Te Puna Haumaru Centre for Security and Crime Science

Dr Linda Fatialofa from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington presented findings from her research exploring the circumstances that shape pathways into offending for young men in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Using Grounded Theory, the research examined the factors influencing offending behaviour, how participants understood their actions, and the complex interactions between individual experiences, relationships, and broader social contexts.

The findings informed the development of three descriptive models that were integrated into an overarching model of youth offending, highlighting the importance of centring young people's voices in theory development.

🎥 The seminar recording is now available to watch on our YouTube channel:

My World, My Choices and My Identity: Introducing a Descriptive Model of Youth Offending in Aotearoa Dr Linda Fatialofa from Victoria University of Wellington presented...

🚨 New paper alert!

Does stalking add unique value when assessing the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) recurrence?

In a new open-access study, Dr Jordan Tomkins, AProf Lisa Tompson, and Prof Devon Polaschek examined 1,126 IPV cases reported to New Zealand Police to determine whether partner stalking predicted IPV recurrence over a 12-month period. Stalking initially predicted any IPV recurrence, regardless of severity or type. However, once other commonly assessed risk factors were included in the model, stalking no longer made a statistically significant contribution to predicting recurrence.

These findings suggest that, while stalking is an indicator of risk, it may not require special status in predicting IPV recurrence because it often co-occurs with other established risk factors that provide stronger predictive value.

📖 Read the open-access article here👇
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08862605261463278

This week Laura Adlam and Patrick Neilands from the Ministry of Justice NZ shared findings from the recently published report into youth victimisation and harm. 🔎

They discussed in-depth findings on the relationship between bullying, victimisation, and screen use, as well as the experiences of young people in state care.

A recording of this seminar is available on our YouTube channel:

Key Findings of the Youth Victimisation and Harm Report 2025 Laura Adlam and Patrick Neilands from the Ministry of Justice prese...

Last month Dr Apriel Jolliffe Simpson and Professor Richard Wortley travelled all the way to South Africa for the Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis conference. There, they presented talks about their recent research and had the chance to learn from and catch up with crime science colleagues from around the world. 🌍

The South African Wildlife College was a very special venue, with game drives replacing the traditional conference networking events 🦁

Assessing childhood trauma in New Zealand prisons Jasmin Fuller presented this seminar as part of the Institute of Cr...

The manuscript about this study has now been published! https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40163-026-00288-8

Situational Aspects of Homicide: Variations Across Homicide Types Professor Richard Wortley from the University of Waikato presented this talk in the Te Puna Haumaru Seminar Series on 19 March 2026. This special seminar was...

💡 What shapes the safety and wellbeing of corrections officers working in prisons?

As part of the Te Puna Haumaru Seminar Series, Samantha Taaka, PhD Candidate at The University of Waikato, presented research from her doctoral thesis exploring the realities of prison work and the factors that influence corrections officer wellbeing.

Corrections officers play a critical role in maintaining prison safety and supporting prisoner wellbeing, often while working in demanding and unpredictable environments. Alongside the physical risks associated with the role, officers may experience significant psychological pressures, including stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms.

Samantha's thesis examined how characteristics of prisoners, officers, and prison environments interact to affect staff safety and wellbeing. The research also considered ways prisons can better support officers, moving beyond a narrow focus on physical health to include emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of wellbeing. 🛡️

🎥 Watch the full seminar recording on our YouTube channel

Understanding corrections officer safety in Aotearoa New Zealand Samantha Taaka, PhD Candidate at The University of Waikato, present...