Rising temperatures possibly linked to increased city crime rate
Criminal justice expert J.Z. Bennett speaks to Fox 19 about heat and crime
A heat advisory is in effect for most of the tristate; and while a rise in crime and rising temperatures do correlate there is no single cause, says J.Z. Bennett, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Criminal Justice.
There are, however, obvious ways to keep young people out of the crime mix during the summer break, he tells Fox 10 News Now.
“Idle time is the Devil’s playground,” Bennett said in the segement when describing the propensity for youth to get into trouble if not overseen at home or at planned activities such as camps and workshops.
Bennett explained that teenagers often lack a developed “braking mechanism” and can get carried away when with their peers. He also cites a study where youth make more volatile decisions when in the company of their friends, decisions they did not make when the task asked for a solo decision.
Bennett joined the faculty of UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services in 2022.
Feature photo at top: Adobe
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC biologist talks about 'pearmageddon'
March 16, 2026
WLWT talks to UC biologist and Department Head Theresa Culley about invasive, nonnative Callery pear trees that are spreading across Ohio forests after they were introduced by landscapers more than 50 years ago.
Local media highlight completion of Blood Cancer Healing Center fourth and fifth floors
March 16, 2026
Local media including WLWT and the Cincinnati Business Courier highlighted the opening of research laboratories and the UC Osher Wellness Suite and Learning Kitchen at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Blood Cancer Healing Center.
Trial results support weekly buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy
March 16, 2026
Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers led by the University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen published clinical trial results in JAMA Internal Medicine that found administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than buprenorphine given daily under the tongue, one of the standard methods of treatment.