Expanding Visual Criminology: Definitions, Data and Dissemination

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the use of visual tools and techniques in criminology. Many efforts are based on cultural and critical assumptions and focus on the spectacle of images. However, visual criminology may offer a wider variety of options to produce, frame and disseminate large amounts of information in more accessible ways. Of specific interest in this article is the potential for visual criminology to better present complex research findings. To this end, we discuss visual criminological efforts that have been used to engage audiences through social media. We replicate and consider key info-graphics on issues such as mass incarceration, `stop and frisk', and police killings. Finally, we consider some potential problems for those interested in expanding visual approaches in criminology, and present six general propositions to be tested and further explored.