Browsing by Author "Dolliver, Diana S."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Characteristics of Drug Vendors on the Tor Network: A Cryptomarket Comparison
    (Taylor & Francis, 2016-05-02) Dolliver, Diana S.; Kenney, Jennifer L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Past research on drug-related vendors on Tor marketplaces indicate that sellers are motivated by the greater anonymity afforded by the Tor Network. Limited research has even posited that some drug-related vendors on cryptomarkets sell to other dealers, adding another dimension to existing literature that highlights the retail nature (dealer-to-customer transactions) of these Tor-based drug markets. Yet these past studies have been largely qualitative in nature. This study conducted a quantitative analysis of vendor accounts on Evolution and Agora to determine characteristics predictive of vendors advertising controlled substances, and to determine whether any statistically significant differences among drug vendor characteristics existed between the two sites.
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    Criminogenic Assymetries in Cyberspace: A Comparative Analysis of Two Tor Marketplaces
    (2015-11) Dolliver, Diana S.; Love, Katherine L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Cyberspace presents a unique medium in which criminogenic asymmetries propagate, fueled by globalization processes that contribute to various forms of transnational criminality. The cyber domain challenges traditional criminological concepts related to the connection of ‘space’ and ‘time’, allowing offenders and victims to virtually interact despite their geographical locales. Further, structural discrepancies differentially impact cybercrime rates, as connectivity to the Internet remains restricted or inaccessible in many countries. This study conducted a descriptive assessment of criminality on two marketplaces housed on the Tor Network within the broader context of these cyber-structural discrepancies and asymmetries. Data were collected from Evolution and Silk Road 2 during August and September 2014 using webcrawling software. This study found illegal or criminally concerning items to be abundant on Evolution and modest on Silk Road 2, largely sold from a core group of culturally Western countries. Yet, an abundance of other countries were found to engage differentially in specific markets, though in smaller percentages.
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    CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ADAPTATION AND CHANGE IN EUROPE: A TEST OF INSTITUTIONAL ANOMIE THEORY USING TIME SERIES MODELLING OF HOMICIDE DATA
    (Oxford University Press, 2015-07) Dolliver, Diana S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This study examined whether geographic differences in intentional homicide rates in Europe were a function of societies that exhibit Anomic cultural tendencies and an institutional imbalance, as guided by Institutional Anomie Theory. This research is temporally sensitive, taking into account these differences over a 15-year time period. Additionally, separate operations of the theory within developed and transitioning countries were tested, and various cultural-institutional configurations were uncovered that led to increases or decreases in homicide rates. While still restricted by a lack of guidance from Messner and Rosenfeld and inconsistency in past research on how to operationalize key concepts of Institutional Anomie Theory, this study significantly contributes to the literature by assessing core theoretical questions of the theory while employing appropriate measurement strategies.
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    The Presence of New Psychoactive Substances in a Tor Network Marketplace Environment
    (Routledge, 2016-09-23) Dolliver, Diana S.; Kuhns, Joseph B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Charlotte
    Prior research has documented the availability of drugs on many Tor Network websites, with the Internet playing a particularly vital role in the global new psychoactive substances (NPS) market. The primary objective of this research was to document types of NPS for sale on the largest operating Tor site (Agora) over a period of four months. Secondary objectives were to analyze countries and vendors sourcing NPS on Agora. Data from Agora were collected in February and June 2015. The number of total advertisements on Agora increased from 20,742 to 27,431 over the four months, while the number of NPS advertisements increased from 2,205 to 2,271 and the number of vendors increased from 157 to 288. The composition of NPS listings and source countries for NPS advertised on Agora diversified over time. Advertisements for ketamine and unclassified NPS experienced substantial growth, while the availability of phenethylamines decreased. However, phenethylamines remained the most frequently advertised NPS type. China and the U.S. were found to be the top two countries by volume selling NPS on Agora over the fpir months, but the number of countries identified as advertising NPS increased by nearly 43%. The United States housed the most NPS vendors.
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    Socio-Cultural Impacts on Drug Trafficking Trends in Europe
    (2015-11-17) Dolliver, Diana S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    A myriad of national and international publications have detailed global patterns of drug trafficking for decades, with recent reports identifying Europe as a global consumption “hotspot” for the majority of popular drugs in the world. Yet, despite increasing levels of drug trafficking worldwide, scholars have not routinely examined this crime-type through the lens of a socio-cultural criminological theory. As such, this empirical study employed guidance from Institutional Anomie Theory. Data were collected from fourteen countries in Europe from 1995 to 2009 and analyzed using pooled cross-sectional multivariate time series. Trafficking patterns in cannabis, heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines were operationalized using officially reported drug seizure amounts. The findings from this study emphasize the need for differentiation between drug-types in future research, but also illustrate support for use of the theoretically informed variables.