Skip to main content

Script Analysis and the SCRIPT Acronym

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Crime Prevention in the 21st Century

Abstract

Until recently, crime script analysis was virtually unknown to criminologists working outside the circle of environmental criminologists and situational prevention theorists. Over the years, crime scripts became more popular as researchers in crime prevention more broadly have started to look for more effective ways of addressing crime problems and informing prevention practices. The main objective of this chapter is to promote the practice of script analysis for understanding and preventing crime events. For this purpose, I focus on the strengths of script analysis using the SCRIPT acronym. The SCRIPT acronym stands for systematic, compatible, resilient, insightful, practical, and theoretically grounded. Each of these qualities inherent to script analysis is discussed to highlight the potential of crime scripts in criminological research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Augoustinos, M., Walker, I., & Donaghue, N. (2006). Social cognition: An integrated introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, M. W. (1992). Relational schemas and the processing of social information. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 461–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, M. W. (1995). Relational schemas and cognition in close relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 547–552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauregard, E., Proulx, J., Rossmo, D. K., Leclerc, B., & Allaire, J.-F. (2007). Script analyses of the hunting process of serial sex offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34, 1069–1084.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernasco, W. (2010). Offenders on offending: Learning about crime from criminals. Cullompton, UK: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borion, H. (2013). Quality assurance in crime scripting. Crime Science, 2, 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brayley, H., Cockbain, E., & Laycock, G. (2011). The value of crime scripting: Deconstructing internal child sex trafficking. Policing, 5, 132–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bullock, K., Clarke, R. V., & Tilley, N. (2010). Introduction. In K. Bullok, R. V. Clarke, & N. Tilley (Eds.), Situational prevention of organized crimes (pp. 1–16). Devon: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiu, Y.-N., & Leclerc, B. (2016). An examination of sexual offenses against women by acquaintances: The utility of a script framework for prevention purposes. In B. Leclerc & E. U. Savona (Eds.), Crime prevention in the 21st century: Insightful approaches for crime prevention initiatives. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiu, Y.-N., Leclerc, B., & Townsley, M. (2011). Crime script analysis of drug manufacturing in clandestine laboratories: Implications for strategic intervention. British Journal of Criminology, 51, 355–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V. (1999). Hot products: Understanding, anticipating and reducing demand for stolen goods (Police research series paper, Vol. 112). London: Home Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V. (2008). Situational crime prevention. In R. Wortley & L. Mazerolle (Eds.), Environmental criminology and crime analyses (pp. 178–194). Cullompton, UK: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V., & Eck, J. (2005). Crime analysis for problem solvers in 60 small steps. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice Office and Community Oriented Policing Services. www.popcenter.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V., & Newman, G. R. (2006). Outsmarting the terrorist. Westport CT: Praeger Security International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copes, H., Hochstetler, A., & Cherbonneau, M. (2012). Getting the upper hand: Scripts for managing victim resistance in carjackings. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 49, 249–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, D. B. (1994). The procedural analysis of offending and its relevance for situational prevention. In R. V. Clarke (Ed.), Crime prevention studies (Vol. 3). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, D. B. (1998). Regulating lifestyles: A rational choice perspective. Paper presented at the 7th International Seminar on Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis, Barcelona, Spain.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, D. B., & Clarke, R. V. (2002). Analyzing organized crimes. In A. R. Piquero & S. G. Tibbetts (Eds.), Rational choice and criminal behavior: Recent research and future challenges (pp. 41–63). New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, D. B., & Clarke, R. V. (2008). The rational choice approach. In R. Wortley & L. Mazerolle (Eds.), Environmental criminology and crime analysis. Cullompton, UK: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullen, F. (2011). Beyond adolescence-limited criminology: Choosing our future: The American Society of Criminology 2010 Sutherland address. Criminology, 49, 287–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer, W. O., Graesser, A. C., Hopkinson, P. L., & Lupfer, M. B. (1990). Application of script theory to police officers’ use of deadly force. Journal of Police Science and Administration, 17, 295–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekblom, P. (2012). Happy returns: Ideas brought back from situational crime prevention’s exploration of design against crime. In G. Farrell & N. Tilley (Eds.), The reasoning criminologist: Essays in honour of Ronald V. Clarke (Crime science series, pp. 163–198). Cullompton, UK: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekblom, P., & Tilley, N. (2000). Criminology, situational crime prevention and the resourceful offender. British Journal of Criminology, 40, 376–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrell, G., & Tilley, N. (2016). Technology for crime and crime prevention: A supply side analysis. In B. Leclerc & E. U. Savona (Eds.), Crime prevention in the 21st century: Insightful approaches for crime prevention initiatives. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (1991). Social cognition (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiropoulos, A., Freilich, J., Chermak, S., & Newman, G. (2013). Cigarette smuggling and terrorism financing: A script approach. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime: Offender decision-making and script analyses (Crime science series, pp. 186–208). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, B. (1999). Dealing crack: The social world of streetcorner selling. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacques, S., & Bernasco, W. (2013). Drug dealing: Amsterdam’s Red Light District. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime: Offender decision-making and script analyses (Crime science series, pp. 120–139). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacques, S., & Bonobo, E. (2016). Learning from the offenders’ perspective on crime prevention. In B. Leclerc & E. U. Savona (Eds.), Crime prevention in the 21st century: Insightful approaches for crime prevention initiatives. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc, B. (2013a). New developments in script analysis for situational crime prevention: Moving beyond offender scripts. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime: Offender decision-making and script analyses (Crime science series, pp. 221–236). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc, B. (2013b). Script analysis for crime controllers: Extending the reach of situational prevention. In S. Caneppele & F. Calderoni (Eds.), Organized crime, corruption, and crime prevention—Essays in honours of Ernesto U. Savona. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc, B., & Reynald, D. (2015). When scripts and guardianship unite: A theoretical script model to facilitate intervention by capable guardians. Security Journal. doi:10.1057/sj.2015.8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc, B., Smallbone, S., & Wortley, R. (2013). Interpersonal scripts and victim reaction in child sexual abuse: A quantitative analysis of the offender-victim interchange. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime: Offender decision-making and script analyses (Crime science series, pp. 101–119). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc, B., Wortley, R., & Smallbone, S. (2011). Getting into the script of adult child sex offenders and mapping out situational prevention measures. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 48, 209–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindegaard, M., & Bernasco, W. (2016). Learning about crime prevention from aborted crimes: Intra-personal comparisons of committed and aborted robbery. In B. Leclerc & E. U. Savona (Eds.), Crime prevention in the 21st century: Insightful approaches for crime prevention initiatives. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindegaard, M. R., Bernasco, W., Jacques, S., & Zevenbergen, Z. (2013). Posterior gains and immediate pains: Offender emotions before, during and after robberies. In J.-L. Van Gelder, H. Elffers, D. Reynald, & D. Nagin (Eds.), Affect and cognition in criminal decision making (Crime science series). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreto, W. M., & Clarke, R. V. (2013). Script analysis of the transnational illegal market in endangered species: Dream and reality. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime: Offender decision-making and script analyses (Crime science series, pp. 209–220). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morselli, C., & Roy, J. (2008). Brokerage qualifications in ringing operations. Criminology, 46, 71–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savona, E. U. (2010). Infiltration by Italian organized crime (Mafia, N’drangheta and Camorra) of the public construction industry. In K. Bullok, R. V. Clarke, & N. Tilley (Eds.), Situational prevention of organized crimes (pp. 130–150). Devon: Willan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savona, E. U., Giommoni, L., & Mancuso, M. (2013). Human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Italy. In B. Leclerc & R. Wortley (Eds.), Cognition and crime: Offender decision-making and script analyses (Crime science series, pp. 140–163). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schank, R., & Abelson, R. P. (1977). Scripts, plans, goals and understanding: An inquiry into human knowledge. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. J. (2010). Constructing crime scripts from victim and near-victim narratives. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, United States, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. J. (2016). Expanding the script analytic approach using victim narratives: Learning about robberies of taxi drivers from the drivers themselves. In B. Leclerc & E. U. Savona (Eds.), Crime prevention in the 21st century: Insightful approaches for crime prevention initiatives. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, L., & Chainey, S. (2011). Profiling illegal waste activity: Using crime scripts as a data collection and analytical strategy. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 17, 179–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, R., & Decker, S. (1994). Burglars on the job: Street life and residential break-ins. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, R., & Decker, S. (1997). Armed robbers in action: Stickups and street culture. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Benoit Leclerc .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Leclerc, B. (2017). Script Analysis and the SCRIPT Acronym. In: LeClerc, B., Savona, E. (eds) Crime Prevention in the 21st Century. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27793-6_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27793-6_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27791-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27793-6

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics