Crime Waves and Moral Panics
From train robberies to organized retail theft to murder, are we really gripped by a crime wave?
Let’s Talk About (Your) Crimes
Asking yourself about what you've "gotten away with" may change how you think about "criminals."
How Crime Stories Foiled Reform in Victorian Britain
Harsh punishments were declining in the nineteenth century. Then came sensationalist news coverage of a reputed crime wave.
Ending the Myths about Domestic Homicide
There has been a spike in domestic violence amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to a recent report from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Shoplifting, for Fun and Profit
"Hoisting" at the professional level could bring a sense of pride, along with the relief of avoiding grueling domestic work.
The Murder Ballad Was the Original True Crime Podcast
The 1896 version of crime sensationalism also taught the victim-blaming lesson “Stay Sexy, Don’t Get Murdered.”
Her Majesty’s Kidnappers
In the 17th century, Nathaniel Giles had the right to conscript young singers into the British royal children’s choir. He and a business partner went a step further.
Criminal Minds? Try Criminal Bodies
Cesare Lombroso wanted to use science to understand who criminals were. But his ideas about biological "atavism" easily transferred to eugenics and nativism.
Stockholm Syndrome
What really happened that summer day in 1973? And what does it reveal about our cultural attitudes toward violence?