This book addresses how and why criminal offenders repeat their actions after being released from prison. It is part of an attempt to explain criminal behavior within the context of a contemporary psychological understanding of behavior, rather than more traditional theories of crime. Over 300 male criminal "repeat offenders" were interviewed and tested. The results indicate that their new offenses may be the result of something like a "breakdown." This report, written for a general audience, has important implications for release supervision, rehabilitation programs, and the prediction of recidivism.

The Language of Sexual Crime explores the role of language in the construction of identity of both perpetrators and victims of sexual violence, the ways in which language is used in the detection of sexually-motivated crime, and the articulation/manipulation of language in police interviews, the courtroom and the media.

There are more than 20 theories that explain crime. Each theory has weaknesses, and no scholar knows which theory is best. To remedy this unsatisfactory situation a new research program of comparative theory testing is proposed. Comparing the theories with each other has not yet been successful. The alternative, suggested in this book, is to show how criminological theories must be modified if they are compared with a general behavioral theory. The book shows under which conditions the major criminological theories provide valid explanations of crime. The latter thus become integrated as parts of the general theory. The general theory that is chosen is a version of the theory of rational action. This is not the problematic version discussed in the literature, but states the real conditions of decision making and, thus, explains when people actually violate the law or remain law-abiding. The general theory is a component of a theoretical approach that explains individual behavior in interaction with societal (macro) conditions. This micro-macro approach is summarized in a proposed structural-cognitive model. This is part of the new program of Analytical Criminology. It suggests empirical theory comparison, process explanations, and micro-macro explanations. The book is not only written for readers who are interested in theories of crime and deviant behavior. It is also a treatise in "analytical" (i.e., rigorous) theory construction and empirical theory comparison.

The use of informants has been described as the "black hole of law enforcement." Failures in the training of police officers and federal agents in the recruitment and operation of informants has undermined costly long-term investigations, destroyed the careers of prosecutors and law enforcement officers, and caused death and serious injuries to innocent citizens and police. In many cases, the events leading to disaster could have been avoided had the law enforcement agency followed the time-tested procedures examined in this book. Informants, Cooperating Witnesses, and Undercover Investigations: A Practical Guide to Law, Policy, and Procedure, Second Edition covers every aspect of the informant and cooperating witness dynamic-a technique often shrouded in secrecy and widely misunderstood. Quoted routinely in countless newspaper and magazine articles, the first edition of this book was the go-to guide for practical, effective guidance on this controversial yet powerful investigative tool. Extensively updated, topics in this second edition include: Sweeping changes in the FBI and ICE informant and undercover programs New informant recruiting techniques Reverse sting operations Entrapment issues Examination of recent high-profile cases where the misuse of informants resulted in lawsuits and legislation The changing nature of compensation and cooperation agreements Forfeiture, informants, and rewards The management of controlled undercover purchases of evidence Challenges posed by fabricated information, phantom informants and police corruption Witness security measures New whistleblower reward programs Authoritative, scholarly, and based on boots-on-the-ground experience, this book is written by an author who has been a police supervisor, an informant recruiter and handler, an undercover agent, and an attorney. Supported by statutes, case law, and previously unpublished excerpts from law enforcement agency manuals, it is essential reading for every police officer, police manager, prosecutor, police academy trainer, criminal justice professor, and defense attorney. This book is part of the Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigations series.

According to the Sentencing Project, between 1980 and 2017, the number of incarcerated women increased by more than 750%, rising from a total of 26,378 in 1980 to 225,060 in 2017 and the number continues to rise. Dealing with incarcerated women and specifically psychopathic women can be challenging. Understanding Female Offenders: Psychopathy, Criminal Behavior, Assessment, and Treatment provides readers with a better conceptualization of the psychopathic/non-psychopathic female. This includes better ways of interviewing, assessing, and treating these women, and clinical caveats with case examples to assist with clinical applications. This is the only comprehensive resource that provides specific knowledge about female offenders, particularly on female psychopathy and assessment.

This book challenges the conventional view that disadvantage causes crime because it motivates people to offend. It argues that disadvantage causes crime because it disrupts the parenting process. The theory put forward in the book maintains that it takes a long time for disadvantage to increase the level of crime in a neighborhood. However, once the level of economic and social stress in a neighborhood reaches a critical level, it can set off an epidemic of juvenile offending.

Society today is fascinated by crime. Crime is a hot topic in the media, so that people are continually exposed to criminal events, portrayals of those who commit them, and the suffering of victims. Yet the reality of crime is often very different from how it is portrayed in the media. Most crime is neither violent nor morbid; most offenders are not psychopaths, and although prison generally does not work, there may well be other, less punitive but more constructive interventions that are actually quite effective. This book exposes some of the most prevalent myths about crime and criminal behaviour. In addition it provides the reader with up-to-date knowledge on crime and offending behaviour. It also highlights the ways in which psychological methods of research and psychological knowledge can help us to understand criminal behaviour and the ways that targeted interventions are developed based upon this. Pakes' and Winstone's Psychology and Crime is essential reading for students taking courses in the psychology of crime, criminal and forensic psychology, criminology, and community justice, as well as for other courses where a knowledge of the complex relationship between psychology and crime - and its application in practice - is required. Practitioners and policy-makers will also find it highly informative.

Violence Assessment and Intervention: The Practitioner's Handbook, now in its third edition, provides a proven methodology, grounded in the current empirical research and the authors' experience in successfully assessing and managing thousands of cases in a variety of contexts and environments, for analyzing concerning behaviors and potential threatening situations, and taking action in these challenging, dynamic environments before tragedy occurs. Threat and violence assessment and management is an essential process in reducing violence and its consequences. The ongoing challenge for those assessors, particularly in common workplace environments (e.g., educational settings, public agency settings, and business settings), is applying the applicable behavioral science research in a practical and effective manner to maximize safety. The book begins by demonstrating the threat and violence assessment process from the point of the initial call and proceeds through the steps that quantify the situation and determine the appropriate response. The next section covers information gathering, victimology, and formulas and tools for risk assessment. Finally, the book explores organizational influences, school violence, ethics, security and consultation issues; the formation and running of threat management teams, and relevant laws related to violence assessment. This book is a valuable reference for human resource professionals, security professionals, mental health practitioners, law enforcement personnel, and lawyers who are members of threat assessment teams, provide threat and violence assessment and management consultations, as well as expert witnesses in cases involving workplace violence, school violence, security negligence; or wrongful termination or disputed school disciplinary actions related to aggressive, threatening, or violent behavior.

This volume provides the first rigorous assessment of the research relating to the disclosure of childhood sexual abuse, along with the practical and policy implications of the findings. Leading researchers and practitioners from diverse and international backgrounds offer critical commentary on these previously unpublished findings gathered from both field and laboratory research. Cross-cultural, clinical, and multi-disciplinary perspectives are provided. The goal is to learn more about why children frequently remain silent about their abuse, deny it, or if they do disclose, do so belatedly and incompletely, often recanting their allegations over time.
 
The book opens with a close examination of the existing literature on disclosure and the difficulties in conducting such research. It then examines the individual and contextual factors that determine whether, when, and how childhood sexual abuse is disclosed. This portion reviews how the interview techniques have a profound impact on disclosure patterns. Details of how reluctant children are interviewed are included. The third section examines the broader implications of disclosure for the child, family and peers, and for the suspect. "Child Sexual Abuse" examines how the interview strategies influence how, when, or if children disclose abuse, by examining both domestic and international data and by analyzing detailed interviews with children.
 
"Child Sexual Abuse" is intended for researchers and practitioners from child, forensic, and clinical psychology, social work, and all legal professionals who need to understand this crime.

Praise for "The Science of Sherlock Holmes"

"Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics. . . . Utterly compelling."
--Otto Penzler, member of the Baker Street Irregulars and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop

"E. J. Wagner demonstrates that without the work of Sherlock Holmes and his contemporaries, the CSI teams would be twiddling their collective thumbs. Her accounts of Victorian crimes make Watson's tales pale! Highly recommended for students of the Master Detective."
--Leslie S. Klinger, Editor, "The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes"

"In this thrilling book, E. J. Wagner has combined her considerable strengths in three disciplines to produce a work as compelling and blood-curdling as the best commercial fiction. This is CSI in foggy old London Town. Chilling, grim fun."
--John Westermann, author of "Exit Wounds and Sweet Deal"

"I am recommending this delightful work to all of my fellow forensic scientists. . . . Bravo, Ms. Wagner!"
--John Houde, author of "Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists"

"A fabulously interesting read. The book traces the birth of the forensic sciences to the ingenuity of Sherlock Holmes. A wonderful blend of history, mystery, and whodunit."
--Andre Moenssens, Douglas Stripp Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and coauthor of "Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases"

The Handbook of Forensic Psychopathology and Treatment explores the relationship between psychopathology and criminal behaviour in juveniles and adults. It provides a detailed explanation of the developmental pathway from the process of increasing criminal behaviour and becoming a forensic patient, to assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. Incorporating theoretical and scientific research reviews, as well as reviews regarding forensic rehabilitation, the book covers the theory, maintenance and treatment of psychopathology in offenders who have committed a crime. The Handbook of Forensic Psychopathology and Treatment will be of interest to masters and postgraduate students studying the relationship between psychopathology and crime, as well as researchers and clinicians working in forensic psychiatry institutions or departments.

The notion that women lie about rape is a prevalent belief with pervasive influence. This book is unique in combining police file data with interviews obtained from both rape survivors and detectives in order to critically explore how this belief affects police officers' responses to women who report rape. Examination of this material is located within a broader analysis of the historical and socio-cultural environment, and illustrates how rape investigations continue to be conducted within the context of pervasive beliefs and stereotypes regarding both the nature of rape and the nature of women.

"Praise for"
Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Second Edition

"The "Second Edition of Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders" showcases Phil Rich's experience and mastery of the research and clinical literature. In my view, this is an excellent therapy book and, like its predecessor, will help practitioners to work effectively and ethically with juvenile offenders. It is destined to become a classic."
--Tony Ward, PhD, DipClinPsy; Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

"Phil Rich is considered one of the world's leading authorities on how best to understand, assess, and treat juvenile sexual offenders, and this "Second Edition" of his excellent text shows why he is held in such high regard. All theoreticians, researchers, and practitioners whose work brings them in contact with juvenile sexual offenders should definitely read this remarkable book."
--W. L. Marshall, OC, FRSC, PhD; Director, Rockwood Psychological Services, Ontario, Canada

"Phil Rich's book, "Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Second Edition" offers new and thought-provoking ideas, updates, and information, especially on developmental pathways. This book is one of the few publications on juvenile sexual offending that offers something new and revealing to the field."
--Robert E. Longo, LPC, NCC, ACS, BCIA-EEG, BCN; Serendipity Healing Arts, Lexington, North Carolina

"Phil Rich masterfully fills the gap in the juvenile sexual offender treatment literature with a book that is neither introductory nor narrowly specialized. Seasoned veterans will appreciate his thoughtful and studied approach. Newcomers will find this book a vital go-to resource."
--David Prescott, LICSW, Clinical Director, Becket Family of Services, Falmouth, Maine

"Mind-blowingly brilliant--Rich by name and rich in depth, detail, description, and debate. An instant classic, "Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Second Edition" is both comprehensive and challenging with its material and messages, yet reassuringly accessible and practical."
--Martin C. Calder, Calder Social Work Training and Consultancy, Leigh, Lancashire, UK

THE LANDMARK TEXT FOR WORKING WITH JUVENILE SEXUAL OFFENDERS AND UNDERSTANDING SEXUALLY ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS--NOW FULLY REVISED

Thoroughly revised, the "Second Edition" of "Understanding, Assessing, and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders" guides mental health professionals through the breadth of assessment and intervention methods available for working with this special population, providing a succinct yet complete survey of the field, the etiological development of sexually abusive behavior in juveniles, and a reliable resource for assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Bayes Factors for Forensic Decision Analyses with R provides a self-contained introduction to computational Bayesian statistics using R. With its primary focus on Bayes factors supported by data sets, this book features an operational perspective, practical relevance, and applicability-keeping theoretical and philosophical justifications limited. It offers a balanced approach to three naturally interrelated topics: Probabilistic Inference - Relies on the core concept of Bayesian inferential statistics, to help practicing forensic scientists in the logical and balanced evaluation of the weight of evidence. Decision Making - Features how Bayes factors are interpreted in practical applications to help address questions of decision analysis involving the use of forensic science in the law. Operational Relevance - Combines inference and decision, backed up with practical examples and complete sample code in R, including sensitivity analyses and discussion on how to interpret results in context. Over the past decades, probabilistic methods have established a firm position as a reference approach for the management of uncertainty in virtually all areas of science, including forensic science, with Bayes' theorem providing the fundamental logical tenet for assessing how new information-scientific evidence-ought to be weighed. Central to this approach is the Bayes factor, which clarifies the evidential meaning of new information, by providing a measure of the change in the odds in favor of a proposition of interest, when going from the prior to the posterior distribution. Bayes factors should guide the scientist's thinking about the value of scientific evidence and form the basis of logical and balanced reporting practices, thus representing essential foundations for rational decision making under uncertainty. This book would be relevant to students, practitioners, and applied statisticians interested in inference and decision analyses in the critical field of forensic science. It could be used to support practical courses on Bayesian statistics and decision theory at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and will be of equal interest to forensic scientists and practitioners of Bayesian statistics for driving their evaluations and the use of R for their purposes. This book is Open Access.

Neil Krishan Aggarwal's timely study finds that mental-health and biomedical professionals have created new forms of knowledge and practice in their desire to understand and fight terrorism. In the process, the state has used psychiatrists and psychologists to furnish knowledge on undesirable populations, and psychiatrists and psychologists have protected state interests. Professional interpretation, like all interpretations, is subject to cultural forces. Drawing on cultural psychiatry and medical anthropology, Aggarwal analyzes the transformation of definitions for normal and abnormal behavior in a vast array of sources: government documents, professional bioethical debates, legal motions and opinions, psychiatric and psychological scholarship, media publications, and policy briefs. Critical themes emerge on the use of mental health in awarding or denying disability to returning veterans, characterizing the confinement of Guantanamo detainees, contextualizing the actions of suicide bombers, portraying Muslim and Arab populations in psychiatric and psychological scholarship, illustrating bioethical issues in the treatment of detainees, and supplying the knowledge and practice to deradicalize terrorists. Throughout, Aggarwal explores this fascinating, troublesome transformation of mental-health science into a potential instrument of counterterrorism.

Does trauma spark brazen acts? Are eyewitnesses accurate reporters? Can jurors distinguish truth from lies? Answer these and more in WRIGHTMAN'S PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM, 9th Edition. Real cases such as Bill Cosby and Dylann Roof illustrate the flesh and blood of the psychological issues considered in the book--from the motivations of offenders to discretion in sentencing. This book gives you an eye-opening overview of psychology's contributions to the legal system--and the many roles available to trained psychologists within the system.

Although stalking is an age-old phenomenon, it is only recently receiving due attention. In a span of just ten years, all fifty states have passed anti-stalking legislation. For the first time, Stalking Crimes and Victim Protection: Prevention, Intervention, Threat Assessment, and Case Management brings together in one source all the research done by professionals in various fields since 1990. It covers all the angles, from the psychological aspects of stalkers to the legal ramifications of stalking.

This comprehensive work emphasizes a multidisciplinary concept and approach. It compiles and assesses studies of law enforcement, legal counsel, medical professionals, forensic mental health professionals, security personnel, and criminologists. These authors combine their academic research and clinical knowledge to provide you with helpful guidelines and suggestions in the areas of victim assistance and predatory stalking including:
o Intervention
o Prevention education
o Risk analysis
o Threat assessment
o Case management.

Editor Joseph A. Davis, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert in the field of public safety psychology, with a background in both psychology and law, has assembled a team of experienced professionals who have contributed to this comprehensive text, which educates, informs, and raises public awareness of this growing phenomenon. Including several case examples for study and clinical-forensic comparison, Stalking Crimes and Victim Protection will help you provide better services to victims, evaluate the mental state of the stalker, provide assessments of potential threat, and consult on security issues, case management, and safety planning.

There is an expectation that women will be nurturers and carers. Women who have been judged violent, destructive and criminal and who are detained in the criminal justice system can find themselves perceived through a distorted lens as unwomanly. This book explains how they become hypervisible in their difference, while the histories of trauma and suffering that are communicated through their offending and other risk behaviour remain hidden, and so are unseen. Bringing together authors uniquely placed as experts in their fields, Invisible Trauma argues that it is essential to trace the traumatic roots of women's violence and criminality. Powerful intergenerational factors perpetuate the cycles of offending and trauma re-enactment that current sentencing practice overlooks. The authors present a psychoanalytically informed account of the development of violence and other offending, identifying pathways for change to address trauma within the lives of these women and their children, and also to create a responsive, effective and sensitive workforce. Invisible Trauma highlights the role of emotional, social and cultural forces in traumatising women who come into contact with the criminal justice system and uncovers areas of their lives that are all too often hidden from view. It will be invaluable to those working in clinical and forensic psychology, mental health nursing, psychotherapy, social work, medical practice and women's health, as well as frontline practitioners in the criminal justice system, the health service and third sector organisations and for anyone with an interest in racism, equality and social justice.

Offender profiling is an investigative tool used to narrow down the range of potential suspects for a crime by predicting the personality, behavioral, and demographic characteristics that an offender is likely to possess, based upon information collected at the crime scene. While offender profiling has been popularized by TV shows and movies such as Criminal Minds, Silence of the Lambs, and Mindhunter, the real-world impact of offender profiling is largely unknown. This book discusses the history of offender profiling, summarizes research on offender profiling methods, and reviews offender profiling evaluations of accuracy and applied impact. This book also describes a promising new offender profiling methodology called evidence-based offender profiling. This new method relies upon empirical data and scientific methods to develop, evaluate, and replicate offender profiles, thereby increasing offender profiling's accuracy and utility for active police investigations. It uses prior information about statistical regularities between types of offenders and types of offenses to predict the characteristics of offenders in unsolved cases. A discussion of the future of offender profiling research and implications for law enforcement is also included. This book also explains how practitioners can benefit from the use of empirically tested and validated profiles in their unsolved investigations and how the use, continued research, and evaluation of evidence-based offender profiling can advance the quality, prestige, and utility of the field of offender profiling.

A significant percentage of sexual abuse in the United States is committed by juveniles, and mental health professionals increasingly receive requests to evaluate these juveniles. With an emphasis on practicality and utility, Juvenile Sex Offenders fills a gap in the current literature by providing a thoughtful, thorough approach to evaluating and treating youth who have committed sexual offenses or have engaged in sexually abusive behavior.
Serving as a functional guide, this text expertly prepares clinicians for the challenging task of evaluating juveniles, picking up where traditional clinical training often falls short and providing state-of-the-art assessment techniques as well as an overview of treatment modalities. Chapters highlight the many ways in which juveniles charged with sexual offenses differ from adults, the common dilemmas facing evaluators, and the changing perceptions and legal trends with respect to youth crime. Chapters also cover sexual development and behaviors among children and adolescents, risk factors and risk assessment, case examples for working with attorneys, and interventions and pharmacological approaches. Clinical practitioners with limited forensic training will benefit from the guidance on formal forensic evaluation and the review of literature on assessment approaches specific to youth, while forensic experts will gain developmental perspective in evaluating and treating young sexual offenders. Set in a hopeful and optimistic framework, Juvenile Sex Offenders is a practical, empirically based guide on the best practices in evaluating and treating this poorly understood and underserved population.

More violence has been perpetrated in the 20th century than in the two previous centuries combined. Understanding and Preventing Violence: Unmasking the Mentality of Human Destructiveness elucidates the mentality of destructive behavior with the hopes that in the future, the trend may be reversed through enlightenment. But in order to choose to be constructive, rather than destructive, there must first be an understanding.
This book takes a hard look at an alarming trend. It provides a focused view of the new wave of violence - from the individual to the global levels. It. traces the influence of sexuality and the anxiety of death on human mentality and suggests ways to reverse the increase in destructive behavior. It helps criminologists with profiling and spotting trends and aids psychologists by deepening the understanding of their severely character-disordered or sociopathic patients.
The author delves into the reasons and motivations prompting destructive behavior in order to
promote a constructive reaction to what has become commonplace in society - senseless violent acts.
Aimed at forensic and clinical psychologists, sociologists, criminal defense attorneys and criminologists, Leighton C. Whitaker delivers a work that provides an understanding of the psychodynamics of violence and the role it plays in society.

Focus in the media on the risks posed to ordinary people has become increasingly strong in recent years - particularly on those risks popularly perceived to be posed by the mentally ill. But how justified is this concern? How do we best manage so-called dangerous people? In Will They Do It Again? Herschel Prins considers the issue of public protection within a broad context of risk in society generally, examining the concerns arising in contemporary society from dealing with uncertainty. It is argued that public fear over the danger posed by the mentally ill is at odds with the evidence, and that much of the concern is focused on a small number of high-profile cases. Prins goes on to examine such cases where management of the mentally ill has failed and sets out suggestions for improvements in practice. Will They Do It Again? cuts through popular misunderstanding and media hype over risk to give a clear, unbiased picture of the real risks to society from the mentally ill and how best they can be contained and managed, and will prove invaluable to a range of practitioners involved in the fields of criminal justice and psychiatry.

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This lauded bestseller, now available in paperback, takes an uncompromising look at how we define psychopathology and makes the argument that criminal behavior can and perhaps should be considered a disorder. Presenting sociological, genetic, neurochemical, brain-imaging, and psychophysiological evidence, it discusses the basis for criminal behavior and suggests, contrary to popular belief, that such behavior may be more biologically determined than previously thought.
Key Features
* Presents a new conceptual approach to understanding crime as a disorder
* Provides the most extensive review of biological predispositions to criminal behavior to date
* Presents the practical implications of viewing crime as a psychopathology in the contexts of free will, punishment, treatment, and future biosocial research
* Includes numerous tables and figures throughout
* Contains an extensive reference list
* Analyzes the familial and extra-familial causes of crime
* Reviews the predispositions to crime including evolution and genetics, and the neuropsychological, psychophysiological, brain-imaging, neurochemical, and cognitive factors

"Assessments in Forensic Practice: A Handbook" provides practical guidance in the assessment of the most frequently encountered offender subgroups found within the criminal justice system. Topics include:

• criminal justice assessments
• offenders with mental disorders
• family violence
• policy and practice

This book explores the controversial relationship between mental health and offending and looks at the ways in which offenders with mental health problems are cared for, coerced and controlled by the criminal justice and mental health systems. It provides a much-needed criminological approach to the field of forensic mental health. Beginning with an exploration into why the relationship between mental health and offending is so complex, readers will be introduced to a range of perspectives through which mental health and its relationship to offending behaviour can be understood. The book considers the politics surrounding mental health and offending, focusing particularly on the changing policy response to mentally disordered offenders since the mid-1990s. With dedicated chapters concerning the police, courts, secure services and the community, this book explores a range of issues including: * The tensions between the care, coercion and control of mentally disordered offenders * The increasingly blurred boundaries between mental health and criminal justice * Rights, responsibilities, accountability and blame * Risk, public protection and precaution * Challenges involved with treatment, recovery and rehabilitation * Staffing challenges surrounding multi-agency working * Funding, privatisation and challenges surrounding service commissioning * Methodological challenges in the field. Providing an accessible and concise overview of the field and its key perspectives, this book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in mental health offered by criminology, criminal justice, sociology, social work, nursing and public policy departments. It will also be of interest to a wide range of mental health and criminal justice practitioners.