Looting and antisocial behavior after disasters: a systematic review

Abstract

Abstract Background There are different opinions about looting after disasters. Many believe that post-disaster chaos is the best chance for antisocial behavior. Aim The purpose of this systematic review is to explore the literature regarding looting after disasters, its different dimensions, and to examine coping strategies. Methods This study is a systematic review of publications about disaster-related looting and antisocial behavior, and the study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were the primary databases used for the search of literature. From the 2,467 records identified through database searching in the early stage; after investigating and analyzing the characteristics and content analysis, 8 articles were included in the final stage of this review study to answer the study questions. Results The findings of this systematic review that emerged from the content analysis of included studies are summarized in four themes: socioeconomic status (SES), social capital, media, and looting prevention. Conclusions To reduce looting, governments should incorporate looting into disaster planning, take help from community capacities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and try to increase social capital in the long term. Also, correct information transmission by the media is an important part of post-disaster looting management.

Keywords

• Looting
• Disaster
• Criminal activity
• Crime prevention