Rape and sexual assault in investigative psychology: the contribution of sex offenders' research to offender profiling

Purpose Although offender profiling has been cited as an effective tool to interview suspects, empirical profiling methods have completely excluded interviewing suggestions when testing the validity of this technique. The purpose of this paper is to explore the utility of empirically derived profiles of offender- and victim-related sexual assault case characteristics (n=624) in the preparation of the interrogation strategies in sexual assault investigations. Design/methodology/approach Latent class analysis was used to extract profiles of offender- and victim-related sexual assault case characteristics in a sample of 624 incarcerated sex offenders. Moreover, relationships between offender and victim profiles were conducted using χ2 analyses. Findings Findings show that specific offender-victim profiles are related to greater likelihood of confession during the interrogation. Possible interrogation strategies for each profile are suggested and implications for the practice of interviewing suspects are discussed. Originality/value The study is the first to examine both victim and offender profiles in order to assess the significant victim-offender profile combinations and their associated probabilities of resulting in confession.

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Predicting rapist type based on crime-scene violence, interpersonal involvement, and criminal sophistication in U.S. stranger rape cases

International Journal of Police Science & Management ◽

10.1177/14613557211036564 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146135572110365

Author(s):

Indy SK Mellink ◽

Elizabeth L Jeglic ◽

Glynis Bogaard

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Sex Offenders ◽

Predictive Model ◽

Crime Scene ◽

Offender Profiling ◽

Archival Database ◽

Serial Rapists

Stranger rape cases are one of the most difficult sexual assault crimes to solve for law enforcement. This study aimed to compare crime-scene characteristics between serial rapists and single-victim rapists in stranger rape cases and build a predictive model to predict rapist type. An archival database of released sex offenders included 385 who committed stranger rapes. Of those, 244 were single-victim rapists and 141 were serial rapists. The single-victim rapists were significantly more likely to have violently themed crime-scene characteristics than serial rapists, whereas serial rapists were significantly more likely than single-victim rapists to engage in criminally sophisticated behavior and induce participation from their victims. A logistic regression using 10 crime-scene characteristics correctly identified 75.8% of cases as perpetrated by either single-victim or serial rapists. The most significant predictors of rapist type were whether the offender digitally penetrated their victim, whether the offender choked their victim, whether they were at a new/unknown location or whether they threatened their victim. The implications of these results are that they benefit law enforcement in the investigation of stranger rape cases by potentially narrowing down their suspect pool and add to the classification of stranger rapists in offender profiling literature.

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Special Issue of the Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling on Police Decision Making

Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling ◽

10.1002/jip.151 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 110-110

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Special Issue ◽

Offender Profiling ◽

Police Decision Making ◽

Investigative Psychology

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Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Statutory Analysis

Criminal Justice Policy Review ◽

10.1177/0887403418806564 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 133-153

Author(s):

Mia J. Abboud ◽

Guangzhen Wu ◽

Amelie Pedneault ◽

Mary K. Stohr ◽

Craig Hemmens

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Sex Offenders ◽

News Media ◽

Sexual Misconduct ◽

State Law ◽

Child Sexual Assault ◽

High Profile ◽

Age Of Consent ◽

Educator Sexual Misconduct ◽

Definition Of

Educator sexual misconduct is a problem that has gained increased attention because of the high-profile cases reported by the news media. Yet, the diversity in state law regarding this offense remains somewhat unexplored. In this article, we compare and evaluate state statutory provisions regarding educator sexual misconduct; our focus is on what constitutes educator sexual misconduct, and what penalties are provided for offenders. As such, we explore the differences and similarities in statutory provisions across states in terms of the definition of child sexual assault, the age of consent, the penalties for various types of sexual misconduct perpetrated by teachers, and any requirement for registration as sex offenders. Our findings indicate that though the number of applicable statutes has almost doubled since 2010, there remains a wide variety in the definition and penalties included in those laws, and 21 states have not chosen to enact a specific law at all.

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Conclusion

10.1093/oso/9780190235994.003.0005 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Nancy Whittier

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Sex Offenders ◽

Case Studies ◽

Sex Trafficking ◽

Personal Narratives ◽

Colleges And Universities ◽

Relative Power ◽

Single Issue ◽

Government Surveillance ◽

The Military

Chapter 5, the book’s conclusion, draws comparative theoretical lessons from all three cases. It discusses six features of relationships between frenemies: risks to participants’ reputation; reliance on hybrid or compromise frames or goals; focus on single-issue or specific goals; the importance of emotional and personal narratives; lack of more extensive collaboration or institutionalization of the relationships; and outcomes that depend on the relative power of participants. The chapter discusses implications for ongoing policy regarding sex offenders, sex trafficking, and government surveillance. The paths of activism around the case studies have influenced recent issues of sexual assault, including in the military, in colleges and universities. Feminists have influenced these developments, but not alone. Frenemies, including both feminists and conservatives, continue to be engaged in these issues and to shape their paths.

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