An action phase approach to offender profiling. (28th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goodwill, Alasdair M.; Lehmann, Robert J. B.; Beauregard, Eric; Andrei, Andreea
• Is Part Of: Legal and criminological psychology. Volume 21:Number 2(2016:Sep.)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 250
• Publication Date: 2014-10-28
• Subjects: offender profiling -- behavioural investigative advice -- sexual offending -- action phases -- decision making -- actions to characteristics -- homology; Law -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Criminology -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 340.19
• DOI: 10.1111/lcrp.12069
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-3259

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: Continued debate surrounds whether or not offender profiling is a valid practice. Critics have mainly contended that few studies have produced clear, quantifiable, evidence of a link between crime scene actions (A) and offender characteristics (C). Arguing that this is due to a failure to study offender actions as part of a dynamic decision‐making process, this study sought to identify action phases that are representative of the general decisions an offender must make during the commission of a sexual offence, and relate these decisions to known characteristics of the offender (C). Methods: Two‐step cluster analyses were performed on data from 347 stranger sexual offences, committed by 69 serial sexual offenders, by action phase: (1) search ; (2) selection ; (3) approach ; (4) assault ; and also for an offender's (5) characteristics . Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was then utilized to investigate the inter‐relationship of action phase clusters and offender characteristics. Results: The MCA results indicated that specific behavioural macro‐clusters formed across the various actions phase and offender characteristic clusters in a meaningful way. Additionally, the macro‐clusters themselves corresponded to the extant literature on sexual assault, revealing several points of congruence between offender crime scene actions and offender characteristics. Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrate that when crime scene behaviours are interpreted within a dynamic decision‐making process (i.e., utilizing action phases), reliable and valid empirical links may potentially be drawn between an offenders behavioural actions and their characteristics.