Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Looking Back To Go Forward: Toward a Criminology of Disaster Kelly Frailing and Dee Wood Harper Prepared by Diana

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press

Looking Back To Go Forward: Toward a Criminology of Disaster

Kelly Frailing and Dee Wood Harper

Prepared by Diana Carreon


Definition of Disaster

•Little agreement, at least three dozen published definitions•After WWII, idea that disasters cause social disruption emerges•Quarantelli takes up the mantle, his definition of a disaster is entirely social

o Disasters have a sudden onset, disrupt collective routines, result in unplanned courses of action taken in response and are a danger to social objects

•Current research paradigm of disasters is that disasters are social phenomena and that they reflect the ways in which social changes occur•Disagreement still exists, especially as new types of disasters (TSSRs and SACDs) are observed, and consensus becomes all the more important


Crime and Hurricanes

•Hurricane Hugo, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islandso September 17, 1989o Category 4o Widespread destruction of support systems and physical

structureso Massive looting of all types of stores, propertyo National Guard sent in to quell unresto Social conditions on the island contributed to the amount of

looting


Crime and Earthquakes

•San Francisco earthquake and fire, Californiao April 18, 1906 at 5:12amo 8.3 magnitudeo Morris’ (2002) data source: first hand accounto 300,000 left homeless, estimated death toll 1,500o Dynamite used to fight fireso Soldiers ordered to shoot looters and examples of looting

• Jewelry from corpses• Pillaging in Chinatown



• Kanto earthquake, Japano September 1, 1923 just before noono 7.9 magnitudeo 91,000 dead from quake and fires, 381,000 homes

destroyedo Rumors of Korean uprising follow, spread by governmento Japanese police, military and civilians killed 6,000 Koreans



•Tangshan earthquake, Chinao July 27, 1976o 7.5 magnitude, followed by severe aftershock 15 hours latero 240,000 killed, 800,000 injuredo One of the deadliest earthquakes of the last four centuries o Zhou’s (1997) data sources: official statistics and

retrospective surveyo Testing social disorganizationo Crime rate in Tangshan higher in 1976 than in 1975 and in

1977



•Tangshan earthquake, China (continued)o Mass looting was the most common crime in the

earthquake’s wakeo Causes of mass looting rooted in earthquake itself, death

and destruction, but causes of individual theft and mass violence rooted in disorganization caused by the earthquake

o Contrasts idea that looting only occurs after civil disturbances and not natural disasters



• Haiti Earthquakeo January 12, 2010o 7.0 magnitudeo Between 200,000 to 250,000 deado Over 634,000 still living in squalid displacement camps

over a year and a half after the earthquake strucko Two types of crimes observed after the earthquake: crimes

fueled by desperation and gang-related crimes• Desperation crimes include stealing water from

orphanage, sexual intimidation of/violence against women with food coupons



• Chile Earthquakeo February 27, 2010o 8.8 magnitudeo About 800 people killed and 1.5 million displacedo Solid construction of buildings dramatically reduced the

death tollo Collective action was taken by citizens to protect their

property from looterso But 35 looters were arrested in the days immediately

following the earthquake



• Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Japano March 11, 2011o 9.0 magnitudeo Earthquake and tsunami effected the Fukushima Dai-ichi

nuclear power planto Reason for a lack of looting following the disaster is

threefold:• Japan’s policy on recovering lost property• Police presence• Organized crime syndicates (Yakuza)

o Computer scammers and tobacco smuggling emerged following Japan’s disaster

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Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Looking Back To Go Forward: Toward a Criminology of Disaster Kelly Frailing and Dee Wood Harper Prepared by Diana