Turns Out Spies Are Above the Law

an article by Theodore Stone for Rights Info (Human Rights News, Views & Info)



If there’s one thing we know about human rights and the law, it’s that no one is above it, right? Turns out, that’s not quite true.

The government has recently revealed that agents of The Security Service, more famously known as MI5, are allowed to carry out criminal activity within the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has published a previously secret order on the governance of crimes committed by the Service. The order, known as the ‘Third Direction’, which dates back to 2014, instructs the Investigatory Powers Commission to oversee “security service participation in criminality”.

This is the first time the government has acknowledged that guidance exists to regulate this form of activity within the UK. However, the guidance concerning when British spies can commit crimes, and how far they can go, remains confidential.

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General strain and non-strain theories: A study of crime in emerging adulthood

an article by Sung Joon Jang (Baylor University, USA) and Jeremy R. Rhodes (Hardin-Simmons University, USA) published in Journal of Criminal Justice Volume 40 Issue 3 (May–June 2012)

Abstract

Purpose
Despite continued increase in research on general strain theory (GST), previous studies on the relationship between GST and other criminological theories has been limited. To fill this gap in GST research, the present study aims to examine whether non-strain variables of social bonding theory, social learning theory, and self-control theory, as well as negative emotions mediate and moderate the effects of strain on crime and drug use.
Methods
Ordinary least squares regressions were applied to conduct a simultaneous analysis of mediation and moderation effects, using multiple waves of the restricted-use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health).
Results
The non-strain variables of social bonds and low self-control, but not deviant peer association, as well as trait anger and state depression/anxiety mediate the effects of strain on crime and drug use, but hypotheses about the moderating effects of these variables receive less support.
Conclusions
The central claims of GST need to be expanded to include non-emotive mediators of the effects of strain on crime, given that negative emotions are not expected to fully mediate the criminogenic effects of strain.

Highlights

• The strain of child maltreatment and criminal victimization tends to increase crime and drug use.
• Anger and depression/anxiety mediate the effects of strain on predatory crimes and marijuana use.
• Low self-control and social bonds, but not deviant peer associations, mediate the strain effect.
• Deviant peer associations aggravate the strain effect and the effect of anger on violent crime.
• Low self-control increases the strain effect on violent crime, but social bonds does not moderate.

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