The 40 Members of the Toronto 18: Group Boundaries and the Analysis of Illicit Networks. Issue 11 (2nd November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ouellet, Marie; Bouchard, Martin
• Is Part Of: Deviant behavior. Volume 39:Issue 11(2018)
• Page Start: 1467
• Page End: 1482
• Publication Date: 2018-11-02
• Subjects: Group boundaries -- illicit networks -- co-offending -- terrorist organizations; Deviant behavior -- Periodicals; 302.54205
• DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2018.1481678
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-9625

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Increases in studies on the network dynamics of crime groups and co-offending has led many scholars to reflect on potential measurement biases arising from a reliance on official data sources. A problem of official data is that it forces boundaries on criminal groups that are much more fluid and dynamic than they seem. Drawing from interviews with an individual embedded in a terrorist organization and court documents records, we apply longitudinal network methods to examine the extent to which official data influences assessments of a criminal group. Findings show that only a minority of participants interacting with the group were charged for a crime. Yet the majority had an impact on the evolution of the group. Ignoring non-criminal affiliates masks the full scope of covert groups and the variation that can assist in understanding how groups emerge and evolve.