample. Based on the perception of the school personnel, the results indicate moderate level of PI and SC, as well as the existence of different BP in the school context. The mediating effect of PI in the relationship between the SC and BP has been demonstrated. These results suggest that, if the SC and PI are improved, it could be an effective strategy to enhance the social functioning of students in the school context. This study thus contributes to a comprehensive empirical analysis of how PI can improve the relationship between the SC and the BP of Portuguese students.
Predicting Frequent and Feared Crime Typologies: Individual and Social/Environmental Variables, and Incivilities
Publication . Caridade, S.; Magalhães, Mariana; Azevedo, Vanessa; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta; Maia; Estrada, Rui; Sani, Ana; Nunes, L. M.
The lack of organisation in urban spaces plays a decisive role in the level of integration,
communication and social bonds of the residents, impacting the citizens’ feelings of trust and security.
Different personal variables and contextual characteristics have been associated with the fear of
crime (FOC). The main objective of this study is to analyse how individual and social/environmental
variables, and incivilities, predict crime against people and property, crime that has either happened or
is feared to happen. Five hundred and fifty-four residents (M = 43.82; SD = 18.38) in the Historic Centre
of Porto (HCP), Portugal, answered 61 items of the Diagnosis of Local Security (DLS) Questionnaire.
The results of this study show that in the most frequent crime category, 72% of occurrences represent
crime against property. In the feared crime category, there is a preponderance of crime against people
(61%). Age of the respondents predicted the most frequent and feared crime, while sex predicted
the most feared crime only. Social/environmental variables, as well as incivilities, also predict the
frequent and feared crime in two typologies, i.e., crime against people and crime against property.
Practical implications to reduce FOC and areas for further investigation are discussed.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
3599-PPCDT
Número da atribuição
PTDC/DIR-DCP/28120/2017