Author

Paula Atienza

Browsing
Crime

The concept of Lie and its identification in Criminal Proceedings. Forensic Science Club

By 6 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “The Concept of Lie and its Identification in Criminal Proceedings” by Antonov, I. O.; Burganova, G. V. and Nasyrova, Y. M. (2021), in which authors expose a general vision of deception and its concept and how this matter is explored in a forensic environment.

This week we will talk about deception, in a paper which is closely related to our Nonverbal Communication Club.

We already know that police forces’ work is aimed at the timely and quick detection of crime. That is why it is important not only the identification of these criminal acts, but also knowing who is guilty and avoid them to run away from the criminal consequences derived from their behavior.

One way of avoiding this, is presenting false testimony during an interrogatory and, moreover, in face-to-face confrontations.

This happens commonly, and, obviously, complicates the forensic process. Makes it difficult to collect evidence and expose those responsible for the criminal case.

Due to the importance of recognizing this kind of fake declarations and the effects for people of accepting criminal consequences or not, authors revise the lie concept and how it is investigated in a forensic environment.

Regarding a lie definition, authors point out this as one of them: “a conscious incorrect statement that serves to achieve certain goals through deceit”.

Moreover, according to numerous authors, three characteristics of deception would exist. First would be the consciousness, a person knows that his or her statement is untrue; second, the intention to deceive another person is mandatory; third, the person pursues certain motives and goals by communicating false information, in particular, he or she seeks benefit from avoiding the negative consequences of the situation.

Besides, according to other authors, we could distinguish between an active lie and a passive lie.

For instance, in a criminal environment, proportionate false testimony to who is interrogating us, knowing that it is not true, would be an active lie. On the contrary, passive lie would simply be to conceal some information about the case.

Due to how complex is the phenomenon, and knowing that there are so many factors involved, a great effort is required by authorities when it comes about investigate how to discern in forensic environments between the truth and a lie.

Authors start to mention some of the techniques used for this.

For instance, video recording makes it possible to expose the person who is being interrogated, to record the content of the investigative action and its dynamics. Plus, it is useful to demonstrate that no violence or coaction has existed against interrogated people.

The use of video footage is very useful if we want to detect false testimony. One of the reasons is that, with a video, we could analyze the whole meeting the times it is required.

Audio recording would be also recommended for various reasons. Firstly, it would be possible to infer the emotional state of the person being questioned through his or her intonation, the volume of his or her voice and other prosodic factors.

And, besides, it can be used to compare and look for contradictions in case the person’s testimony changes with the time.

The observation method is also used in the process of detecting false testimony. It allows us to infer the emotions and the psychological state of the person involved through nonverbal and verbal communication. It is a method used commonly by the scientific community.

These methods have shown their effectivity following the idea that when a person lies, also experiments some psychophysiological changes because he or she is going through an intense emotional state.

This is a recurrent idea that many authors have worked with: they bear in mind that, with deception, a cognitive effort comes, whose consequences are observable.

It is worthwhile saying that investigating lies from an empirical perspective in the forensic environment is something that each day more authors are turning their efforts to.

They pay attention to prosodic elements, gestures, facial expressions, body movements…

Plus, an adequate diagnosis and prediction about the psychological state of the person, his or her temperament and character, makes it possible to assume the line in which this person’s future behavior would go in a particular situation, such as the interrogatory.

Recognizing and overcoming lies in testimonies continues to be one of the main tasks of an investigator when studying a criminal case.

In fact, more and more attention is being paid to scientifically supported contributions from leading authors on the subject.

However, authors comment that there is still a very long way to go, and resources must continue to be invested to discover more about lie detection techniques and how they can be applied to the forensic and criminal field.

If you are intrigued by criminal cases and want to learn how forensic science is applied to solve them, the Master in Criminal Profiling is what you are looking for. Study 100% online and earn a degree from Evidentia University, a U.S. university.

The United States has one of the most rigorous and prestigious educational systems in the world, ensuring that the education is of high quality and meets all international standards. Don’t miss this opportunity and start today from just $208 a month!

If you’ve always dreamed of understanding criminal minds and applying your knowledge to solving crimes, you can now make that a reality. The Master in Criminal Profiling prepares you to work in the fascinating world of forensic science. Study 100% online from anywhere in the world and earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

The world of forensic science is constantly evolving, and you can be on the front line. With the Master in Criminal Profiling, you will study criminology and criminal profiling online, with complete flexibility.

You will earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States, a country that has one of the most prestigious and demanding educational systems in the world. This guarantees a quality education with international recognition. Start today from just $208 a month and build your future in this fascinating field!

Read More
By
Criminology

The closer, the better: do criminals choose the location of their crimes based on their routine? Forensic Science Club

By 4 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Relationships Between Offenders’ Crime Locations and Different Prior Activity Locations as Recorded in Police Data”, by Curtis-Ham, S.; Bernasco, W.; Medvedev, O. N. and Polaschek, D. L. L. (2022), in which authors carry out an exhaustive study to know more about the patterns of geographical choice of criminals, to discover whether a relationship between them and the offenders’ routines exist. 

We know from routine activity theory and crime pattern theory that crimes occur when opportunity (that is, the presence of a suitable and available target) overlaps with offenders’ known locations through their routinary noncriminal activities, such as where they live, work, or socialize with family or friends.

Recent theoretical development suggests that some types of activity locations are more important than others for offenders’ crime location choices. Understanding which they are more likely to choose to commit their crimes has very important implications for crime prevention and investigation. It can help identify high-risk locations and inform the most appropriate risk management strategies. It can also help in geographic profiling for crime investigation. 

But, despite the practical importance of being able to predict, at an individual level, where a person will commit a crime, there is little research that empirically explores the extent to which various types of activity locations differ from one another in their influence on crime. 

Studies to date have only compared a limited subset of locations (e.g., the offender’s home, homes of family members, or locations of prior offenses). This study leverages a large national dataset of widely disparate locations pertaining to offenders’ pre-crime activities recorded in a police database in a previously unresearched context (New Zealand). 

Drawing on environmental psychology, crime pattern theory emphasizes the role of people’s routine activities in generating awareness of criminal opportunities. 

First, offenders might identify criminal opportunities more easily and more frequently near their places of activity, called nodes. Qualitative studies have confirmed that home, work, and other places of non-criminal activity have the potential to generate crime opportunity awareness. Recent quantitative studies have estimated the greater likelihood of offenders committing crimes near their homes, the homes of close relatives, and the locations of previous offenses, compared to other locations.

On the other hand, the role of routine activities in generating awareness of criminal opportunities means that the probability of offending tends to be highest near activity nodes and decreases with distance. This pattern of decreasing distance reflects that people are more familiar with areas closer than farther away from their activity locations, and familiarity is an important factor in the choice of crime location. 

All this also reflects the principle of least effort: in theory, people travel the shortest distance necessary to find the opportunity to commit a crime. 

The main objective of the article is to expand the understanding of how all these associations happen in reality. To do this, data on crimes and nodes of offender activity were collected from the National Intelligence Application (NIA), a New Zealand Police database. The offenses included were all residential and non-residential burglaries, commercial and personal burglaries, and extra-familial sexual offenses committed between 2009 and 2018. In addition, in all of these, an offender was identified with sufficient evidence to proceed against him/her. 

The results obtained revealed that almost all nodes were significantly and positively associated with the choice of crime location. 

Consistent with expectations based on crime pattern theory, crime was almost always more likely in the surroundings of activity nodes and decreased with distance. Crime near home showed the strongest associations, followed by immediate family homes. This information is especially relevant and novel for nonresidential burglary and extrafamilial sexual offenses.

In addition, it appears that individuals are more likely to offend near immediate family homes versus more distant relatives’ and intimate partners’. 

These findings, the authors note, are interesting because they may help to identify more accurately who is more likely to have committed a crime in a particular location, given the nature of the crime.

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Master of Science in Criminal Profiling or our Master of Science in Anti-Fraud Behavioral Analysis

The world of forensic science is constantly evolving, and you can be on the front line. With the Master in Criminal Profiling, you will study criminology and criminal profiling online, with complete flexibility.

You will earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States, a country that has one of the most prestigious and demanding educational systems in the world. This guarantees a quality education with international recognition. Start today from just $208 a month and build your future in this fascinating field!

Read More
By
Criminal profiling

Homicide Profiles Based on Crime Scene and Victim Characteristics. Forensic Science Club

By 5 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Homicide Profiles Based on Crime Scene and Victim Characteristics” by Pecino-Latorre, M. M.; Pérez-Fuentes, M. C. and Patró-Hernández, R. M., in which authors try to identify the homicides characteristics based on observed behaviors at the crime scene and the victim.

Criminal profiling is a very complex field of study that has been object of interest of many experts during the last years, due to its efficacy when it’s about solving crimes.

And as complex as criminal profiling is the area in which its application is the most important and spectacular: homicide cases.

Homicide cases have gained considerable academic and professional interest, not only because is the most violent of the criminal behaviors but also because they have enormous impact on the victim’s relatives and, besides, the whole society.

These cases are extremely difficult since it is a criminal category that includes distinct variants with dynamic characteristics and specific psychological processes related to the criminal, the victim, the context of both, etcetera; and this is hard to investigate.

That is why in previous research, studying each case independently has been recommended: examine specific aspects, their details, instead of seeking out general associations.

There is an approach that has become more important in the past few years, in which the idea of the traditional criminal profiler changes. It is suggested that from now on, the profiler could try to base the criminal’s profile on elements of the crime that allow him/her to create hypothesis of what are the criminal’s potential characteristics, thus a more rigorous suspect prioritization is possible.

Some authors from previous research have focused on analyzing the differences in modus operandi according to the perpetrator’s gender. For example, it was found that men tend to kill more women and people they know, whereas women use to kill more frequently members of their families.

Regarding the crime weapon, men are more likely to use firearms, while women tend to use suffocation methods on their victims.

Other interesting data that authors mention, is that it has been observed that, in the case of perpetrators who previously knew their victims, there tends to be a greater number and seriousness of injuries, with the homicides tending o take place indoors and most often using bladed weapons or blunt objects.

Namely, there are lots of studies where it has been shown that it is useful to study details and elements of the homicide to infer the criminal’s characteristics. Because of that, authors of this paper wondered which data of the crime, of the behavior observed in the crime scene and in the victims, are associated with the perpetrator of simple homicide in Spain, which is the place in which the study took place.

The study included a total sample of 448 cases of simple homicide that were studied using statistics software. The 90,8% were committed by men. A 9,2%, by women.

Obtained results are consistent with the central postulate of criminal profiling, that is, on the basis of homicide elements –crime scene, modus operandi, victim characteristics– it is possible to hypothesize about the potential characteristics of the perpetrator, which helps make decisions to establish more rigorous suspect prioritization.

Some of the data obtained in the study were, firstly, that there is a greater probability that the perpetrator will be female when the victim is a minor and when suffocation methods are used to commit the homicide. Plus, women would be more associated with intra-family homicides and the most common victims would be their children.

We see how the results agree so far with previous studies.

Research also shows that there is a greater probability that the aggressor is Spanish when the victims also are –remember the study was made in Spain–, just as it is more likely for the perpetrator to be a foreigner when the victim is also a foreigner.

As for the existence of a criminal record, the results suggest that perpetrators with a criminal record tend to use precautionary measures to avoid identification. Similarly, perpetrators with a criminal record commit more homicides in outdoor locations. Moreover, perpetrators with a record of violent crimes and sexual aggressions are more likely to have victims aged between 19 and 35.

Authors point out that some limitations exist. For instance, the conclusions derived from the study cannot be generalized to other types of homicides, since only simple homicides and those with perpetrators over the age of 18 were considered. In addition, the database did not include detailed information on the scene of the crimes, location of injuries, or circumstances in which the cadaver was found, so future studies should include these variables.

This investigation shows how important is to pay attention to victimology. It is essential in criminal investigation, due to victim characteristics, modus operandi, crime scene, etcetera, give us very powerful information about perpetrators.

Authors sum up with the idea that results are based in empirical evidence, thus future research should go also in this direction, correcting the limitations in this paper.

Criminal analysis and forensic psychology are essential in solving complex cases. If you want to become a true specialist in this field, we invite you to explore our Master in Criminal Profiling. This online program allows you to learn from anywhere and earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

Criminal analysis and forensic psychology are essential in solving complex cases. If you want to become a true specialist in this field, we invite you to explore our Master in Criminal Profiling. This online program allows you to learn from anywhere and earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

This guarantees that your education meets the highest quality standards of the U.S. education system, recognized worldwide for its excellence. Enroll today and study from just $208 a month!

Read More
By
Criminology

Which are the factors that influence a minor to commit serial murders? Forensic Science Club

By 4 Mins Read
cropped view of killer washing knife in sink after murder

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Youth Serial Killers: Psychological and Criminological Profiles”, by García-Baamonde, M. E.; Blázquez-Alonso, M.; Moreno-Manso, J. M.; Guerrero-Barona, E. and Guerrero-Molina, M. (2022), in which authors make a revision of previous literature on youth that has committed serial murders, to know some interesting data to elaborate their criminal profiles. 

The phenomenon of serial murders occupies a unique place in the field of criminology, but also in the criminal justice system, especially when the perpetrators of these and other types of violent crimes are minors.

In addition, there is a great lack of understanding of the phenomenon of serial murders. The issue is surrounded by great media sensationalism that always arises around the question of whether serial killers are born or made.

On the other hand, there are many media that classify those who commit these crimes as “monsters” or “demons”, this being one more part of the media circus that surrounds these cases both at the judicial and social levels. This contributes and feeds the collective mentality influenced by the media that does not skimp on giving details about the crimes and that, sometimes, can even turn the perpetrators into celebrities.

In order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of serial murders, their extent and seriousness, and focusing on those committed by young people, authors carried out a review of the literature on the topic. 

Authors consider that legal and social problems do not occur only in cases in which young people or minors commit serial murders, but since they commit violent crimes.

Despite the terminology often used by the media, young offenders are not monsters or beasts, and often have no criminal record.

Sometimes these first crimes take place because they cannot refuse peer pressure. Normally, there will usually be an explanation.

One thing that strikes the authors, and is of particular concern to them, is that since the mid-1980s and around the early 1990s, there has been an unprecedented growth in youth homicides. The data suggests that young people are currently involved in more crimes than previous generations.

The most common case is these young people belonging to street gangs, a very particular criminal phenomenon, since it has specific variables that make it different from the rest of juvenile delinquency.

Based on these data, the psychosocial and criminological profile of young people who commit homicides is not comparable to the criminal profile of common murderers. 

It should also be mentioned that cases of serial killers where the perpetrators are children or young people are, of course, much less frequent than cases of adults.

Some of these young people come from broken families where they are not able to acquire a stable personality. Thus, they continually seek to satisfy their desires through fantasies of domination and control.

Similarly, some may have experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse, often simultaneously.

Research on the impact of child maltreatment on violent behavior has shown that maltreatment and exposure to violence, in any form, is an important predictor of criminal behavior.

On the other hand, psychopathy appears, which we all know, and which generates serious problems in the affective, interpersonal and behavioral dimension of humans, so much that psychopaths can victimize others without their ethical awareness being affected.

Many features of psychopathy begin to emerge in childhood and can be more or less easily identified, as well as in adolescence and young adulthood. For this reason, attention should be paid to minors who experience risk factors such as mental health problems, problems in their upbringing, a history of substance abuse, very intense impulsiveness, emotional instability, total absence of guilt, etc.

This article has some limitations. For example, there is a low prevalence of juvenile serial killers, which makes it difficult to study these specific cases, so the analysis should be taken with caution.

If you’ve always dreamed of understanding criminal minds and applying your knowledge to solving crimes, you can now make that a reality. The Master in Criminal Profiling prepares you to work in the fascinating world of forensic science. Study 100% online from anywhere in the world and earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

The U.S. education system is globally recognized for its prestige and quality, ensuring you receive top-tier training. And the best part, you can do it from just $208 a month!

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Certificate in Criminal Profiling, a 100% online program certified by Heritage University (USA), with special grants for the Forensic Science Club readers.

Read More
By
Criminology

Influence of deviant peers in drug abuse and violent behavior in teenagers with antisocial personality disorder. Forensic Science Club

By 5 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “The Salience of Antisocial Personality Disorder for Predicting Substance Use and Violent Behavior: The Moderating Role of Deviant Peers” by Wojciechowski, T. W. (2020), in which the author carries out a study to know how the relationships with adolescents with deviant behavior influence other adolescents, putting the focus of attention on violent behaviors and drug use. 

We know that young people are a particularly vulnerable group of population because their personality is not fully developed. That is why we must pay special attention to what happens to them at this stage of their life so that they develop in a typical way.

A mental disorder that is especially dangerous and that appears frequently in adolescence is antisocial personality disorder (APD from now on). This disease is characterized by a pattern of manipulative, aggressive and impulsive behavior, which despises and violates the rights of others. Plus, they do not regret participating or performing illegal acts.

APD has been shown to be associated with substance use and violent crime, among other antisocial behaviors.

In the same way that having friends who like to go to the cinema can make us enjoy it more, the author wonders, then, if in this context the association with young people with deviant behaviors will also influence the development of an APD, drug abuse and/or the tendency to commit violent crimes.

The association with deviant youth has already been highlighted in previous research as a risk factor for developing APD. It is believed that one reason may be the fact that APD tends to appear early, in adolescence, when we are especially vulnerable to deviant acts performed by peers.

In fact, according to a study mentioned in the article, associating with deviant youth models and reinforces antisocial behavior, actually. If this persists, it can be very dangerous, since the reinforced entrenchment of a deviant lifestyle can inhibit the transition to a normative life.

It is suggested in other studies that, although the frequency of association with deviant partners tends to decrease in adulthood, if it existed even then, it could continue to influence the appearance of APD.

However, it should be mentioned that APD is characterized, as we have pointed out before, by manipulative and impulsive behavior and disregard for the emotions of others, so we could say that this must necessarily decrease interactions with peers.

That is to say, it is possible that after developing an APD the person will experiment certain isolation as he/she grows older, with the dangers that this entails. This is something that can happen whether someone has APD or not, but it is true that people who deal with this disease have special circumstances that can make these events particularly important.

In this study, the author focuses on studying how the relationship with deviant young people would influence violent behaviors and substance abuse.

First, because the impulsive nature of this disorder is one of the reasons attributed to the high risk of drug use. In addition, young people often use drugs understanding it as a social ritual. As the transition to adulthood occurs, there may be a continuity in this behavior for individuals diagnosed with APD.

On the other hand, the influence of deviant youth in relation to violent crimes can also be amplified for those with APD, adding to previous research findings that suggest that people with APD are at very high risk of committing violent crimes.

The author uses data obtained from a previous study of more than 1,000 juvenile offenders whose cases were followed for 84 months.

The findings show that the association with deviant partners does work as a moderator of the diagnosis of APD and of drug use and the commission of violent crimes.

However, it does not act as a moderator as it was expected in violent crimes. Individuals with APD committed violent crimes more frequently, but it did not affect contact with deviant youth. On the other hand, it did influence young people not diagnosed with APD, causing them to participate in violent crimes more frequently.

Regarding drug use in young people with APD, it was found that the association with deviant young people had a significant influence only on marijuana use, increasing it.

The author points out that intensive prevention work should be carried out from an early age to reduce the development of antisocial personality disorders, since that is when they begin to appear.

He also comments that future research could focus on investigating why the association with deviant youth affects youth with APD when using marijuana, and not using alcohol or other drugs.

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our 

Do you want to take your passion for forensic science to the next level? With the Master in Criminal Profiling, you will not only study criminology and criminal profiling online, but also earn a degree from a licensed university in the United States.

The U.S. education system is known for being one of the most respected and demanding in the world, and Evidentia University meets all required standards, ensuring a prestigious education. Study from just $208 a month and advance towards an exciting forensic career!

Read More
By
Criminology

Psychology of a police officer: emotional regulation, stress coping and aggressive responses. Forensic Science Blog

By 5 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Blog, this week we present the paper “Psychological Profile, Emotion Regulation, and Aggression in Police Applicants: a Swiss Cross-Sectional Study”, by Ceschi, G.; Meylan, S.; Rowe, C. and Boudoukha, A. H. (2022), in which authors carry out a study to know the general psychological characteristics that police officers use to share, and how these interact with the critical situations they are exposed to. 

While ensuring public safety, police officers are repeatedly exposed to stressful, violent and traumatic situations, which translates into tremendous psychological pressure. 

For example, it is not uncommon for a police officer to be required to provide protection to the victim of a crime while, at the same time, he/she has to deal with a dangerous offender. 

These situations require sophisticated emotion control and coping strategies, a strong personal predisposition to deal with stress, and enough cognitive resources to manage all of the above. 

Not surprisingly, previous research has shown that exposure to traumatic events contributes to the development of mental health problems. For example, these are associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anger and aggressive attitudes.

Research suggests that police officers may “give clues” to possible mental health problems indirectly. For example, they may exhibit chronic fatigue, worries about some aspects of their work and personal lives, feelings of lack of support from their superiors, feelings of work overload…. 

However, it is interesting to mention that, despite the fact that police officers are continuously exposed to stressful events, only a minority of them report chronic post-traumatic stress disorders or major emotional imbalances. For example, a 2010 Swedish study found that police officers had better mental health than the civilian population.

In short, police officers show good emotional competencies in the face of adverse events. However, the fact that they are significantly and recurrently exposed to traumatic situations throughout their professional career puts them at risk of eventually suffering from emotional imbalance and a progressive erosion of their original temperament. 

It is therefore necessary to anticipate this in order to be able to support at-risk police officers from the beginning of their career, and to help preserve their mental health and professional potential in the best way. 

The aim of the present study was to describe the psychological profile of aspiring police officers in the Swiss context, assessing their levels of stress, anxiety, depression, happiness, aggressiveness, impulsivity… among others. 

For this purpose, a sample of 149 police applicants between 20 and 36 years participated, also, a control group of 110 people between 18 and 33 years. Both groups were asked to complete a series of scientifically valid tests and scales to assess their personality traits. 

In line with previous findings, the authors’ research confirms that police applicants in the Swiss context have a similar psychological profile that is mainly characterized by balanced affective feelings; that is, they have low levels of anxiety, depression, and anger. 

In addition, they self-report few impulsive dispositions and seem to be more likely to think about consequences before acting and to maintain concentration even when performing complex or boring tasks (that is, they are more persistent).

However, this remarkably balanced psychological profile must be tempered by a marked socially desirable style that leads candidates to present themselves in an overly positive light. 

It has been found that police applicants tend to deceive themselves more than the rest of the population, according to studies from 1997 and 1999. 

Repression would be a factor influencing the latter. In addition, it would also affect the evaluation of stressful situations. That is, repression may cause these people to selectively avoid paying attention to negative information or stimuli and, when they are exposed with them, they may tend to interpret these situations as non-threatening, non-dangerous, and overestimate their own coping potential and capacity for control. 

On the other hand, the current study indicates that the aggressive action tendencies of aspiring police officers are influenced by their high levels of anxiety in certain moments, degree of urgency when confronted with negative feelings, and a marked sensitivity to reward.

That is, more reward-sensitive police applicants, motivated by positive incentives and gratitude, might more readily use aggressive attitudes when encountering obstacles. Thus, authors consider that the desire for rewards can be considered a risk factor for aggressive attitudes. 

Authors understand, therefore, that there is a psychological profile that is intuitively selected, which is specific and consistent with the repressive coping style. In fact, this profile is very favorable in providing, at least initially, a positive image of the candidate that includes good adaptive strategies when dealing with adversities. What should not be forgotten is that chronic exposure to stressful events erodes the individual’s coping potential. 

Authors point out that while this study is revealing, more empirical work is needed to draw conclusions. What can be confirmed is that the findings reveal the importance of continuing efforts to understand law enforcement members’ methods of coping with stressful situations. 

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Master of Science in Criminal Profiling or our Master of Science in Anti-Fraud Behavioral Analysis

The path to a career in forensic science starts here. If you are passionate about criminology and want to specialize in criminal profiling, the Master in Criminal Profiling offers you comprehensive and practical training. This master’s program is 100% online and allows you to earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

This education meets the strict standards of the U.S. educational system, recognized globally for its excellence. All of this from just $208 a month!

Read More
By
Psychology

Mental health and criminality: how do anxiety and depression affect teenagers’ lives? Forensic Sciences Club

By 4 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Sciences Club, this week we present the paper “Characterizing trajectories of anxiety, depression, and criminal offending in male adolescents over the 5 year following their first arrest”, by Baker, A. E.; Padgaonkar, N. T.; Galván, A.; Frick, P. J.; Steinberg, L. and Cauffman, E. (2022), in which authors carry out a study to know how anxiety, depression and other factors related to mental health affect young offenders’ lives, starting from their first arrest.

The possibility of entering prison and being tried for a crime is not pleasant for anyone. Therefore, it is not surprising that youth who are in contact with the justice system experience higher levels of internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression, compared to youth who do not offend.

The rates of anxiety and depression in this population are especially worrying. Almost half of the young people involved in justice meet clinical criteria for internalizing psychological problems.

And about half of adult men in the same situation experience mental health disorders while serving time, and even once they are free.

In addition, mental health problems go hand in hand with criminological problems: people who continue offending after adolescence are almost three times more likely to experience health problems.

Another important fact is that young people in the justice system rarely receive treatment, which is related to an increased risk of substance abuse, academic failure and emotional disorders that will last into adulthood, including an increased risk of suicide.

It is a very important topic and needs to be addressed, because most psychiatric disorders appear during adolescence or early adulthood, a period in which risky behaviors also reach their peak.

But what does the existing literature say about it? The results of a 2019 study suggest a temporal cascade in which behavioral problems in childhood translate into negative social outcomes, contributing to depression in adolescence, which in turn may contribute to adolescent or adult delinquency later.

In a sample that was followed for six years until 2012, youth showing high levels of depression were at risk of increasing their disruptive behavior, and youth showing high levels of disruptive behavior were at risk of developing much higher depression symptoms.

What this work proposes is to find out if the trajectory of the symptoms and the offensive trajectory change with the entry of young people into the justice system and how they do so.

First, the authors wanted to characterize the average trajectory of the internalization of criminal symptoms and behaviors of young people after their first contact with the justice system. Given that the prevalence of mental health disorders tends to increase after first contact with the justice system, authors hypothesized that the group would show a progressive increase in them.

In addition, due to the increase of criminal behavior during adolescence and young adulthood, the continuation of delinquency into adulthood was also hypothesized.

The second objective was to examine whether the change in mental health is related to the change in delinquency, or vice versa, and to describe this relationship if it exists.

For all of this, 1,216 male adolescents were evaluated during the five years that followed their first arrest. These arrests were made for minor, medium-range crimes, such as thefts, simple assaults, or vandalism. They were evaluated every six months for the first three years, after which the interviews were given annually.

The results of the study indicated that anxiety and depression change along with criminal behaviors in male adolescents after their first arrest, so the greater improvement in mental health, the higher level of decrease in delinquency, and vice versa. These findings highlight the intertwined nature of internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors, and underscore the importance of considering mental health in studies of juvenile recidivism.

When the youth met the justice system, an initial decrease in anxiety and depression was seen, followed by an increase in symptoms a few years later.

The latter suggests that involvement in the justice system influences the trajectory of symptoms and worsens them as youth develop.

In addition, when young people had grown up in poor and problematic neighborhoods, they presented a greater severity in the anxiety and depression suffered, which is in line with previous studies that highlight that the disorganization of the neighborhood and exposure to violence can increase the risk of mental health problems in adolescents.

Despite the usefulness of this study, one limitation is that it was carried out only with young men, so perhaps the results cannot be applied to the female sex, therefore, authors recommend exploring this dimension.

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Certificate in Criminal Profiling, a 100% online program certified by Heritage University (USA), with special grants for the Forensic Science Club readers.

Read More
By
Uncategorized

Growing up in single-parent families and the criminal involvement of adolescents. Forensic Science Club

By 5 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Growing up in single-parent families and the criminal involvement of adolescents: a systematic review”, by Kroese, J.; Bernasco, W.; Liefbroer, A. C. y Rouwendal, J. (2021), in which authors make a revision of the existing literature about the consequences of growing up in a single-parent family, with special attention to the bonding with crime. 

Many children grow up in single parent families; in fact, according to statistics, the number of families with only one biological father present has increased in Western countries in the past few years.

Growing up in a family of this kind, usually occurs because it has previously gone through a separation, divorce, death of one of the parents, etcetera. However, this last case is the least common, since the percentage of single-parent families due to divorce, separation and single mothers is increasing.

Authors consider that, observing the increasement of the statistics regarding the existence of this type of family, the consequences of growing up in that context should be studied.

Previous research has suggested that growing up in a single parent family has negative effects on children’s emotional well-being, as well as on their cognitive development and school performance. In addition, behavior control problems or anxiety have been reported in children belonging to these families.

These studies point to the divorce as a very important factor, identified as a stressor for children.

What about crime? Being associated with crime during adolescence has been suggested to be a risk factor for young people who have grown up in families with only one parent present. This is also associated with poorer health and well-being and a greater likelihood of continuing criminal activities in adulthood.

However, even though there is not a large amount of literature about young people from single-parent families and their relationship with crime, the links between crime and young people in general have been studied on numerous occasions.

There is the theory of social control, which suggests that adolescents participate in crime because they have a lack of affective bonds with their parents, a lack of commitment to the rules, do not engage in conventional activities and do not develop the belief of the rules deserving respect.

For example, if there are very weak bonds with parents, children and young people may feel more stimulated by spending time in criminogenic environments rather than with their parents.

There is also the family crisis model. This model suggests that family disruptions are important determinants of children’s well-being. For example, experiencing divorce or separation from parents causes psychological stress, emotional resentment, and social tension in children.

Consequently, emotional resentment in children could decrease the level of family bonding and increase the child’s criminal behavior.

On the other hand, this same model maintains that experiencing the death of one of the parents causes anxiety, emotional stress and depression.

Therefore, it seems coherent to suggest that, according to this model, criminal behavior is more likely to appear in young people who belong to single-parent families who have experienced divorce or separation, rather than in young people from single-parent families due to the death of one of the parents.

However, this is only a small part of the existing literature. Authors carry out their own study, researching articles on the subject. Finally, the sample number was 48.

Conclusions are interesting: first, it appears that being a crime-related adolescent and being born and raised in a single-parent family are closely related facts; second, only one study reports the effects of each of the different reasons for the appearance of single-parent families as criminogenic factors for young people, so it is clear that more research is needed.

Regarding the first question, the vast majority of the articles studied, report a positive relationship between both ideas.

It was found that in a study conducted with reports on juvenile convictions, it is suggested that adolescents from single-parent families due to divorce or separation showed higher levels of delinquency than adolescents from single-parent families due to the death of one of the parents.

This finding is consistent with the expectations of the family crisis model. Although, this and other theories mentioned in the article are not enough to fully explain this phenomenon.

Therefore, there are limitations. For example, almost all adolescent behavioral data was self-reported. It is possible that for this reason, there is an underestimation of the real levels of crime. On the other hand, in almost 30% of the studies only children were included as participants.

There are several suggestions for future research, such as conducting the studies in contexts other than the United States.

Becoming an expert in criminal profiling is not just a dream, it’s a real possibility with the Master in Criminal Profiling. This online program allows you to study at your own pace, from anywhere, while earning a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

The U.S. education system is one of the most prestigious in the world, ensuring quality education and international recognition. Start today from just $208 a month and become a specialist in criminology!

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Certificate in Criminal Profiling, a 100% online program certified by Heritage University (USA), with special grants for the Forensic Science Club readers.

Read More
By
Criminal profiling

Risk factors for the criminal career of sexual offenders compared to other type of offenders. Forensic Science Club

By 4 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Non-intimate Relationships and Psychopathic Interpersonal and Affective Deficits as Risk Factors for Criminal Career: a Comparison Between Sex Offenders and Other Offenders”, by Ferretti, F.; Pozza, A.; Carabellese, F.; Schimmenti, A.; Santoro, G.; Mandarelli, G.; Gualtieri, G.; Carabellese, F.; Catanesi, R. and Coluccia, A. (2021), in which authors carry out a study to know how the non-intimate relationships and psychopathic interpersonal an affective deficits can work as risk factors that affect the criminal career of sexual offenders, comparing them to other offenders.

Since the beginning of Criminology, the criminals’ personal history, the development pattern of their careers and the risk factors that lead them to these destinations have always been considered a topic of great interest.

For example, the relationship between the traumatic experiences of victims of sexual abuse and the emergence of dysfunctional sexual behaviors was investigated by numerous experts, leading to the conclusion that other underlying causes of sexual crimes should be sought, because the victim/aggressor paradigm is too reductionist.

Attention has also been paid to psychiatric disorders, which play an important role; in the case of sex offenders especially schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and mood and personality disorders.

On the other hand, psychopathy appears, whose relevance in criminal behavior and violent behavior is widely recognized in the literature. It is generally assessed using the Revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R), which covers the factors of interpersonal and affective deficits and antisocial behavior.

The association of psychopathy with sexual crimes is not new. In a study mentioned in the article, it was found that the presence of psychopathy in sexual offenders constitutes a predictive factor of criminal recidivism in this but also other types of crimes.

Other studies have shown that the relational failures of caregivers and attachment figures, can lead the child to experience difficulties in their interpersonal self-regulation. These difficulties can constitute a risk for adults by promoting aggressive behaviors, difficulties in emotional regulation and sexual problems, as can be found in many cases of psychopathy, sadism and paraphilias.

As we can see, there is such a variety of ideas that it is difficult to accurately identify the risk factors that can affect the dysfunctional sexual behavior of sex offenders.

The objective of this study was to explore the relevance of life events in the criminal outcome, comparing sexual offenders with other types of offenders. Experiences related to violence problems, antisocial behaviors, personal relationship problems, substance use, traumatic experiences and parenting styles were studied.

A total of 88 sex offenders and 102 people serving sentences for other types of crimes participated.

Among sex offenders, most of the inmates (76%) served time for child abuse.

In the category of other offenders, were convicts serving time for murder, assault, crimes against property and against the state, but not sexual crimes.

A set of items from the HCR-20 V3 scale was used to evaluate risk factors.

Non-sexual offenders were found to be more likely to have a history of violence and antisocial behavior problems in adolescence and adulthood, along with substance abuse problems. Only one risk factor, the absence of problems in non-intimate relationships, differentiates the criminal career of non-sexual offenders and sexual offenders.

These non-intimate relationships are defined as bonds with family members, friends, or acquaintances, which do not involve any type of sexual dimension. Social isolation, emotional distance, instability, conflict, manipulation of others, inappropriate sexualization, and violence in non-intimate relationships are indicators to consider.

Compared with the group of non-sexual offenders, sexual offenders showed higher levels of interpersonal and affective psychopathic deficits, and lower levels of antisocial behaviors.

With this study the importance of poor non-intimate relationships in predicting the criminal career of sex offenders is confirmed. Above all, inappropriate sexualization, violence and the escalation of problems are important in this context.

Authors consider that treatment programs for sex offenders should be aimed at preventing recidivism, and therefore should address these deficits in non-intimate relationships, and target psychopathic traits, specifically interpersonal and affective traits. For example, through cognitive behavioral therapy, which has been shown to be an effective treatment for psychopathic traits.

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Certificate in Criminal Profiling, a 100% online program certified by Heritage University (USA), with special grants for the Forensic Science Club readers.

Read More
By
Criminology

Crimes committed by people with intellectual disabilities: which is the most common? Forensic Science Club

By 5 Mins Read

Friends of the Forensic Science Club, this week we present the paper “Crimes and sentences in individuals with intellectual disability in a forensic psychiatric context: a register-based study”, by Edberg, H.; Chen, Q.; Andiné, P.; Larsson, H. and Hirvikoski, T. (2022), in which authors carry out a study to know what are the crimes committed by people with intellectual disabilities and their comparison with the ones committed by people with a typical intellectual development. 

People with intellectual disabilities who commit crimes have a judicial status, characteristics and needs that concern most of the developed countries.

These people are an important group, but still small and not well recognized. The prevalence of diagnosed intellectual disability (hereinafter ID) in the general population is approximately 1%, and those who commit criminal offenses make up a small number of that percentage.

Whether or not people with ID are at increased risk of committing crimes is unclear based on the current literature. There are experts who support the idea and others who don’t, since it has not been confirmed.

In recent years, several patterns have been proposed regarding the typology of crimes committed by people with ID. Several studies have pointed to an increased risk of sexually inappropriate behavior and, therefore, of sexual offenses.

This generalization, however, needs to be studied, as the samples used for these studies have been small and the proposed definitions of intellectual disability inconsistent.

Most developed countries have criminal legislation in which offenders will not be responsible for their crimes if they suffer from some type of mental pathology, and under certain conditions. They are considered, for example, unable to stand trial, or not guilty by reason of insanity.

Meeting the special needs of these people, providing them with adequate rehabilitation and combining this with public safety, is a complicated task for which a plurality of options is needed. Authors argue that neither prison nor hospital orders are ideal. Community sanctions and other measures, defined as non-prison sentences, such as probation, have steadily increased in European countries. However, the prevalence of people with ID in prison systems is approximately 2-10%.

Sweden considers that offenders with serious mental disorders can be held responsible for their actions. However, the court may order a pre-trial forensic psychiatric evaluation to decide whether an offender suffers from a severe mental disorder, thus sentencing the offender to forensic psychiatric care rather than prison.

The main objective of this study was to study the typology of crimes in people with ID and without ID who were subject to a pre-trial forensic psychiatric evaluation, in the Swedish context. 

The study was observational and based on records of all persons undergoing forensic psychiatric evaluation in Sweden from January 1st, 1997, to May 30th, 2013. The final study population was 7,450 individuals.

Crimes were classified into four categories: sexual crimes, violent crimes, non-sexual violent crimes, and non-sexual non-violent crimes.

Sex crimes included rape, sexual coercion, child abuse, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, child pornography, among others.

Violent crimes included homicide, assault, robbery, arson, unlawful threats, or intimidation….

Non-sexual violent crimes excluded all sexual crimes from the category of violent crimes.

Finally, non-violent non-sexual crimes included all those that did not fit into the previous categories.

The results indicated that sexual offenses were more common among people with ID than without ID. 26% of ID offenders had committed a sexual offense, compared to 15% in the non-ID group. Violent crimes were equally frequent among both groups.

Several explanations for these data have been proposed. For example, the lack of knowledge and sexual education. It has been shown that people with ID have lower levels of sexual knowledge than their peers without ID, raising the issue of sex education as a preventive measure for this type of crime.

On the other hand, the modeling hypothesis appears as a result of previous sexual abuse. It arises from the idea that prior victimization is a common circumstance among sexual aggressors, moreover, people with ID are at greater risk of being victims of this type of crime.

There is also a lack of social integration, closely related to the idea that sex offenders in general may lack a prosocial identity.

Authors propose investing resources and time in structured and specialized treatment programs for these people, in addition to investigating the forms of rehabilitation and habilitation of forensic psychiatric care that they receive.

If you want to know more about the criminal mind, criminal profiling, and forensic science, don’t miss our Certificate in Criminal Profiling

The path to a career in forensic science starts here. If you are passionate about criminology and want to specialize in criminal profiling, the Master in Criminal Profiling offers you comprehensive and practical training. This master’s program is 100% online and allows you to earn a degree from Evidentia University, a licensed university in the United States.

This education meets the strict standards of the U.S. educational system, recognized globally for its excellence. All of this from just $208 a month!

Read More
By
Forensic Science Club