NCJ Number
231490
Journal
Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2010 Pages: 1-13
Date Published
January 2010
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article argues the importance of sex offender research to the broadened scope of offender profiling.
Abstract
Research on sex offenders has mainly guided clinical practice for risk assessment and therapeutic intervention. However, the current scientific knowledge on these offenders and their crimes is, in many aspects, of great importance to criminal investigations. Consequently, there is a need to build bridges between investigative psychology and the research being conducted on sex offenders. Four areas of research on sex offenders that have clear implications to investigative psychology can be identified: (1) the consistency or 'crime-switching' patterns of sex offenders; (2) the recidivism patterns of different types of sex offenders; (3) the police response to specific victim characteristics; and (4) the A - C equation of sexual assaults. This paper argues for a need to establish a dialogue between these two fields of research so that knowledge about sex offenders keeps growing whilst being able to inform policing practices in investigative psychology. References (Published Abstract)