Analysing behaviours at crime scenes.
The previous blog examined the ways in which crimes may be linked to a common offender. As previously stated, there are a number of ways to explore whether two or more crime scenes are likely to be carried out by the same offender. However, some discussion of which behaviours are most helpful to link crimes is necessary.
In order for a Criminal Psychologist to link an offender to a crime scene, it is important to be clear about which behaviours are most useful. An investigator must have some idea or template of the ways offenders typically behave. Canter & Youngs (2003) highlight the need to establish the salient features of an offence. It is important to identify behaviours which can be useful in identifying the psychological features of an offender.
When examining a particular crime scene, some of the behaviours carried out will be very general and others will be more specific. For example, when a burglary occurs there are always goods stolen and entry is usually forced in some way. These behaviours are not likely to tell us anything about the offender because they occur at the majority of crime scenes. However, information such as the time of day, method of entry, any tools used, or knowledge of alarm systems are likely to reveal something about the offender.
Behaviour can vary and be highly dependent on context. When identifying behaviours at crime scenes it is important to focus on actions which are likely to be repeated. Going back to the burglary example, if an offender came across a person at the residence, there would be some kind of reaction to that (either running away or a confrontation). This response would be specific to that particular crime scene and not necessarily what the offender would do in a different context. However, if the offender took some kind of tool to gain entry this he/she is likely to be consistent in future offences.
Research has shown that many criminals behave in a similar way when offending. Some behaviours are quite general and could be carried out by many offenders. Others are more unique and are more likely to be carried out by one individual. It is these more unique discriminating features of behaviour that will be of most use to Criminal Psychologists when trying to link crime scenes to a common offender.
When establishing which offender characteristics could be inferred from behaviours at a particular crime, Canter suggested that it was important to consider the fact that characteristic ways of behaving would be mirrored in the everyday life of the offender. Canter suggested that the victims the offenders chose, the locations of the crime, and the ways in which people interact would be the same whether a person was carrying out a crime of an everyday interaction. This was based on Routine Activity theory within psychology – we follow a routine and many criminals do not behave dramatically different in various activities. It is unlikely that they would behave in a Jekyll and Hyde way.
For example, if a rapist were to show dominance and control against their victim they would likely to show little respect for women in their everyday lives. If the perpetrator had knowledge that police may hold their DNA they would be likely to remove any evidence from the scene and make the victim bath or shower afterwards. The types of information that could be inferred about an offender comes under 5 general headings: residential location (where the offender is likely to live based on where their crimes have been carried out); criminal biography (showing evidence of forensic awareness and removing evidence); domestic and social characteristics (showing control aggression and dominance over a victim suggests characteristic ways pf treating females in general); personal characteristics (traits such as selfishness, uncaringness, anger issues); and occupational or educational history (meticulous planning can be linked to an organized lifestyle higher levels of intelligence, particular tools used at crime scenes related to a profession, particular types of knots linked to professions etc.
Various types of behaviour by an offender’s behaviour can be related to individual characteristics. When inferring offender characteristics from crime scene behaviour, it is important to keep in mind that this information must be of use to investigating officers in the apprehension, detention, and prosecution of the offender.
