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This paper is taken from the report of research commissioned by the Criminology Research Council.

There are two reports in this volume. They are divided into sections, as follows:

Australian Institute of Criminology

Year in review

The Chair of the Board of Management and the Director of the AIC review the significant issues and achievements for the year, provide a snapshot of performance and highlight expected developments for the coming year.

The Australian Institute of Criminology has released a report detailing information about the illegal abalone market in Australia. The report identifies the different ways in which abalone may be illegally caught, namely: by organised poachers, licensed divers, shore-based divers, extended family groups or individuals. Such abalone is then prepared for consumption, often in illegal processing factories or "backyard" set-ups. While some abalone is kept for personal use, most is destined for sale.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Acronyms
• Abstract
• Summary
  • Victimisation
  • Victim characteristics
  • Help-seeking
  • Impact of victimisation
• Introduction
  • Method
• Victimisation
  • Online abuse and harassment
  • Malware
  • Identity crime and misuse
  • Fraud and scams
  • Poly-victimisation
• Victim characteristics
  • Sociodemographic characteristics
  • Education and employment

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is Australia’s national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice, compiling trend data and disseminating research and policy advice. The AIC informs crime and justice policy and practice in Australia by undertaking, funding and disseminating policy-relevant research of national significance, by generating a crime and justice evidence base, and by establishing a national knowledge centre.

Undertaking research is the core function of the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC). The AIC conducts research on a range of crime and justice issues to provide timely, policy-relevant research to the Australian Government and other key stakeholders.

The research priorities for the AIC are set annually by the Director, in consultation with the Criminology Research Advisory Council. In 2025-26 the research priorities are:

1-5 March 1976

Contents

• Foreword

Part I

• Opening remarks
  The Honourable R.J. Ellicott
• The use of customary law for crime prevention
  W. Clifford
• The use of customary law for crime prevention and control
  His Excellency the Honourable Sir John Kerr
• Keynote address: The use of customary law in the criminal justice system
  The Honourable Sir Sydney Frost
• Commentary on keynote address
  Professor R.S. O'Regan

Part II

• Summary of discussions
  W. Clifford

Foreword | Adolescents who develop severe conduct disorders are at greater risk of becoming involved in juvenile crime, including property crime, interpersonal violence, theft, arson and illegal substance use. Prior research has found that dysfunctional parenting practices often place children at risk of developing conduct problems and are among the strongest predictors of later delinquent behaviour. Various programs have been developed to assist parents in improving their parenting skills.

Foreword | Using jurors to ascertain public opinion on sentencing has a number of advantages over other methods. Jurors' opinions are based on informed judgements rather than uninformed, intuitive responses and they have detailed knowledge of the offence and a sense of the offender as a real person. Using a sample of jurors from Tasmanian courts, this study examined the utility of using jurors to gauge public opinion on sentencing and as a means of informing the public about crime and sentencing issues.

Foreword | Arsonists and bushfire arsonists cause a considerable amount of damage to property, flora and fauna, endanger lives, and tie up the resources of the fire services. However, little research has been done on these offenders in Australia. This paper reports on data obtained on 1,232 arson defendants (133 of whom were known to be appearing for a bushfire arson offence), who appeared before NSW courts between 2001 and 2006.