Abstract
This chapter examines the use of targeted warnings and cautions by police (i.e. cease-and-desist messaging) that aim to deter potential offenders from future offending. These interventions rely on rational choice and labelling theories of crime. This chapter examines the results of studies that evaluate such interventions for offline crimes. Overall, we find that most of the evidence indicates qualified support for these interventions. Although cease-and-desist visits and targeted prevention messaging have been used in the context of cybercrime, there is little known about how effective they are. In exploring the applicability of these interventions to cybercrime, we highlight their limitations within digital contexts and provide recommendations for optimal design of this strategy for preventing cybercrime.
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Brewer, R., de Vel-Palumbo, M., Hutchings, A., Holt, T., Goldsmith, A., Maimon, D. (2019). Targeted Warnings and Police Cautions. In: Cybercrime Prevention. Crime Prevention and Security Management. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31069-1_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31069-1_6
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