Journal of Criminal Psychology最新文献

Purpose

Several studies have been conducted to understand why the conviction rate for rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) remains so low. Increasing pressure and criticism have led to questioning why improvements in RASSO investigations are proving ineffective. The purpose of this study was to capture police officers’ perspective of police specialism while investigating RASSO.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 82 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection spanned across two years, from October 2021 until May 2023, and included police officers from four police forces in England and Wales. Template analysis was used to identify recurrent patterns around police specialism for RASSO.

Findings

Most officers viewed specialism as a tool to improve how police forces prevent and tackle RASSO. In spite of this, the lack of prioritisation of specialist training, roles and units specifically for this crime type has hindered the development of evidence-based practice in policing. The impact on well-being, resources, organisational support and role identity has been explored.

Originality/value

This is the first qualitative study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to look at officers’ insights on police specialism for RASSO in England and Wales. Officers discussed day-to-day challenges associated with conducting RASSO investigations while reflecting on potential advantages related to dedicated specialist units and/or specialist roles.

Purpose

Sexual harassment is a worldwide and prevalent problem that can have severe consequences. The #MeToo movement has highlighted that sexual harassment is not an isolated event and is linked to misogynistic cognitions and other forms of sexual violence. However, there is a lack of research regarding the relationship between sexual harassment and its nomological network, particularly in the general population. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the nomological network of harassment.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between perception of harassment and rape myths (RMS), with paraphilia (fantasy and behaviour) as mediators. In addition, the prevalence of paraphilia in the general population was explored and gender difference was analysed. Frequencies, Pearson's r correlations, independent sample t-tests and mediation analyses were conducted on a sample of n = 254 participants from the general population.

Findings

Analyses revealed that half of the sample have engaged in at least one paraphilia behaviour. Furthermore, correlations between a more lenient perception of harassment, RM acceptance and paraphilia were found, as well as significant gender differences. Finally, mediation models revealed a strong relationship between RM acceptance and a more lenient perception of harassment, with paraphilia mediating this relationship.

Practical implications

This study has several implications, highlighting the role of misogynistic cognitions in predicting a lenient perception of sexual harassment, and thus, proposing a key focus for prevention and intervention models.

Originality/value

This research is mostly conducted on male samples in these areas; thus, this study aimed to collect data from a diverse sample that may provide a better overview of sexual harassment and its nomological network.

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate how five Operation Soteria Bluestone (OSB) participating forces integrated principles of procedural justice and proactive disruption of offending into their investigations, specifically during the closing stages of a case when considering exit strategy and longer-term prevention.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods approach was taken, including 32 semi-structured interviews with officers and 59 case reviews of recent rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). Data analysis methods included qualitative thematic analysis of interviews, while data from reviewed case logs was extracted and analysed using a bespoke case review tool.

Findings

Increased workloads, preparation of evidence and relational/communication difficulties with the crown prosecution service (CPS) were identified as barriers to implementing long-term disruption options. Dedicated resourcing, training and support are needed to promote suspect-focused investigative strategy and wider uptake of long-term disruption methods. Early investigative approach was also found to have “snowball” effects on suspect exit strategy, with initial lack of suspect focus and preoccupation with victim credibility, impeding consideration of long-term disruption and safeguarding options. Findings also point to a disparity between promising practice in relation to procedural justice for victims and (a relative lack of) proactive policing of repeat suspects.

Originality/value

The study represents a novel contribution to research on policing RASSO, illustrating the scale and nature of the obstacles to changing how these offences are investigated, even when under intense scrutiny from policy makers. It also highlights how increased organisational investment and support is linked to positive changes in practice in some forces.

Purpose

In their study of reciprocity in investigative interviews, Matsumoto and Hwang (2018) found that offering interviewees water prior to the interview enhanced observer-rated rapport and positively affected information provision. This paper aims to examine whether tailoring the item towards an interviewee’s needs would further enhance information provision. This paper hypothesised that interviewees given a relevant item prior to the interview would disclose more information than interviewees given an irrelevant item or no item.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants (n = 85) ate pretzels to induce thirst, engaged in a cheating task with a confederate and were interviewed about their actions after receiving either no item, an irrelevant item to their induced thirst (pen and paper) or a relevant item (water).

Findings

This paper found that receiving a relevant item had a significant impact on information provision, with participants who received water providing the most details, and significantly more than participants that received no item.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have implications for obtaining information during investigative interviews and demonstrate a need for research on the nuances of social reciprocity in investigative interviewing.

Practical implications

The findings have implications for obtaining information during investigative interviews and demonstrate a need for research on the nuances of social reciprocity in investigative interviewing.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to experimentally test the effect of different item types upon information provision in investigative interviews.

Purpose

This paper aims to explore advances in indirect personality assessment, with emphasis on the psychology of digital behavior based on the analysis of new technological devices and platforms for interpersonal relationships, identifying – along the way – those findings that may be useful to carry out a reconstructive psychological assessment (RPA) of applicability in the legal context.

Design/methodology/approach

Different fields of knowledge are explored, transferring the findings to the field of psychology of digital behavior, analyzing the publications that report findings on the analysis of new technological devices and platforms for interpersonal relationships and identifying – along the way – those findings that may result useful to carry out an RPA of applicability in the legal context.

Findings

The application of RPA represents a significant advance in the integration of criminal psychology and forensic technology in legal contexts, opening new fields of action for forensic psychology.

Originality/value

The article has transferred advances in computer science to the field of forensic psychology, with emphasis on the relevance of RPA (from the analysis of digital behavioral residues) in the interpretation of behavioral evidence for the indirect evaluation of the personality and within the judicial context (when the victim and/or accused are not included).

Purpose

Before psychological research is used for policy reforms and recommendations, it is important to evaluate its replicability, generalizability and practical relevance. This paper aims to examine these three criteria for published articles in the Journal of Criminal Psychology.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a literature search for published articles in the Journal of Criminal Psychology related to the topics of the special issue Contemporary Developments in the Retrieval and Evaluation of Witness Testimony: Towards making research more applicable to investigations, this paper identified 158 eligible articles. For each article, this paper extracted variables related to the type of article, reported p-values, type of sample and stimuli, power analyses and conducted analyses and how effect sizes were used and interpreted. This paper analyzed these variables descriptively and conducted a z-curve analysis.

Findings

In terms of generalizability, the articles examined populations of interest (e.g. offenders, prisoners) and there was no sole reliance on Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich and Democratic samples. However, for replicability, there were currently no replication studies or published Registered Reports and the z-curve analysis indicated a low expected replication rate. Moreover, when examining practical relevance, almost no power analyses were conducted and when they were conducted, they were not reproducible or did not use meaningful effect sizes. Finally, although the majority of studies reported effect sizes, they were oftentimes not interpreted.

Originality/value

The present study sheds light on the potential societal impact of published articles in the Journal of Criminal Psychology.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the experiences of service providers supporting male victims and female perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study explored the drivers, methods and treatments of female-perpetrated IPV, the nature and impact of abuse towards male victims, the barriers and facilitators to service provision and the impact on the practitioners themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a qualitative approach, using reflexive thematic analysis to analyse semi-structured interviews with 13 experienced service providers.

Findings

Two overarching themes were identified: systemic issues in service provision, including challenges with multi-agency approaches, funding and availability of services and the impact on practitioners; and gender stereotypes, which created barriers to male victims' help-seeking and influenced the treatment of female perpetrators.

Practical implications

The findings suggest the need for a multi-level approach, addressing gendered inequalities in IPV policy and funding, implementing gender-inclusive, evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, and raising public and professional awareness to challenge the dominant “domestic violence stereotype”.

Originality/value

This study provides a detailed, in-depth exploration of the experiences of service providers supporting “non-typical” populations in IPV, revealing the complex, multi-faceted challenges they face within a system that is inherently designed to support female victims of male perpetrators.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the review mechanisms’ efficacy from the perspective of cold case reviewers. Live homicide review mechanisms at the 7- and 28-day stage of an inquiry seek to prevent the case becoming cold (or unsolved) by ensuring lines of inquiry have been suitably identified and progressed. There is also a requirement to ensure the investigation was not swayed by faulty decision-making or cognitive biases. However, the use of the review processes in preventing unsolved cases is unclear, and not subject to much academic discussion.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study explores the review functions through the lens of cold case detectives, currently reviewing unsolved cases to identify progression opportunities. The study uses data from a seven-month, non-participatory observation period with a two-force collaborative cold case unit and 13 semi-structured interviews with cold case review officers. The observations and interviews were simultaneously analysed adhering to an inductive approach to Thematic Analysis.

Findings

The results show procedural guides (e.g. the Major Crime Investigation Manual) are important quality assurance mechanisms for review officers, helping ensure the appropriate and necessary lines of inquiry have been pursued. However, they were keen to emphasise the importance of intuition in progressing cases but felt continuously hindered by a lack of resources and large numbers of applicable cases. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this study is the first exploration of cold case detective’s experiences of the live review processes and how they may pose challenges in case progression for cognitive errors and biases. While the study has identified some challenges facing review officers in nine police forces across the UK, wider examination of policies, practices and mechanisms should be explored to develop the current procedural guidance (e.g. NPCC, 2021).

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge this exploratory study is the first exploration of cold case detective’s experiences of the live review processes and how they may pose challenges in case progression for cognitive errors and biases. While the study has identified some challenges facing review officers in nine police forces across the UK, wider examination of policies, practices and mechanisms should be explored to develop the current procedural guidance (e.g. NPCC, 2021).

Purpose

Effective forensic interviewing is crucial, particularly if the interview is the only source of evidence. Whilst there are a number of interview models that advocate for reflective practice, the evaluation of interviews rarely gets the time or attention it deserves. This is concerning, given that interviewer skills drop significantly after six months, and there are limited opportunities for refresher training. This study aims to explore how law enforcement officers reflect upon and evaluate their interviews and seek their insight into what they believe an effective evaluation tool would constitute.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 32 officers from three police forces in England and Wales and six international security organisations completed a qualitative questionnaire that explored their views on how interview evaluation is conducted and the impact on the interview, and how technology could assist in this important stage in terms of usability, efficacy and capability of a new evaluation tool.

Findings

Thematic analysis was used, resulting in three overall themes being identified from the data. These focused on current evaluation methods, barriers to conducting evaluations and technological solutions.

Originality/value

The findings are discussed in relation to interviewing and the development of tools to assist in evaluations. Implications for practice include the need for much more effort to be put into (re)introducing the evaluation stage into training to ensure that officers are allowed to reflect upon and evaluate their interview performance.

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether psychopathic traits are associated with “unsuccessful” life outcomes in a community sample. While it is not easy to define what a successful life is, as it varies by context and developmental stage, there is a consensus in psychological research on what constitutes an unsuccessful life, as measured by the revised Unsuccessful Life Scale. This concept of unsuccessful life encompasses areas such as family and health, alcohol and drug use and work and job satisfaction, which, when compromised, are essential components of an unsuccessful 21st-century life.

Design/methodology/approach

The study continues the work carried out in the prospective longitudinal Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development by including the offspring (n = 551 G3 females and males) of the original 411 G2 males.

Findings

A small proportion of G3 individuals (6.5%, n = 36) were having an unsuccessful life, and 23.3% (n = 124) of them were exhibiting a high level of psychopathic traits as measured by the PCL:SV. The results suggest that some psychopathic traits are an integral part of an unsuccessful mix. For instance, for both males and females, drug use and physical fights were significantly associated with psychopathic traits. However, there were some differences, where a wider range of unsuccessful outcomes was associated with psychopathic traits in males (e.g. unsatisfactory accommodation) compared to females (e.g. unsatisfactory intimate relationships).

Originality/value

It seems that the costs of psychopathic traits outweigh the benefits when it comes to success in life. The implications of these findings are discussed.