NCJ Number
137926
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 83-88
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In response to concern about newspaper coverage of bank robberies in Australia, this study examined whether newspaper publicity resulting from successful bank robberies led to copycat increases in bank and other robberies during the following week.
Abstract
Using a 3-year timeframe from 1987 to 1989, police data from New South Wales on bank and other armed robberies were correlated with local newspaper stories on robberies during the same period. Robberies were compared for two 7-day periods immediately before and after the date of any newspaper story reporting a successful robbery. It was found that coverage of bank robberies in newspapers was sparse. Of 46 high-value bank robberies committed, only 7 or 15 percent were covered. There was no evidence of any copycat effect following newspaper stories or after possible word-of-mouth communication about the commission of high-value bank robberies. Research results do not support the idea that newspaper reports of successful bank robberies stimulate copycat robberies of banks or other targets. 13 references, 7 notes, and 2 tables (Author abstract modified)