Steven Downing
PhD
Associate Professor
CriminologyFaculty of Social Science and Humanities
Dr. Downing's current research considers how crime and deviance are framed, enacted, and may evolve in the emerging metaverse.
- PhD - Criminology University of Texas at Dallas, USA 2007
- MS - Applied Sociology University of Texas at Dallas, USA 2004
- BA - Crime and Justice Studies University of Texas at Dallas 2003
Prison-Themed Video Games: Peacemaking and Social Justice Opportunities
Washington, DC November 18, 201571st Annual Meeting of American Society of Criminology
Methods of Studying Cyberbullying: Critiques and New Directions
San Francisco, California November 19, 201470th Annual Meeting of American Society of Criminology
Racialized Borders: Hypothesizing the Diasporic Implications of Discriminatory Surveillance at Canadian Borders
Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec October 17, 2013Borders, Walls and Security Conference
Panel Chair, Advances in Qualitative Methods in Criminology, Space, Time and Reflexive Interviewing: Implications for Qualitative Criminology
Chicago, Illinois November 14, 201268th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology
Why did “Cyberbullying” Supersede Hate Crime? Mass Distraction and the Tyler Clementi Case
Washington, DC November 16, 201167th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology
Pains of Imprisonment in a “Lock 'Em Up” Video Game: Implications for a Peacemaking Discourse Through New Media Experiences
Published in Contemporary Justice Review Volume 19, Issue 1 December 30, 2015Steven Downing & Kristine Levan
A limited body of literature has explored popular media portrayals of the prison experience. Much of this literature has focussed on film and television. Scant literature has considered new forms of media such as video games’ portrayals of the prison experience. In the current inquiry we examine the computer simulation game, Prison Architect, with respect to how its interactive experience has the potential simultaneously portray and problematize pains of imprisonment, and how these portrayals and problematizations may prompt a public discourse surrounding prison, particularly from a peacemaking perspective, even if the game itself does not incorporate concepts such as restorative justice.
The Self and the ‘Selfie’: Cyber-Bullying Theory and the Structure of Late Modernity
Published in Violence and Crime in the Family: Patterns, Causes and Consequences January 1, 2015Shahid Alvi, Steven Downing & Carla Cesaroni,
The paper offers a critical criminological perspective on cyber-bullying encouraging scholars to engage with fundamental complications associated with the relationship between late-modernity, neo-liberalism and cyber-bullying. It argues for an approach that contextualizes cyber-bullying within the realities and consequences of late-modernity and neo-liberalism.
View more - The Self and the ‘Selfie’: Cyber-Bullying Theory and the Structure of Late Modernity
Criminality, Interpersonal Proximity and the Stop-Snitching Code: An Examination of Offender and Non-Offender Perceptions
Published in Current Issues in Criminal Justice January 1, 2015Steven Downing
A number of studies have examined the relationship between the 'code of the street' and the concept of snitching (that is, informing the police). With some notable exceptions, these studies have generally focused on the pervasiveness of a 'stop-snitching code' or 'code of silence' among street offenders. In this study we seek to broaden understanding of the stop-snitching code by exploring perceptions of active, former, and non-offenders living in areas considered by residents to embody the street code.
Space, Time, and Reflexive Interviewing: Implications for Qualitative Research with Active, Incarcerated, and Former Criminal Offenders
Published in International Journal of Qualitative Methods February 1, 2013Steven Downing, Katherine Polzer & Kristine Levan
Space and time are concepts familiar to physicists, philosophers, and social scientists; they are operationalized with varying degrees of specificity but are both heralded as important to contextualizing research and understanding individual, cultural, and historical differences in perception and the social construction of reality. Space can range from, at the macro level, geographic region, to at the micro level, the immediate physical surroundings of an individual or group of persons.
Bullying Enters the 21st Century? Turning a Critical Eye to Cyberbullying Research
Published in Youth Justice Volume 12, Issue 3 December 13, 2012Carla Cesaroni, Steven Downing & Shahid Alvi
2012 Current concerns around cyber-bullying emphasize child-victims and have prompted calls for understanding and reaction to an alleged new type of child-offender. Though there is little doubt that cyber-bullying is a phenomenon with potential for real harm, there remain a number of critical gaps in the cyber-bullying literature.
View more - Bullying Enters the 21st Century? Turning a Critical Eye to Cyberbullying Research
A Rough Aging Out: Graffiti Writers and Subcultural Drift
Published in International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences July 1, 2012Steven Downing
Many studies have provided rich ethnographic accounts of graffiti writing subculture, highlighting the roles of masculinity, resistance, and other dynamics that help shape these subcultures. In the current inquiry we examine the lives of a group of graffiti writers in a mid-sized city in southern Ontario, Canada. Our inquiry draws attention to the aging-out process of graffiti writers as they enter adulthood, seek employment and form relationships with non-graffiti writers, while at the same time striving to remain members of what it at its core a deviant subculture. Our analysis draws on life course, subcultural and drifts theories, illustrating the potential for combining these perspectives in future research on deviance in general.
The Transformation of Crime Prevention
Published in Jones and Bartlett Publishers February 14, 2012Steven Downing
Dr. Downing has co-authored a chapter in the book Crime Prevention which presents significant issues related to contemporary crime prevention efforts. Interdisciplinary in its approach, the text is written for courses within a criminal justice or sociology curriculum.
Editorial Board
SAGE Open January 1, 2012SAGE Open publishes peer-reviewed, original research and review articles in an interactive, open access format. It aims to be the world’s premier open access outlet for academic research covering the full spectrum of social and behavioural sciences, and the humanities.
American Society of Criminology
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
UOIT Digital Life Research Group
SAGE Open
- Qualitative Research Methods (SSCI 2920U)
This course is a survey of qualitative research methods. Students will be introduced to the historical, theoretical, epistemological, and ethical foundations of qualitative research. The course will provide a survey of major qualitative approaches such as: interview, focus group, observation, unobtrusive methods, and action research. - Cybercrime (CRMN 4021U)
Cybercrime is an expansive concept that typically relates to crimes committed through, on, or involving the internet, but also increasingly applies to internet connected devices. This course approaches cybercrime from a sociological perspective, exploring topics such as offender motivation, organization, and societal and criminal justice responses. The course also critically interrogates the nature, extent and scope of cybercrime (and deviance), considering whether and to what extent formal and informal reactions are appropriate and warranted. The changing landscape of digital life is also explored, particularly as it relates to the intersection between private, public and institutional use of technology, vulnerabilities, and criminal behaviour/victimization. - Advanced Qualitative Methods (SSCI 3920U)
This course provides an opportunity to learn about selected qualitative methods in depth and gain practical experience applying them to a research project. Students will learn how to plan and conduct a qualitative research project from start to finish. Historical, theoretical, epistemological, and ethical foundations of selected methods will be explored in depth. - Criminology and Justice Integrating Project (CRMN 4099U)
This course is designed to allow students to develop a project in criminology and justice, which pulls together the key themes of the program, namely, theory, research and policy. Emphasis will be placed on independent scholarly inquiry reflective of a qualitative, quantitative, theoretical, or policy approach. Throughout this process, students will be expected to demonstrate an advanced level of understanding based on their previous course work in this program. The integrating project provides students with the opportunity, under the guidance of a faculty member, to synthesize and apply knowledge gained throughout their program of study. The students will set topics and approaches based on their areas of interest.
