University of Twente Student Theses
Organized criminal hemp cultivations in the east of the Netherlands : A research into the social conditions that explain the presence of different phases of organized criminal hemp cultivation
Geurtse, S.H. (2020) Organized criminal hemp cultivations in the east of the Netherlands : A research into the social conditions that explain the presence of different phases of organized criminal hemp cultivation.
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| Abstract: | Organized crime is an upcoming phenomenon in the Netherlands. For several years, society and authorities were convinced that this phenomenon only was present at the south of the Netherlands and in the big western cities. However, it turns out that organized crime found its way to the east of the Netherlands. In this research, one specific type of organized crime is discussed: organized criminal hemp cultivation. The leading research question of this research is: Which social conditions explain the presence of organized criminal hemp cultivation in the east of the Netherlands? Theoretical variables from the social disorganization theory are used to explain the organized criminal hemp cultivation in the east of the Netherlands. These factors are a low socioeconomic status (SES), ethnic heterogeneity, high residential stability, fear of crime, informal social control and formal control. Besides these directly influencing factors, three intervening variables are added. These variables are local friendship networks, supervising teenage peer groups and participation in local voluntary or formal organizations. The variable of organized criminal hemp cultivation is split up into different specific core phases: the preparing phase, the growing phase, the fabricating phase and the selling phase. Other phases in the process of organized criminal hemp cultivation are money laundering, transport and storage and facilitating. In the case of organized crime in the east of the Netherlands, it turned out that organized criminal fraud, human trafficking and organized drug crimes all are present. However, the type of organized crime that is recognized the most in this region is organized criminal hemp cultivation. All the different phases of this process are recognized in the east of the Netherlands. Almost all of the factors of the social disorganization theory are found in the east of the Netherlands and these are influencing the different phases. Only the factor of residential instability is not recognized. Two out of three intervening variables are recognized in the east of the Netherlands. Local friendship networks is intervening after a high residential stability and after informal social control. The factor of supervising teenage peer groups is intervening behind informal social control. Besides the factors of the social disorganization theory, there are three new factors found. Two these factors are specifically for the case of the east of the Netherlands: the geographic location and naivety among citizens. The third new factor that is found is supply and demand of hemp. This factor is recognized in the east of the Netherlands, but not specific for this region. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Programme: | Public Administration MSc (60020) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/80878 |
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