Newswise Feature Channel: Crime and Forensic Science

The Medical Minute: Sexual Violence Against Older Adults: How to Find Help and Healing

Penn State Health — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 20:20:34 EST

Sexual violence often goes unrecognized in older adults. The co-chairs of Penn State Health's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program explain how to spot abuse and seek help.

Expert Analyzes What Makes True Crime Stories So Captivating

Virginia Tech — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:45:45 EST

Fans of the genre known as "true crime" have no shortage of books, television shows, and movies to choose from. Virginia Tech English Department instructor Ingrid Johnson, who is teaching a course on the subject this semester with 500 students enrolled, answered questions about the public's fascination with this genre and the broader societal implications.

MSU Professor's Report Reveals Nearly 150 Exonerations in 2024

Michigan State University — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:05:15 EST

In 2024, 147 people were exonerated in the U.S. after losing an average of 13.5 years of their lives to wrongful imprisonment for crimes they did not commit.

How Canadian Immigration Law Turns Judges Into Border Guards

Universite de Montreal — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:40:13 EST

Doctoral student Meritxell Abellan-Almenara examines court decisions to see how Quebec judges use their power to make defendants criminally inadmissible to stay in Canada.

NJIT Unveils VR Crime Scene Tech, Research at Nation's Largest Forensic Conference

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:10:40 EST

NJIT's forensics program made an impression at the 77th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences' Conference in Baltimore's Convention Center, unveiling new research and innovations that tackled this year's conference theme, "Technology: A Tool for Transformation or Tyranny?"

New Software Will Help Combat Deep Fake Image Threats to Personal Security

University of Portsmouth — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 07:50:41 EST

Realistic images created by artificial intelligence (AI), including those generated from a text description and those used in video, pose a genuine threat to personal security. From identity theft to misuse of a personal image, spotting what's real and what's fake is getting harder and harder.

Study Suggests Drunk Witnesses Are Less Likely to Remember a Suspect's Face

University of Portsmouth — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:10:14 EST

New research has revealed that alcohol can impair the ability of eyewitnesses to accurately recall a suspect's facial features, particularly key details such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Notre Dame Law School Professor Publishes Largest-Ever Study of Criminal Cases in Which the Government Hid Evidence

University of Notre Dame — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:15:25 EST

New research from the University of Notre Dame provides the largest-ever examination of Brady violations and offers a detailed and nuanced understanding of who suppresses material evidence in criminal cases as well as why, how, where and how often.

WVU Maintains Prominent R1 Ranking as Top US Research University

West Virginia University — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:10:15 EST

West Virginia University was reaffirmed as an R1 university, the highest possible research ranking, in the 2025 rankings by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching released Thursday (Feb. 13).

MSU Expert: How to Avoid Falling Victim to Romance Fraud

Michigan State University — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:10:20 EST

Tom Holt is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice, housed in Michigan State University's College of Social Science. Holt also serves as the director of the newly formed MSU Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training and, here, he discusses romance fraud and how to avoid falling for the scam.

Match Accuracy of Burned Teeth: A Pilot Study of Allied Dental Professionals

American Dental Hygienists' Association — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 08:00:00 EST

Sociological Research Reveals How Immigrants Can Reduce Crime

American Sociological Association (ASA) — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:05:23 EST

This media brief provides expert quotes and data discussing immigrant residents, both documented and undocumented, in the context of their impact on crime rates.

UWF Hosts First District Court of Appeals in Mock Trial Courtroom

University of West Florida — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:25:05 EST

The University of West Florida recently hosted the First District Court of Appeals for oral arguments in its Mock Trial Courtroom. The event provided UWF students with an exceptional opportunity to witness the judicial process in action.

How Do Emotions Influence How People Deal with Natural Disasters?

Universite de Montreal — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:40:18 EST

Researchers led by an UdeM architecture professor look at how fear, anger and pride combine to shape responses to climate risks in four Latin American communities.

Professor Discusses Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 18:20:38 EST

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Dr. Tusty ten Bensel, a professor of criminal justice and associate dean at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is highlighting her work to address human trafficking in Arkansas. As a member of the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council, she plays a vital role in shaping statewide efforts to combat this issue.

New GW Study Debunks Myths About Mayoral Partisanship and Crime Policy

George Washington University — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 17:30:34 EST

A new study co-authored by Christopher Warshaw, professor of Political Science at George Washington University, reveals that the partisanship of mayors has no detectable effect on key policing and crime metrics in U.S. cities.

Nearly 30,000 Wild Species Identified in US Trade Data

University of Adelaide — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:55:26 EST

International research involving the University of Adelaide has found almost 30,000 wild species have been traded in the United States, according to data captured by US wildlife trade monitoring organisation Law Enforcement Manage Information System.

Firearms Trafficking in Quebec: Not Just the Business of Organized Crime

Universite de Montreal — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 12:00:21 EST

In Quebec, gun trafficking isn't driven by organized crime, but rather by opportunistic individuals working at different levels, according to a study conducted at UdeM.

New Strontium Isotope Map of Sub-Saharan Africa Is a Powerful Tool for Archaeology, Forensics, and Wildlife Conservation

University of California, Santa Cruz — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 19:05:10 EST

A team of researchers led by UC Santa Cruz has mapped predicted bioavailable strontium isotope ratios across all of Sub-Saharan Africa. Archaeologists, conservation scientists, and forensics experts will now be able to match values from the map against those observed in artifacts and plant, animal, and human remains of unknown origin to identify where they likely came from within the continent.

Paris Declaration Calls for Data-Driven Forensics to Spearhead the Fight Against Fake Science

Digital Science and Research Solutions Ltd — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 05:00:00 EST

Supporters of research integrity have signed the Paris Declaration, calling for data-driven forensics to spearhead the fight against fake science.