No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Offender Profiling and Crime Analysis
... During the 1970 ' s , the Federal Bureau of Investigation began developing a technique that could be used to help criminal investigators focus attention on the most likely offenders , by identifying personality and behavioral characteristics . They studied how behaviors and personalities of offenders differed from the general public ( Ainsworth , 2001 , p . 100 ) . ...
... Common crime is seen as heinous and creates anxiety amongst the general population . Society ' s perception of common crime has resulted in the call for swift and harsh punishment for common criminals ( Ainsworth , 2001 , p . 8 ) . ...
... McKendall , DeMarr and Jones - Rikkers ( 2002 ) maintained there are three factors that must be present for crime to occur : ( a ) the presence of motivating tension to break the law in order to achieve goals and success ; ( b ) an opportunity must exist to engage in illegal behavior ; ( c ) there is an absence of effective controls to prevent and discourage illegal behavior . According to Ainsworth ( 2001 ) , the inclusion of opportunity in understanding criminal activity introduces environmental and situational factors into criminal profiling . This is a shift in focus from the traditional individual trait ideology . ...
Systematic differentiation between Dark and Light Leaders: Is a corporate criminal profile possible?
... Any understanding of crime patterns and offenders motivation should start perhaps with the question of why people commit crime in the first place. Profiling has traditionally been thought of as attempting to reduce the number of possible offenders to the point where traditional methods of investigation can be introduced to solve the case (Ainsworth, 2001). Interpreting the intrusion from the criminal point of view will greatly assist the investigator in understanding what motivates an offender, (Johnson, 2005). ...
... to understand the behaviour of those sought by profilers. It would be naive to presume that the reason why most people commit crime can be found in just one theory (Ainsworth, 2001). However, the choice of which profiling method to use is controversial. ...
Cybercrime is the world's biggest growth industry and is now costing an estimated €180 billion loss to organisations and individuals, every year. The creation of 'virtual identities' gives a greater anonymity to the activities of organised criminals. Today our commonwealth is protected by firewalls rather than firepower. This is an issue of global importance as new technology has provided a world of opportunity for criminals. As a consequence law enforcement agencies all over the world are struggling to cope. Therefore, today's top priority is to use computer technology to fight computer crime.
... 6 See Chapter 1 for a review of the support for the Homology Assumption. 7 The CAPS model has been the focus in much Offender Profiling discussions (e.g.,Alison et al., 2002;Markson, Woodhams, & Bond, 2010; Sorochinski & Salfati, 2010;Woodhams, 2012) and has been chosen as a focus of the current thesis so the findings can be related to what has been done before. ...
The area of Offender Profiling generates a lot of interest in both the academic field and the everyday world as a result of a few highly prolific cases (e.g., Jack the Ripper, Boston Strangler). Historically, profiling has been based on intuition and experience, but as the field has matured, the need to be more scientific in approach has led to the development of empirically driven models/typologies of offender behaviour based.Different approaches have attempted to define, and operationalize offender profiling based on the individual principles inherent in each approach.Briefly, the Criminal Investigative approach to profiling initially relied upon the investigative experience and observation of FBI agents who soon started publishing on the topic. However, in more recent years, large databases containing information on serial and violent crime/criminals has allowed for more empirical approaches to emerge (Snook, Luther, House, Bennell, & Taylor, 2012). The Clinical approach, on the other hand, adopts a model of offender profiling that centers on the concept of motives. Finally, and most recently, the Statistical approach has aimed to provide a testable scientific framework for identifying and inferring offender characteristics/motives.However, none of these approaches alone can explain the complexities of offending behaviour. The Criminal Investigative approach brings with it a multitude of experience from investigators; the Clinical brings an abundance of medical and privileged clientbased knowled ≥ while the Statistical approach aims to provide more objective measures and examination of offending behaviour. Without the experience, knowledge, and information offered by the first two approaches, the ability to know which variables to look for or code for would be lost. However, the latter Statistical approach allows practitioner-based knowledge to be integrated with the objective examination of offending patterns and correlated findings. Therefore, the way forward should seek to integrate all of the approaches (Alison, West, & Goodwill, 2004; Alison, Goodwill, Almond, van den Heuvel, & Winter, 2010). Together, the approaches strengthen each other and give weight and support to one another. More importantly, they help strengthen the field of offender profiling as a whole.In this chapter, an overview and critique of the offender profiling literature; its underlying assumptions; and the relationship between the crime scene actions and the offender characteristics will be presented. In addition, each of the approaches to offender profiling that have developed over its short empirical history will be described and critiqued.
... Geographic and Criminal Profiling uses several different theories or models of action[2] [3]. Those appear to be most often considered when looking at Internet Crime are " Rational Choice Theory " [4] , " Routine Activity Theory " [5], " Environmental Range " [6] and the " Raider and Marauders " [7] Theory. These require data of various forms on criminal activity and non-criminal activity on which to base their modelling. ...
... When a criminal is apprehended the profiler might also be asked to advise the police on the way that particular suspects should be interviewed. From all indications, criminal profiling is therefore an umbrella term for a number of different practices (Ainsworth, 2001). ...
The issue of 'criminal profiling' is one with which most of us are familiar. Its recent appearances in the media have certainly raised the profile of criminal psychology and a number of students are keen to work in this area. "Numerous TV programmes and documentaries have also in recent times focused around the assertion of criminal profiling, including Millennium, profiler and even The X-Files"
... The introduction of legislation broadening the definition of rape to include male victims/anal and oral penetration (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, 1994, and Sexual Offences Act, 2003, respectively) may partially account for increased report rates, but within the political aims of tackling fear of crime, as well as crime itself, such figures constitute an important policy issue, especially when the media report rape convictions of below 6% and contrast these figures with 90% detection rates for murder (BBC News, February 25, 2005). Although not confined, by any means, to sexual offenses, the process of 'offender profiling' 1 is perhaps most popularly conceived of as associated with serious sexual offenses and has attracted considerable media and academic attention in recent years (see Ainsworth, 2001; Alison & Canter, 1999; Canter, 2000, for reviews), because such behavioral advice is often used to assist or guide police investigations. However, careful examination of profile advice is warranted, as profilers' advice can have serious consequences in the investigation of serious offenses, because ineffective profiling at the investigative stage can have enormous costs in terms of delivery of justice as well as potentially wasting limited public resources. ...
Utilizing a sample of 85 stranger rapists, three models (Hazelwood's (1987) Power and Anger FBI model, the Behavioral Thematic evaluation of Canter, Bennell, Alison, and Reddy (2003), and the Massachusetts Treatment Center: Rape classification system revision 3 (MTC:R3, Knight & Prentky, 1990)) were contrasted with a multivariate regression approach to assess their ability to predict an offender's previous convictions from crime scene information. In respect of the three aforementioned models, logistic regression and AUC analysis indicated that the Power and Anger FBI model was the most effective, followed by the MTC:R3, and then the Behavioral Thematic evaluation. However, predictive analyses based on a multivariate approach using a mixture of crime scene behaviors, as opposed to the grouping of behaviors into themes or types as in the three models, far exceeded the predictive ability of the three models under AUC analysis. The results suggest that emphasis should be placed on further exploration of the predictive validity of each of the individual behaviors that comprise existing thematic, typological, and multivariate classification systems, especially those that are subject to inter-situational variation.
Empirical research on serial murder is limited due to the lack of consensus on a definition, the continued use of primarily descriptive statistics, and linkage to popular culture depictions. These limitations also inhibit our understanding of these offenders and affect credibility in the field of research. Therefore, this comprehensive overview of a sample of 508 cases (738 total offenders, including partnered groups of two or more offenders) provides analyses of solo male, solo female, and partnered serial killers to elucidate statistical differences and similarities in offending and adjudication patterns among the three groups. This analysis of serial homicide offenders not only supports previous research on offending patterns present in the serial homicide literature but also reveals that empirically based analyses can enhance our understanding beyond traditional case studies and descriptive statistics. Further research based on these empirical analyses can aid in the development of more accurate classifications and definitions of serial murderers.
© The Author(s) 2015.
This chapter examines patterns of serial homicides committed by women from 1600 to 2004, which are estimated to comprise approximately
10% to 15% of all serial murder offenders. More specifically, this chapter seeks to lend understanding to those serial homicides
committed specifically by women in dominant roles as murderer. Women who acted alone or in concert with another where the
accomplice was in a subordinate role are also examined. Patterns suggest that women who commit serial murder and are dominant
tend to have significantly different patterns of action when compared to those of men in the same role. Trends include, but
are not limited to, the following: women are less likely to use physical violence, are more likely to use poison, are more
likely to choose children and men as part of their victim pool, and have a higher estimated kill ratio than men. Implications
of the lack of recognition of these killers’ actions for both research and detection are discussed.
This chapter examines the compulsive repetitive offender, specifically individuals who commit crimes repetitively because
of an internal sexual drive. Topics of sexual motivation, problems in terminology, and historical context are reviewed, along
with a presentation of sexual murderers, traditional sex offenders, and individuals who engage in other sexually motivated
antisocial acts. The important role of fantasy, planning, personality traits, and the usefulness of treatment are also covered.
The Port Arthur Massacre represents one of the most notorious mass murder incidents wherein a single offender killed 35 persons
and injured numerous others. Mass murderers predominantly either commit suicide or are slain by law enforcement officers during
their attempted arrest. In an exceptional circumstance the perpetrator of the Port Arthur Massacre was apprehended alive.
The following chapter provides rare insight into the circumstance of the Port Arthur Massacre as well as the characteristics
of Martin Bryant by the forensic psychiatrist involved in his apprehension by police and then later charged to undertake psychiatric
evaluation of Bryant for court proceedings.
Sadistic serial killers have been widely diagnosed as sociopaths who are lacking in empathy and inordinately concerned with
impression management. We propose instead that many of the behavioral characteristics thought to be distinctive of these serial
murderers are actually shared widely with millions of people who never kill anyone. By focusing so much on sociopathic characteristics,
researchers may have downplayed the importance of the existential processes—compartmentalization and dehumanization—that permit
serial killers to rape, torture, and murder with moral impunity. Moreover, by uncritically accepting the sociopathic designation,
researchers may have ignored the interaction between sadism and sociopathy that causes empathy to be heightened rather than
diminished.
Any vocation that evolves into a profession necessarily proceeds through a multistep process. The process includes the creation
of a full-time occupation, establishment of a training school reflecting and expanding the profession’s theoretical underpinnings,
formation of professional associations, and formation of a code of ethics. Many criminal justice scholars and practitioners
argue that policing has evolved into a profession. Furthermore, some scholars and practitioners specifically point to the
sophistication of modern criminal investigative techniques, including the use of criminal profiling techniques, as evidence
of law enforcement’s professional status. However, upon consideration of profiling as a professional subspecialty of criminal
investigation, one is compelled to conclude that criminal profiling does not contribute significantly to the notion of policing
as a profession.
This chapter provides an overview of studies conducted during the past two and a half decades on sexual homicide and its perpetrators.
These studies are primarily considered in the context of their collated data sets and key findings. The final discussion centers
on overall findings of the various research as well as suggested directions for the future.
This chapter reviews the typologies for serial murder and serial rape. The aim here is to showcase the principal conceptual
models that have accounted for these two forms of criminal behavior in the extant literature. Additionally, however, the chapter
considers where and how the typologies on serial rape and murder could be integrated, especially with respect to offender
motivations, cognitions, biological predispositions, fantasies, impulses, and personality structures. Along these lines, several
points of continuity and discontinuity are featured. The chapter concludes by speculating on the relevance of the proposed
exploratory analysis, particularly in relation to future research efforts that seek to explain and prevent both forms of violence
based on scientific model making, theory testing, and empirical validation.
Firesetting or arson destroys property, extinguishes lives, costs individuals and governments huge sums of money, and remains
one of the most underprosecuted felonies. Focusing on knowledge accrued during the past decade and a half, this chapter examines
what is known about adult firesetting. Firesetting is approached by first elucidating its etiology, examining this from the
perspectives of 1) motivation, 2) characteristics of firesetters, and 3) multifactorial factors. Particular populations of
firesetters are described, including those with developmental disabilities, firefighter firesetters, those with communicative
arson, self-mutilators, self-immolators, and serial arsonists. The assessment and treatment of adult firesetters is highlighted.
The chapter concludes with a discussion of some troubling newer trends in arson, such as church fires and eco-terrorism, and
calls for continuing the renewed interest in understanding and treating the adult firesetter.
In light of the dearth of literature specifically on serial juvenile sex offenders, this chapter considers the findings of
research with juvenile sex offenders and juvenile repeat sex offenders with respect to what this might tell us about juvenile
serial sex offending and its investigation. The chapter reports on different types of juvenile sex offenders: those that offend
against younger children and those that offend against their peers or adults; those that assault as a group compared to those
who assault alone; and juvenile sex offenders who target strangers as victims, a group that may require particular attention
from police. Having reviewed this literature, the chapter discusses the implications of research on behavioral consistency
and what it may mean for the successful application of investigative techniques (e.g., offender profiling and case linkage)
to serial juvenile sexual crime. Finally, the offenses of a small sample of serial juvenile sex offenders are analyzed. The
characteristics of the offenders, the victims, and the offenses are described; and the degree of behavioral consistency seen
in the offending of this group is reported.
Full text of this item is not currently available on the LRA. The final published version is available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/jhl26750253x67k7/, Doi: 10.1007/978-1-60327-049-6_5. This chapter addresses sensational interests and offending behavior in adolescents and examines if such interests can be said to cause offending. The quantitative assessment of sensational interests is a relatively new area within forensic psychology. This chapter reviews the literature so far and presents the first findings in this area based on an adolescent sample. Several recent case studies of adolescents with sensational interests who have also murdered are presented. Intrasexual competition (or mating effort) emerges as an important individual difference affecting the criminogenic relevance of sensational interests. Suggestions for improvements in the measurement of sensational interests are discussed along with the relevance of the current findings for offender profiling.
Although the majority of people with mental illness are not violent, scientific studies over the last decades show that certain psychiatric disorders increase the risk of violent behavior, including homicide. This thesis examined crime scene behaviors and offender background characteristics among mentally ill Finnish homicide offenders. Previously, homicide crime scene behaviors have been investigated in relation to offender demographic characteristics, whereas this study compares the behaviors of offenders with various mental illnesses. The study design was a retrospective chart review of the forensic psychiatric statements of Finnish homicide offenders. The work consists of four substudies. The aims of the study were as follows: To describe differences in the childhood and family backgrounds as well as in the adolescent and adult adjustment of Finnish homicide offenders belonging to different diagnostic categories (schizophrenia, personality disorder, alcoholism, drug addiction or no diagnosis). Further, the study examined associations between the crime scene behaviors and mental status of these offenders. Also, the distinguishing characteristics between two groups of offenders with schizophrenia were examined: early starters, who present antisocial behavior before the onset of schizophrenia, and late starters, who first offend after the onset of mental disorder. Finally, it was investigated how the use of excessive violence is associated with clinical and circumstantial variables as well as offender background characteristics among homicide offenders with schizophrenia. The main findings of the study can be summarized as follows. First, offenders with personality disorder or drug addiction had experienced multiple difficulties in their early environments: both family and individual problems were typical. Offenders with schizophrenia were relatively well-adjusted in childhood compared to the other groups. However, in adolescence and adulthood, social isolation, withdrawal and other difficulties attributable to these offenders illness became evident. In several aspects, offenders with alcohol dependency resembled offenders with no diagnosis in that these offenders had less problematic backgrounds compared to other groups. Second, the results showed that crime scene behaviors, victim gender and the victim-offender relationship differ between the groups. In particular, offenders with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or drug addiction have some unique features in their crime scene behaviors and choice of victims. Offenders with schizophrenia were more likely to kill a blood relative, to use a sharp weapon and to injure the victim s face. Drug addiction was associated with stealing from the victim and trying to cover up the body. Third, the results suggest that the offense characteristics of early- and late-start offenders with schizophrenia differ only modestly. However, several significant differences between the groups were found in characteristics of offenders: early starters had experienced a multitude of problems in their childhood surroundings and also later in life. Fourth, violent acts where the offender did not commit the offense alone or had previous homicidal history were predictive of excessive violence among offenders with schizophrenia. Positive psychotic symptoms did not predict the use of excessive violence. Nearly one third of the cases in the sample involved multiple and severe violence, including features such as sadism, mutilation, sexual components or extreme stabbing. In sum, mentally disordered homicide offenders are heterogeneous in their offense characteristics as well as their background characteristics. Empirically based information on how the offender s mental state is associated with specific crime scene behaviors can be utilized within the police force in developing methods of prioritizing suspects in unsolved homicide cases. Also, these results emphasise the importance of early interventions for problem families and children at risk of antisocial behavior. They may also contribute to the development of effective treatment for violent offenders. Suurin osa psyykkisistä sairauksista kärsivistä ihmisistä ei käyttäydy väkivaltaisesti. Viimeisten vuosikymmenten aikana tehdyt tutkimukset kuitenkin osoittavat tiettyjen psykiatristen sairauksien kasvattavan henkirikosten ja muun väkivaltakäyttäytymisen riskiä. Tämä tutkimus tarkasteli suomalaisten mielenterveyshäiriöstä kärsivien henkirikokseen syyllistyneiden henkilöiden rikospaikkakäyttäytymistä ja tekijöiden taustapiirteitä. Viimeaikaisissa tutkimuksissa on pyritty löytämään yhteyksiä erilaisten tekotapojen ja rikoksiin syyllistyneiden henkilöiden demografisten taustapiirteiden välillä. Tässä tutkimuksessa haluttiin sen sijaan tutkia voidaanko eri tyyppisistä mielenterveyden häiriöistä kärsivien tekijöiden katsoa syyllistyvän tietyntyyppisiin rikoksiin. Tutkimusasetelma oli retrospektiivinen ja aineistona käytettiin suomalaisten henkirikokseen syyllistyneiden henkilöiden mielentilatutkimuslausuntoja. Työ koostui neljästä osatutkimuksesta. Tutkimuksessa pyrittiin kuvaamaan viiteen eri diagnostiseen kategoriaan (diagnoosina joko skitsofrenia, persoonallisuushäiriö, alkoholiriippuvuus, huumausaineriippuvuus tai ei diagnoosia) kuuluvien henkirikoksen tehneiden henkilöiden taustapiirteitä. Tutkittiin myös sitä, millä tavoin henkirikokseen liittyvä käyttäytyminen on yhteydessä tutkittavien psykiatriseen sairauteen. Lisäksi vertailtiin kahta skitsofreniaa sairastavista henkirikoksen tekijöistä koostuvaa ryhmää, joista toiseen kuuluvat henkilöt ovat syyllistyneet rikoksiin jo ennen psyykkistä sairastumista ja toiset vasta sairastumisensa jälkeen. Edelleen tutkittiin myös sitä, millaiset kliiniset piirteet, tilannetekijät tai tekijään liittyvät piirteet ennustavat ylenmääräisen väkivallan käyttöä henkirikoksissa, joiden tekijä sairastaa skitsofreniaa. Tulokset osoittivat, ensinnäkin, että erityisesti persoonallisuushäiriöstä tai huumausaineriippuvuudesta kärsivät henkilöt olivat kokeneet runsaasti psykososiaalisia ongelmia elämänsä eri vaiheissa. Esimerkiksi vanhempien alkoholiongelmat tai koulunkäyntiin liittyvät ongelmat olivat tyypillisiä. Skitsofreniaa sairastavien tekijöiden varhaisvaiheet näyttäytyivät muihin ryhmiin verrattuna melko ongelmattomina. Sen sijaan nuoruusiässä ja aikuisuudessa sosiaalinen eristyneisyys, vetäytyminen ja muut sairaudesta johtuvat vaikeudet olivat yleisiä. Diagnoosittomien sekä alkoholiriippuvuudesta kärsivien lapsuus- ja nuoruusvaiheet sekä aikuisiän sopeutuminen olivat edellisiä ryhmiä ongelmattomampia. Toiseksi, rikokseen liittyvä käyttäytyminen sekä tekijän ja uhrin välinen suhde erosi ryhmien välillä, erityisesti huumausaineriippuvaisten ja skitsofreniaa sairastavien osalta. Skitsofreniaa sairastavat surmasivat muita useammin verisukulaisen, käyttivät teräasetta ja vahingoittivat uhrin kasvoja. Huumausaineriippuvaiset puolestaan varastivat uhrilta muita useammin ja yrittivät piilottaa ruumiin. Kolmanneksi, ennen psyykkistä sairastumista rikollisen uransa aloittaneiden skitsofreniaa sairastavien tekijöiden taustat näyttäytyivät useilta osin ongelmallisempina kuin niiden, joilla rikollinen käyttäytymien alkoi vasta skitsofreniaan sairastumisen jälkeen. Henkirikokseen liittyvät piirteet ja käyttäytyminen erosivat toisistaan vain vähän. Neljänneksi, skitsofreniaa sairastavien tekijöiden osalta huomattavan runsaan väkivallan käyttöä henkirikoksissa ennustivat tekijän aikaisempi rikoshistoria sekä se, että henkirikos oli tehty yhdessä toisen henkilön kanssa. Psykoottiset oireet eivät olleet yhteydessä väkivallan luonteeseen. Lähes kolmannes tapauksista sisälsi ylenmääräistä väkivaltaa, esimerkiksi silpomista tai sadistisia piirteitä. Yhteenvetona voidaan todeta, että mielenterveyshäiriöiset henkirikoksen tekijät ovat heterogeeninen ryhmä niin tekoon liittyvän käyttäytymisen, kuin tekijän taustaan liittyvien piirteiden osalta. Tuloksia on mahdollista soveltaa käytännössä esimerkiksi rikostutkinnassa, jossa on hyödyksi tieto mahdollisista yhteyksistä rikospaikalla havaittavissa olevan käyttäytymisen ja rikoksentekijöiden ominaisuuksien, esimerkiksi mielenterveyshäiriöiden, välillä. Lisäksi tulokset tuovat uutta tietoa sekä henkirikokseen syyllistyneiden, että riskiryhmiin kuuluvien lasten ja nuorten hoidon ja hoitoonohjauksen suunnitteluun.
The events of September 11th bring urgency to problems of urban security, both in terms of finding ways to protect cities from attacks by terrorists and also protecting urban life from repressive measures that form in reaction to those attacks. We outline a rationale for urbanists to participate in analysis and policy-formulation on security issues and examine the utility of past urban research strategies, including criminology, in terms of their relevance to the current challenge. We suggest principles to guide future urban policy in light of past experiences.
Les événements du 11 septembre rendent urgents les problèmes de sécurité urbaine, à la fois pour trouver des façons de protéger les villes contre des attaques terroristes et pour préserver la vie urbaine de mesures répressives en réponse à ces attaques. L'article argumente en faveur de la participation d'urbanistes à l'analyse et à la formulation d'une politique publique sur les questions de sécurité. Il examine le parti à tirer des stratégies de recherches urbaines antérieures (y compris en criminologie) en fonction de leur pertinence par rapport au défi actuel. De plus, il suggère des principes permettant d'orienter la politique urbaine future à la lumière des expériences passées.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.