Using SNA in Criminological Research

1. Using SNA in Criminological Research Laura L. Hansen Department of Sociology University of Massachusetts Boston

2. Youth Gang Research(Hansen 2005) DATA • Secondary, non-random content analysis of Hinojosa’s 1990 interviews of female and male gang members in New York City. • Construction of two network matrices: • Flushing Top Society (FTS) Male, N = 7, 4 crews • Lower East Side (LES)* Female, N = 9, 1 crew • Ages 12 to 17 (at time of interviews) *Girl crew underwent several name changes including Girls in Control (GIC) and Delancy Street Girls (DSG)

3. Methodology • Use of UCINET5 (Borgatti et al. 1995) to measure equivalency (positional trust), prestige, and power. • Content analysis of interviews used to construct a cultural comparison. Goal was to determine if there are less violent tendencies expressed by girl “crew” members, in comparison to boy “crew” members.

4. Graph 1: Network Structure of Lower East Side (LES- Girl “Crew)Source: Hinojosa 1995; Hansen 2005 Sonya Mary Christina Sisters Carmen Cindy Smooth B Nicky Chris Carmela

5. Graph 2: Network Structure of Flushing’s Top Society Top Society (FTS)(Source: Hinojosa 1995; Hansen 2005) 41st “Crew” (merged with FTS) Cantonese “Crew” Lin Gin Chow FTS Shank IQ Coki 20 Park “Crew" Rocstar

6. “Gangs” of Wall Street Research(Hansen 2004; 2008) • Why use networks in the study of insider trading? • Some forms of white-collar crime and organized crime is more likely to operate within networks, to be interorganizational in the case of insider-trading. • Social Network Analysis is underrepresented in criminological literature. • Insider-trading requires communication between conspirators and rarely a solo criminal act,* making network analysis an appropriate tool for examining this type of white-collar crime. • * It is suspected by SEC officials that this is the case, but most of the cases successfully investigated involved one perpetrator.

7. Intimate Peers Social Network Formation Transmission of Definitions by way of Opportunities (Environment) Noncriminal Criminal Embeddedness Social Network Variability Figure 1: Synthesis of Differential Association Theory and Opportunity Theory (Process) with Social Network Theory (Structure)

8. Data and Methods: Qualitative data – Face to face interviews in New York City with former prosecutors and former SEC investigators from the 1980s. Phone interviews with same in NYC and Washington, D.C. Quantitative data – Collected time series data* (1979-1986) to create two networks: an illegitimate network embedded within the legitimate network. Use of UCINET 5, UCINET6 for social network measures (Bogatti et al. 1999). *Triangulation of data from Stewart’s book (Den of Thieves), Auletta’s book (Greed and Glory on Wall Street), New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

9. Key Findings: Quantitative Research • Size and number of ties of both networks increase over time. TABLE 1: Number of Actual Pairs in Legitimate and Illegitimate Networks, Per Year

10. TABLE 2: Network Density,* Legitimate and Illegitimate Networks (1979-1986) *Network density is measured by the average value within blocks.