Specialisation or Generalisation: A Latent Class Analysis on the Diversity of Offending in Dutch Inland Shipping.

• In Event: EUROC 13 White-collar and corporate offender profiles

Abstract

Growing risks and extensive legislation and regulation characterize the Dutch inland shipping industry. The current enforcement strategy in this sector was implemented to enable risk-based enforcement, but hardly considers patterns of offending. The aim of this research is to provide insight into (patterns in) the nature of regulatory offending.
The study examines the diversity of regulatory offending by calculating the diversity index (D) at both the ship and corporate level. Additionally, using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) recurring patterns in offense types are identified. This provides insight into the extent and nature of the diversity of regulatory offending.
The results indicate a dichotomy in the sample at both levels. One group has a completely specialized pattern of regulatory offending (D<0.05); the other group has different levels of diversity (D>0.05). The Latent Class Analysis cautiously supports the finding that, at both levels, some groups specialize (Inland Shipping Act, Inland Shipping Police Regulations, Hazardous Substances), while other groups show a more diverse composition of regulatory offending.
In conclusion, there is both generalization and specialization in inland shipping offending. Thematic clusters of regulatory offending are recognized only to a limited extent. In future research, the development of diversity over time can be analysed. In regulatory practice, diversity scoring is an informative factor to consider for risk-based analyses.

Authors

• Jelmar Meester, VU Amsterdam

• Marieke Kluin, Leiden University

• Arjan Blokland, NSCR

• Wim Huisman, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam