Of Feathers and Birds: The Role of Offending Peers in the Transmission of Violent Offending in Offender Networks.

Korte beschrijving

In our interconnected world, criminal behavior rarely unfolds in isolation. While violent offending has been studied extensively from psychological and situational perspectives, far less is known about how violent behavior is socially transmitted. This dissertation examines the extent to which structural and interpersonal dynamics within co-offending networks explain the transmission of physically violent offending. Drawing on police data, it investigates the role of (1) co-offending network compositions, (2) violent offenders’ connectivity, (3) the nature of co-offenders and co-offenses, and (4) how offenders’ network positions evolve through violent behavior and co-offending interactions. The findings highlight how network structures and criminal partnerships may jointly shape the pathways through which violence spreads. By uncovering how these dynamics are intertwined, this dissertation offers new insight into how violence can escalate – or be disrupted – within co-offending networks.