Investigators:  Sally S.Simpson, Carole Gibbs, Lee Ann Slocum, Melissa Rorie, Mark Cohen, Michael Vandenbergh)

Description:  There is little systematic investigation of the relative merits of different types or components of crime control strategies, particularly comparing more punitive command and control strategies with self-regulatory approaches.  In this paper, we assess these crime prevention and control mechanisms in the context of individual and situational risk factors that may increase the likelihood of illegal behavior specifically in the environmental arena.  We use data drawn from two groups of business managers who participated in a factorial survey (vignettes) measuring their intentions to participate in two types of environmental offenses.  Generally, results show that the most effective regulatory levers are credible legal sanctions and the certainty and severity of informal discovery by significant others (including business associates).  We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for regulatory policy and strategy, including the role of social norms.

Simpson, S. S., Gibbs, C., Rorie, M., Slocum, L. A., Cohen, M. A., & Vandenbergh, M. (2013). An empirical assessment of corporate environmental crime-control strategies. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 231-278.