Research / Themes / Innovation / Agent-based modeling
Opportunity theories of crime have highlighted the benefits of a shift in focus from the criminal motivation of people to the contexts in which crime events occur. However, testing of these theories has been handicapped by a lack of micro-level data and modeling tools that can capture the dynamic interactions of individuals and the context in which they occur. This research explores a new methodology for testing theory that draws upon extant theory and empirical research to develop individually-based simulation models. Three versions of a street robbery model are created based on routine activity theory and empirical research and implemented in Agent Analyst software. Each version adds a degree of complexity to the basic model (i.e., first temporal and then spatio-temporal constraints).
Related faculty
Selected publications
Groff, E.R. and Mazzerole, L. (in press) Simulated experiments and their potential role in criminology and criminal justice. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 4(3).