Final Exam Flashcards
the application of psychological research and concepts to investigation of a crime
investigative psychology
five categories of profiling:
- psychological profiling
- suspect-based profiling
- geographical profiling
- crime scene profiling
- equivocal death analysis
profiling based on experience and “gut feelings” rather than on research and statistical data
clinical profiling
the ____ profiling approach is case focused and tries to infer characteristics of an offender from the analysis of evidence gathered from a specific crime or series of crimes
clinical
a procedure that employs statistical group data based on prior offenders to identify an individual offender who committed similar crimes
actuarial profiling
the naturally occurring rate of a phenomenon within a given population
base rate
the process of identifying personality traits, behavioral tendencies, and demographic variables of an offender based on characteristics of the crime
profiling
process of determining the likelihood and seriousness of harm carried out by a person who displayed warning signs, such as making veiled oral or written threats
threat assessment
a process to evaluate individuals who have violated social norms or displayed bizarre behavior, particularly when they appear menacing or unpredictable
risk assessment
controversial and potentially illegal method that tries to identify an offender based on characteristics of prior offenders who have committed similar crimes
suspect-based profiling
illegal singling out of someone (ex. by law enforcement) solely on the basis of his or her race or ethnicity
racial or ethnic profiling
a type of profiling that focuses on the location of the crime and how it relates to the residence and/or base of operations of the offender
geographic profiling
one of several forms of profiling which refers to examining features at the scene of the crime to discern characteristics about the offender (also referred to as offender profiling)
crime scene profiling
any behavior that goes beyond what is necessary to commit the crime
signature
____ signature is left deliberately by the offender, whereas ____ signature is beyond the offender’s awareness
crime scene signature; psychological signature
the intentional alteration of a crime scene before the arrival of the police
staging
self arousal and gratification of sexual desire without a partner or partners
autoeroticism
a behavioral pattern found at the crime scene whereby the offender tries to psychologically “undo” the murder
undoing
indicates planning and premeditation on the part of the offender. in other words, the crime scene shows signs that the offender maintained control of himself or herself and of the victim, if it is a crime against a person
organized crime scene
demonstrates that the offender committed the crime without careful planning. in other words, the crime scene indicators suggest the person acted on impulse, in rage, or under extreme excitement
disorganized crime scene
indicates that the nature of the crime demonstrates both organized and disorganized behavioral patterns
mixed crime scene
this approach ties one individual to two or more similar crimes
case linkage analysis (CLA)
seeking evidence to confirm one’s own preconceived notions about a person or situation
confirmation bias
reconstruction of the personality profile and cognitive features (especially intentions) of deceased individuals
-also referred to as psychological autopsy or equivocal death analysis
reconstructive psychological evaluation (RPE)
postmortem analysis often reserved for cases in which suicide occurred or is suspected or alleged
-frequently done to determine the reasons and precipitating factors for the death
psychological autopsy
primary investigative methods for crime scene or offender profiling (3)
- information from the scene of the crime
- interviews with victims and witnesses
- linkage analysis
primary investigative methods for psychological profiling
risk and threat assessment methods and procedures
primary investigative methods for geographical profiling
computer models of typical spatial behavioral patterns of offenders
primary investigative methods for suspect-based profiling
base-rate information of previous offenders
primary investigative methods for equivocal death analysis (2)
- interviews and background information
- reviews of records and documents
incidents in which an individual (or individuals) kill a number of individuals (usually a minimum of three over time)
serial murder
the killing of three or more individuals without any cooling-off period, usually at two or more locations
spree murder
the unlawful killing of three or more persons at a single location with no cooling-off period between murders
mass murder
the number of serial murderers in the united states has ____ over time
decreased
some have estimated that there are about ___ - ___ serial murderers active at any given point in the united states
35-40
serial killers generally select victims based on three factors:
- availability
- vulnerability
- desirability
this refers to the lifestyle of the victim or the circumstances in which the victim is involved
availability
this pertains to the degree to which the victim is susceptible to attack by the offender
vulnerability
this refers to the appeal of the victim to the offender; it may involve such victim characteristics as race, gender, ethnicity, age, occupation, hair color, sexual appeal, or other specific features preferred by the offender
desirability
most serial killers frequently commit crimes within comfort zones that are often defined by an ___ point, such as their residence, employment, or the residence of a relative
anchor
only about ___ of female offenders killed strangers, in contrast to male offenders who almost exclusively killed strangers
1/3
the average number of victims murdered by female serial offenders is ___
9
most victims of female serial killers are ___, ___, or ___
husbands, former husbands, or suitors
traditionally, female serial killers murder primarily for ____ or ___ gain
material or monetary gain
typical method of killing for female serial murderers
poison or pills
the motivation of health care workers’ serial killings are variable: (5)
recognition
revenge
attention
power
control
a situation in which an individual enters a public place or barricades himself or herself inside a public building, such as a fast food restaurant, and randomly kills patrons and other individuals
classic mass murder
a situation in which at least three family members are killed (usually by another family member)
family mass murder
an individual engaged in killing or attempting to kill in a public area
active shooter
five-category typology based on the motivations for mass killings:
- revenge
- power
- loyalty
- profit
- terror
within this typology, the mass murderer seeks to get even with a group of people he dislikes
revenge typology
this mass murderer enjoys and craves the fear they engender and the immense control they have over their victims
power typology
usually, the need for ___ and ___ go together
revenge and power
this mass murderer is inspired to kill by a warped sense of love, usually based on a desire to save their loved ones from misery and hardship
loyalty typology
this typology is most commonly found in family mass murder
loyalty
this typology is classified by the intention to eliminate victims and witnesses to a crime, such as a robbery, also sending the message to other potential witnesses that the same thing could happen to them if they try to testify to authorities
profit typology
the perpetrator in this typology wants to send a message through a horrific murderous rampage
terror typology
a term for conduct, usually on the part of employees, that qualifies as emotional harm or minor physical harm to other employees (distinct from workplace violence)
workplace aggression
aggressive actions, including deaths, that occur at the workplace (not necessarily caused by those who work within the organization)
workplace violence
4 types of workplace violence
type 1: criminal intent
type 2: customer/client/patients
type 3: co-worker
type 4: personal
this offender has no legitimate relationship to the workplace or the victim and usually enters the workplace to commit a criminal action such as a robbery or theft
type 1 - criminal intent
common victims of type 1 offenders
small, late-night retail establishments, such as convenience stores and restaurants, and taxi drivers
this offender is the recipient of some service provided by the victim or workplace and may be either a current or former client, patient, student, customer, or inmate or person under correctional supervision
type 2
this offender has an employment-related involvement with the workplace (the act of violence is usually committed by a current or former employee, supervisor, or manager who has a dispute with another employee of the workplace
type 3 - co-worker
this offender is usually referred to as the “disgruntled employee” and is often someone who has been fired, demoted, or lost benefits
type 3 - co-worker
the killing of someone of higher authority than the perpetrator
authority homicide
this offender has an indirect involvement with the workplace because of a relationship with an employee (may be a current or former spouse or partner, someone who was in a dating relationship with the employee, or a relative or friend)
type 4 - personal
which type accounts for the vast majority of violence and homicides?
type one - criminal intent
robbers and other assailants account for ___% of workplace homicides
70.3%
work associates account for ___% of workplace homicides
21.4%
relatives account for ___% of workplace homicides
4%
terrorism perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with primarily US-based movements that espouse extremist ideologies of political, religious, social, or environmental nature
domestic terrorism
this form of terrorism refers to violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of criminal laws and are under the direction of a foreign government, group, organization, or person
international terrorism
extremist groups that adhere to an antigovernment or racist ideology and often engage in a variety of hate crimes and violence
right-wing extremists
political activists who move from activism to violence
left wing extremists
persons whose activism revolves around one issue and ultimately turns to violence
special interest extremists
environmental activists who have used terrorist tactics to draw attention to dangers in or to the environment
radical environmental groups
terrorist activities carried out with the use of nuclear, biological, or chemical substances (also sometimes referred to as bioterrorism)
nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) terrorism
those motivated by goals of the organization they belong to and the possible consequences of their actions
rationally motivated terrorists
motivated by their own sense of failure or inadequacy
psychologically motivated terrorists
those who are motivated by fear of irreparable damage to their ways of living, national heritage, or culture
culturally motivated terrorists
a learned passive and withdrawn response in the face of perceived hopelessness
learned helplessness or reactive depression
relating to terrorism, theory proposes that terrorist wants to be meaningful and accomplish something in his or her life
quest for significance theory
model for engaging in terrorist activity that sees the person as afraid of own mortality and believes engaging in terrorism will reduce this fear
terror management theory
tendency of groups to make decisions that are more extreme than if the same decisions were made by individuals independent of the group
risky shift
terrorist who operates alone, or occasionally with one or two others (may or may not be sympathetic to the goals of an established terrorist organization)
lone wolf terrorist
the scapegoating or demonizing of one cultural group by members of another cultural group (refers to the emergence of terrorist groups)
cultural devaluation
a psychological process that allows one to justify committing reprehensible actions
cognitive restructuring
3 components of cognitive restructuring:
- moral justification
- euphemistic language
- advantageous comparison
the process of convincing oneself that one’s actions are worthy and have a moral and good purpose
moral justification
based on the well-known research finding that language shapes thought patterns on which people base many of their actions
-people can display more cruelty or at least can feel better about what they are doing when their conduct is given a sanitized or neutral label
euphemistic langauge
terrorists are convinced that their way of life and fundamental cultural values are superior to those they attack
advantageous comparison
engaging in actions that obscure the identity of the victim, such as excessive facial battery, or treating victims like objects rather than human beings
dehumanization
a concept that allows an individual to deny responsibility for an action because he or she was told to perform it by someone higher in authority (also referred to as obedience to authority or strong respect for authority)
displacement of responsibility
a process by which individuals feel they cannot be identified, primarily because they are disguised or are subsumed within a group
deindividuation
clinical condition that involves intense sexual arousal fantasies and urges directed at children
pedophilia
the attraction to young adolescent girls or boys for sexual gratification by adults, usually males
hebephilia
sex abuse in which victims are outside the immediate or extended family
extrafamilial child molestation
the clinical term for a sexual condition exhibited in extreme fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving nonhuman objects, suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner, or children or other nonconsenting persons
paraphilia
in sexual assault, offending against victims regardless of their age or other characteristics
crossover offending
child sex abuse where victims are within the immediate or extended family
intrafamilial child molestation
pertains to sexual abuse and assault when perpetrator and victim are siblings
sibling sexual abuse
refers to beliefs and attitudes of many criminal sexual offenders that relationships with children are more emotionally and socially satisfying than relationships with adults
emotional congruence with children (ECWC)
a child sex abuser who demonstrates a long-standing, exclusive preference for children as both sexual and social companions (also called immature child sex offender)
fixated child sex offender
one who had fairly normal relationships with adults but later reverted to children for sexual and social companionship because of feelings of inadequacy
regressed child sex offender
an adult who seeks children almost exclusively for sexual gratification
exploitative child sex offender
an adult who victimizes children for both sexual and aggressive purposes
aggressive (sadistic) child sex offender
emerging online threat to scare minors into providing updated images or payment to avoid disclosure of their past postings
sextortion
an approach to therapy that focuses on changing beliefs, fantasies, attitudes, and rationalizations that justify and perpetuate antisocial or other problematic behavior (often used in the treatment of sex offenders)
cognitive behavior therapy
prevalence of child sex abuse in girls
1 in 4
prevalence of child sex abuse in boys
1 in 20
are younger or older children more vulnerable?
younger
what characteristics do child sex offenders use to select their victims? (3)
- typically known to offender
- submissive nature
- immature physical appearance
true or false: child sex offenders are almost always male
true
true or false: child sex offenders have adequate interpersonal skills
false; inadequate
do child sex offenders often have problems with alcohol?
yes
do child sex offenders often have unstable work histories?
yes
true or false: child sex offenders are often high school dropouts
true
interpersonal and intimacy deficits of child sex offenders (3)
- low social competence
- poor self-esteem
- emotional congruence with children
4 classifications of male child sex offender patterns
- fixated type
- regressed type
- exploitative type
- aggressive or sadistic type
the MTC: CM3 divides the regressed and fixated types into three separate factors:
- degree of fixation on children
- level of social competence achieved
- the amount of contact an offender has with children
female sex offender typology
heterosexual nurturers
sexual arousal theory
atypical stimuli is learned
cognitive distortions are similar to ___
rape myths
cognitive distortions include problems in ___ (3)
executive, neurocognitive functioning, and prefrontal processing
sex trafficking is the ___ leading criminal enterprise in the world
third
victims of sex trafficking are
women and girls
sex trafficking offenders establish ___ relationships with potential victims
trusting
____ is an issue within the treatment of child sex offenders
motivation
offenders of internet-facilitated sexual offending are often
non-hispanic white, single, and unemployed
internet-facilitated sexual offenders are slightly ___ than contact sex offenders
younger
four components of rapid risk assessment for sex offender recidivism
- prior sex offenses
- age
- ever targeted male victims
- ever having an extrafamilial victim
risk assessment for child sex offenders (3 components)
- social isolation
- sexual preoccupation
- multiple paraphilias
some juvenile sex offenders are socially ___ and ___
isolated and inadequate
some juvenile sex offenders are highly ___ and ___
impulsive and coercive
who developed offender profiling?
david canter
true or false: mass murder is carefully planned and deliberate
true
do mass murderers have a fascination with guns?
yes
this killer seeks revenge or wants to be famous anonymously or even for profit
set and run killer
