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Behavioral Consistency Among Serial Burglars: Evaluating Offense Style Specialization Using Three Analytical Approaches
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This study evaluates the behavioral consistency in offending styles among a sample of serial burglars from the United States. Three popular specialization analyses—Jaccard’s coefficient, the forward specialization coefficient (FSC), and the Diversity (D) index—are used to compare if, and how much, variation exists in the behavior of serial burglars committing different styles of offenses, among the three analyses. Results show that there is variation across the analyses, with the FSC and D index suggesting serial burglars are relatively consistent in their burglary offense styles. However, burglars with organized and disorganized offense styles are more consistent in behavior across offenses than burglars who committed opportunistic and interpersonal style offenses. These findings have important methodological implications for criminological research, and practical implications for policing and crime linkage analysis.
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... Reminiscent of the General Aggression Model (Anderson & Bushman, 2002;Allen et al., 2018), Daffern (2010) further suggests that behavior functions can be to force someone to submit or comply; to obtain a service or a good; to reduce social distance and draw attention to oneself; to reinforce one's status; to seek approbation; to follow someone's order; to make someone suffer and, in emotional terms, to reduce internal tension; or to express anger. One might argue that studying behavioral sequences (Fox & Farrington, 2016) or their modus operandi (Hazelwood & Warren, 2003), that is linkage techniques, a.k.a. profiling, has been challenged (Fox & Farrington, 2018). ...
This study explored emotional patterns in relation to the Offence Paralleling Behavior and the schema mode frameworks. The study retrospectively assesses schema modes in the events prior and during criminal and institutional violent behavior. It draws upon observer-ratings of schema modes by 42 male patients who received mandated clinical care in a forensic hospital in the Netherlands. Wilcoxon Signed Ranked tests showed no differences between events prior crimes and incidents with regard to schema modes that relate to universal childhood needs with the exception of impulsive child mode. States of intoxication were more prevalent prior and during the crimes than during the incidents. Furthermore, modes tended to be less activated during incidents, particularly low self-control, conning and manipulating, and self-aggrandizer modes. It is hoped that criminal justice institutions and their staff would benefit from being more aware of schema mode in order to prevent and deal with incidental violence.
... Reminiscent of the General Aggression Model (Anderson & Bushman, 2002;Allen et al., 2018), Daffern (2010) further suggests that behavior functions can be to force someone to submit or comply; to obtain a service or a good; to reduce social distance and draw attention to oneself; to reinforce one's status; to seek approbation; to follow someone's order; to make someone suffer and, in emotional terms, to reduce internal tension; or to express anger. One might argue that studying behavioral sequences (Fox & Farrington, 2016) or their modus operandi (Hazelwood & Warren, 2003), that is linkage techniques, a.k.a. profiling, has been challenged (Fox & Farrington, 2018). ...
This study explored emotional patterns in relation to the Offence Paralleling Behavior and the schema mode frameworks. The study retrospectively assesses schema modes in the events prior and during criminal and institutional violent behavior. It draws upon observer-ratings of schema modes by 42 male patients who received mandated clinical care in a forensic hospital in the Netherlands. Wilcoxon Signed Ranked tests showed no differences between events prior crimes and incidents with regard to schema modes that relate to universal childhood needs with the exception of impulsive child mode. States of intoxication were more prevalent prior and during the crimes than during the incidents. Furthermore, modes tended to be less activated during incidents, particularly low self-control, conning and manipulating, and self-aggrandizer modes. It is hoped that criminal justice institutions and their staff would benefit from being more aware of schema mode in order to prevent and deal with incidental violence.
... It indicates that the diffusion radius calculated by the modified model is lower than that by the classical model, but agrees better with test data, which verifies the rationale of the cylindrical diffusion model that includes pore tortuosity. The error between model predictions and test data was quantified by the consistency index d (Fox and Farrington, 2016), which ranges from 0 to 1 with d = 0 denoting complete inconsistency and d = 1 denoting complete consistency. The greater the value of d, the better the consistency between the two. ...
The diffusion distance and grouting effect of alkaline solution in collapsible loess are greatly influenced by pore tortuosity. In this study, the fractal dimensions of pore area and tortuosity that characterized the permeation path were included in a cylindrical diffusion model for NaOH solution grouting in collapsible loess. Ten sets of field test data were employed in model verification. The tortuosity-based model shows better agreement with the test data than the conventional model. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted to reveal the reinforcement mechanism of the above method. Spherical colloids formed from calcium silicate and aluminum silicate complexes were present in the treated loess, which enhanced the cementation between the soil particles and increased the UCS. Six factors for grouting design were targeted in sensitivity analysis and could be ranked by sensitivity as grouting time t > grouting pressure p > porosity ϕ > solution viscosity ratio β > permeability coefficient K > grouting pipe radius r 0. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the sensitive factors. Results show that the design diffusion radius is 40 cm, and the optimized factors are t = 58 min, p = 0.05 MPa, ϕ = 0.4, β = 1.1, K = 0.0006 cm/s, r 0 = 1 cm.
... La consistencia conductual en delincuentes seriales ha sido estudiada en el caso de homicidios (Salfati & Bateman, 2005;Bateman & Salfati, 2007;Sorochinski & Salfati, 2010;Salfati, Horning, Sorochinski & Labuschagne, 2015), intrusión en propiedades con fines de robo (Bouhana, Johnson & Porter, 2016;Fox & Farrington, 2016), y agresores sexuales (Lundrigan, Czarnomski, & Wilson, 2010;Harbers, Deslauriers-Varin, Beauregard & Kemp, 2012;Deslauriers-Varin & Beauregard, 2013, 2014a, 2014bHewitt & Beauregard, 2014;Oziel, Goodwill & Beauregard, 2015). En general, estos estudios concluyen, de una forma metodológicamente aceptable, que los delincuentes seriales tienden a repetir sus conductas crimen tras crimen (Janosch & Soto, 2018; Janosch, Pérez-Fernández & Soto-Castro, 2018a y 2018b; Janosch, Pérez-Fernández & Soto-Castro, 2020; Pérez-Ramírez, Giménez-Salinas, González-Álvarez, Soto-Castro, 2021). ...
Propósito: Estudiar la consistencia en las conductas de los agresores sexuales desconocidos y seriales en la escena del crimen, y la influencia de los factores situacionales. Método: Se analizan las conductas en la escena del crimen de 18 agresores sexuales desconocidos y seriales, que cometieron al menos 54 agresiones sexuales. Se han correlacionado con factores situacionales. Se ha estudiado también la consistencia de cada una de esas conductas. Resultados: Algunas conductas de los delincuentes están influidas por factores situacionales y, a la inversa, algunos factores situacionales pueden estar influidos por tales conductas. Algunas conductas que, prima facie, no están influenciadas por los factores situacionales son consistentes. Una excepción son las conductas sexuales del delincuente. Conclusión: Este análisis confirma, aunque limitadamente, relaciones conductuales esperables, pero nunca antes estudiadas, en una muestra española de agresores sexuales seriales y desconocidos.
... La consistencia conductual en delincuentes seriales ha sido estudiada en el caso de homicidios (Salfati & Bateman, 2005;Bateman & Salfati, 2007;Sorochinski & Salfati, 2010;Salfati, Horning, Sorochinski & Labuschagne, 2015), intrusión en propiedades con fines de robo (Bouhana, Johnson & Porter, 2016;Fox & Farrington, 2016), y agresores sexuales (Lundrigan, Czarnomski, & Wilson, 2010;Harbers, Deslauriers-Varin, Beauregard & Kemp, 2012;Deslauriers-Varin & Beauregard, 2013, 2014a, 2014bHewitt & Beauregard, 2014;Oziel, Goodwill & Beauregard, 2015). En general, estos estudios concluyen, de una forma metodológicamente aceptable, que los delincuentes seriales tienden a repetir sus conductas crimen tras crimen (Janosch & Soto, 2018; Janosch, Pérez-Fernández & Soto-Castro, 2018a y 2018b; Janosch, Pérez-Fernández & Soto-Castro, 2020; Pérez-Ramírez, Giménez-Salinas, González-Álvarez, Soto-Castro, 2021). ...
Filiación Institucional (1) Resumen Propósito: Estudiar la consistencia en las conductas de los agresores sexuales desconocidos y seriales en la escena del crimen, y la influencia de los factores situacionales. Método: Se analizan las conductas en la escena del crimen de 18 agresores sexuales desconocidos y seriales, que cometieron al menos 54 agresiones sexuales. Se han correlacionado con factores situacionales. Se ha estudiado también la consistencia de cada una de esas conductas. Resultados: Algunas conductas de los delincuentes están influidas por factores situacionales y, a la inversa, algunos factores situacionales pueden estar influidos por tales conductas. Algunas conductas que, prima facie, no están influenciadas por los factores situacionales son consistentes. Una excepción son las conductas sexuales del delincuente. Conclusión: Este análisis confirma, aunque limitadamente, relaciones conductuales esperables, pero nunca estudiadas, en una muestra española de agresores sexuales seriales y desconocidos. Palabras Clave Agresión sexual, desconocido, decisiones conductuales, situación, consistencia conductual. Abstract Purpose: To study the consistency in crime scene behaviors of unknown and serial sexual offenders and the influence of situational factors. Methods: The crime scene behaviors of 18 unknown and serial sexual offenders, who committed at least 54 sexual assaults, were analyzed. They have been correlated with situational factors. The consistency of each of these behaviors was also studied. Results: Some offenders' behaviors are influenced by situational factors and, conversely, some situational factors may be influenced by such behaviors. Some behaviors that, prima facie, are not influenced by situational factors are consistent. An exception is offender sexual behaviors. Conclusion: This analysis confirms, albeit to a limited extent, expected but never studied behavioral relationships in a Spanish sample of serial and unknown sex offenders.
... Studies examining individuals such as serial burglars (Fox & Farrington, 2016) also have the same inherent bias, in that the data is only available for those individuals that have been apprehended and for whom the information is available. Specific to the VPD crime ...
... Bennell et al 2010a, b;Borg et al. 2014;Bouhana et al. 2016;Fox and Farrington 2014;Woodhams et al. 2019;Reich and Porter 2015;Salo et al. 2013;Tonkin 2012;Tonkin and Woodhams 2017;Turvey and Freeman 2016;Wang et al 2015 andZoete et al. 2015) and creation of a dedicated crime linkage international network (C-LINK, 2021). What a number of these previous studies have suggested is that contrary to what one might expect it is actually inter-crime distance, as opposed to the modus operandi of an offender(Bennell and Jones 2005: 23) which is the most accurate linkage feature, particularly when researching serious acquisitive crime such as burglaries and stealing from motor vehicles(Bennell and Jones 2005;Bennell and Canter 2002;Davies et al. 2012; Santtilla and Korpela et al. 2004;Tonkin et al 2008;Tonkin et al. 2008;. ...
Crime linkage is a systematic way of assessing behavioural or physical characteristics of crimes and considering the likelihood they are linked to the same offender. This study builds on research in this area by replicating existing studies with a new type of burglar known as optimal foragers , who are offenders whose target selection is conducted in a similar fashion to foraging animals . Using crimes identified by police analysts as being committed by foragers this study examines their crime scene behaviour to assess the level of predictive accuracy for linking crimes based on their offending characteristics. Results support previous studies on randomly selected burglary offence data by identifying inter-crime distance as the highest linking indicator, followed by target selection, entry behaviour, property stolen and offender crime scene behaviour. Results discuss distinctions between this study and previous research findings, outlining the potential that foraging domestic burglary offenders display distinct behaviours to other forms of offender (random/marauder/commuter).
... Binnen de HIC-daders concluderen we dat woninginbrekers iets meer specialiseren dan overvallers en straatrovers. Deze bevindingen liggen in het verlengde van eerder onderzoek dat laat zien dat het percentage woninginbrekers dat eerder betrokken was bij woninginbraken groter is dan het percentage overvallers dat eerdere overvallen heeft gepleegd en het percentage straatrovers dat betrokken was bij eerdere straatroven (Blokdijk & Beijersbergen, 2020;Fox & Farrington, 2016). Tot slot blijkt dat HICdaders niet snel geneigd zijn een ander HIC-delict te plegen. ...
In de huidige studie, waarin crimineel gedrag van vroege adolescentie tot volwassenheid is bestudeerd, krijgen we inzicht in de kenmerken van criminele carrières van HIC-daders in Nederland, welke patronen van crimineel gedrag te ontwaren zijn, en in hoeverre het type delict en de leeftijd ten tijde van de eerste strafzaak van invloed zijn op de duur en omvang van de criminele carrière. Het onderzoek kan dan ook waardevol zijn in het bepalen van het type dader waar beleidsmaatregelen zich op moeten richten om het aantal HIC-daders met een lange en actieve criminele carrière terug te dringen.
Cognitive distortions play a key role in offending but have not been researched in relation to burglary. Using the literature on offence-related cognition as a guide (which is primarily focused on sexual offending), the present two studies aimed to develop and validate the Burglary Cognitive Distortions Scale (BCDS). Drawing upon the burglary literature, an initial pool of 36-items was produced. Two online studies using community-based participants were then conducted. Each study involved administering the BCDS, along with measures of burglary proclivity, general criminal beliefs, empathy, and human needs. In Study 1 (N1 = 306), an exploratory factor analysis of the BCDS produced two factors: (1) Acquisitive Entitlement, and (2) Survive by any Means. In Study 2 (N2 = 266), confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure and helped refine the item pool. In each study, the 24-item CFA version of the BCDS was found to be associated with general criminal beliefs and burglary proclivity. Factor 1 of the BCDS, as well as general criminal beliefs, independently predicted proclivity scores. Future research should now aim to validate the BCDS using a sample of people who have committed burglary, as it holds promise for use in forensic settings and research.
The technique commonly referred to as 'criminal profiling' is one in which crime behaviours are evaluated to predict the likely attributes of an offender. In practice, the technique has enjoyed steady growth and interest over the past three decades. The present volume draws together research from scholars and practitioners from across the globe that examines from a range of multidisciplinary perspectives the use, application and value of this form of profiling. The material canvassed throughout this text not only examines research and theoretical principles for the assessment of crimes, but extends to exploring the range of issues facing the theoretical development of criminal profiling and its practical, legal and professional practice. Topics include the examination of homicidal syndromes, the association of crime scene behavior patterns with offender characteristics, criminal propensity and opportunity, the identification of crimes committed by the same offender, the legal admissibility of profiling, its accuracy, and the problems confronting the contemporary practice of criminal profiling. This volume is likely to become an essential reference for forensic practitioners and students alike operating in the fields of criminology, law and policing and anyone with a genuine interest in the investigation and resolution of violent crime.
This article presents findings about continuities in personality development that have been uncovered in the Dunedin study, an investigation of a cohort of children studied from age 3 to 21. At age 3, children were classified into temperament groups on the basis of observations of their behavior. In young adulthood, data were collected from study members themselves, from people who knew them well, and from official records. Undercontrolled 3-year-olds grew up to be impulsive, unreliable, and antisocial, and had more conflict with members of their social networks and in their work. Inhibited 3-year-olds were more likely to be unassertive and depressed and had fewer sources of social support. Early appearing temperamental differences have a pervasive influence on life-course development and offer clues about personality structure, interpersonal relations, psychopathology, and crime in adulthood.
Criminal careers have long occupied the imaginations of criminologists. Since the 1986 publication of the National Academy of Sciences report on criminal careers and career criminals, a variety of theoretical, empirical, and policy issues have surfaced. Data on key criminal career dimensions of prevalence, frequency, specialization, and desistance have raised theoretical questions regarding the patterning of criminal activity over the life course. Recent research has identified important methodological issues, including the relationship between past and future criminal activity, and potential explanations for this relationship: state dependence and persistent heterogeneity. Advanced statistical techniques have been developed to address these challenges. Criminal career research has identified important policy issues such as individual prediction of offending frequency and career duration, and has shifted the focus toward the interplay between risk and protective factors.
The study of specialization in offending careers is relevant to the key theoretical issue of whether different types of offending reflect only one underlying theoretical construct (such as delinquent tendency) or several different constructs. This research improves on previous studies of specialization in offending careers in three ways: (1) It is based on the complete juvenile court careers of a very large sample of offenders (nearly 70,000). (2) It uses a fine-grained classification of 21 offense types. (3) It uses a new measure of the strength of specialization, the Forward Specialization Coefficient (FSC). Both transition matrices and offending careers are studied. The major findings from the transition matrices are (1) there was a small but significant degree of specialization in offending superimposed on a great deal of versatility; (2) the degree of specialization tended to increase with successive referrals, and this was not due to more versatile offenders dropping out; and (3) the relative extent to which offenders specialized in different offenses held for two jurisdictions (Maricopa County, Arizona and Utah), both sexes, and all ages. The analyses of offending careers showed that the most specialized offenses were runaway, burglary, motor vehicle theft, liquor violations, incorrigibility, curfew, truancy, and drugs. Nearly 20 percent of the offenders were identified as specialists. The conclusion is that, while offending was versatile to a first approximation, deliquency theories should attempt to explain specialization and specialists in order to yield more accurate quantitative predictions about offending careers.
The number of randomized experiments on crime and justice with a minimum of 100 participants more than doubled between 1957 and 1981, when there were thirty-seven, and between 1982 and 2004, when there were eighty-five. There was an increase in very large, multisite replication experiments and in experiments in which the unit of randomization was the area. Results in the second period were generally more encouraging, showing that some interventions reduced offending. The main advantage of a randomized experiment is its high internal validity. Randomization ensures that the average person or place in one condition is equivalent on all measured and unmeasured variables to the average in another condition, within the limits of statistical fluctuation. Observed differences in outcomes can be attributed to differences in interventions rather than to pre-existing differences. Randomized experiments have formidable practical and ethical problems but are often feasible and should be used to test causal hypotheses and evaluate well-defined technologies wherever possible.