The increasing portrayal of forensic investigative techniques in the popular media-CSI, for example, has resulted in criminals becoming "forensically aware" and more careful about leaving behind physical evidence at a crime scene. This presents law enforcement with a significant problem: how can they detect serial offenders if they cannot rely on physical forensic evidence? One solution comes from psychology. A growing body of research has amassed in the area of behavioral consistency and the detection of serial offenders. A number of innovations are taking place in the field that have important implications for the practice of crime linkage and its use by police and the courts. Crime Linkage: Theory, Research, and Practice assembles this research and discusses its practical use. Topics include: Theoretical explanations for how, when, and why we may (or may not) see similarities in a person's crime scene behavior Consistency and distinctiveness in sexual offending An overview of crime linkage research conducted to date The use of crime linkage in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States New directions for research and practice, including linking across crime types to expand the suspect pool The range of statistical methods used in research of crime linkage principles The book represents a collaboration of researchers and practitioners from across the globe who are recognized as experts in the area of behavioral consistency and detection of serial offenders. They provide a comprehensive and informative text on the psychological and criminological theories underpinning crime linkage, how it is used in practice, the challenges practitioners face, and current innovations that will shape the future of crime linkage research and practice.

This co-authored book critically reviews existing literature on school resource officer (SRO) programs and presents a thorough evaluation of an SRO program offered by Peel Regional Police in Ontario, Canada. The implementation of a SRO program is a controversial response to school violence and safety issues. While some call for an increased use of police in schools, others are pushing to remove police from schools, or at least to end their involvement in routine discipline. Though many SRO programs exist around the world, little systematic research has been conducted on the topic. The study reported in this book represents the largest and most comprehensive assessment of such programs to date. The research by Duxbury and Bennell indicates that SRO programs can provide real value for students, school staff, policing organizations, and society, but benefits rely on having programs that are well-designed, that the right officers are selected for SRO roles, and that the initiative has support from major stakeholders. Given the current conversations regarding the costs and benefits of having police officers in schools, there is a clear need to determine the value that investment in these types of proactive policing programs creates. The book provides researchers, SROs, police agencies, school boards, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students with information about: the activities that SROs are involved in, how SROs can collaborate with schools to create safe learning environments, and whether (and how) such programs benefit the police, schools, students, and society. Easy-to-digest charts facilitate understanding, and anonymized reflections from SROs, school staff, and students are presented throughout the book to provide context.

Far too often, children and youth experience trauma, from rare events such as mass shootings, terrorism attacks, and school lockdowns, to very common occurrences such as bullying, exposure to drugs and alcohol, or various mental health issues. They can experience these events both directly and indirectly (from surfing the internet, watching television, or through their friends). Our children spend a large portion of their day at school interacting with other students, teachers, and school personnel, where these topics are raised and discussed. This edited volume addresses how our teachers and school personnel can help students deal with these potentially traumatic events to reach the most positive possible outcomes. This collection brings together leading experts, including academics and professionals working in the field, to provide the most current evidence-based practices on how to help students who may have experienced or witnessed trauma. It presents research and advice on how to respond to traumatic events regarding bullying; drugs and alcohol; sexual abuse; mental health; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) safety; stranger danger; childhood disruptive behaviors; school shootings and lockdowns; and terrorism. It also includes a chapter focused on how to implement a school safety program. Schools cannot deal with these issues alone; effective strategies must engage family members and the broader community. Hence, the collection includes a chapter on how schools can partner with families and the communities they reside in to bring about positive change. All this work pays close attention to cultural and religious sensitivity, socio-economic variabilities, diversity issues, and developmental stages.

This co-authored book critically reviews existing literature on school resource officer (SRO) programs and presents a thorough evaluation of an SRO program offered by Peel Regional Police in Ontario, Canada. The implementation of a SRO program is a controversial response to school violence and safety issues. While some call for an increased use of police in schools, others are pushing to remove police from schools, or at least to end their involvement in routine discipline. Though many SRO programs exist around the world, little systematic research has been conducted on the topic. The study reported in this book represents the largest and most comprehensive assessment of such programs to date. The research by Duxbury and Bennell indicates that SRO programs can provide real value for students, school staff, policing organizations, and society, but benefits rely on having programs that are well-designed, that the right officers are selected for SRO roles, and that the initiative has support from major stakeholders. Given the current conversations regarding the costs and benefits of having police officers in schools, there is a clear need to determine the value that investment in these types of proactive policing programs creates. The book provides researchers, SROs, police agencies, school boards, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students with information about: the activities that SROs are involved in, how SROs can collaborate with schools to create safe learning environments, and whether (and how) such programs benefit the police, schools, students, and society. Easy-to-digest charts facilitate understanding, and anonymized reflections from SROs, school staff, and students are presented throughout the book to provide context.

Far too often, children and youth experience trauma, from rare events such as mass shootings, terrorism attacks, and school lockdowns, to very common occurrences such as bullying, exposure to drugs and alcohol, or various mental health issues. They can experience these events both directly and indirectly (from surfing the internet, watching television, or through their friends). Our children spend a large portion of their day at school interacting with other students, teachers, and school personnel, where these topics are raised and discussed. This edited volume addresses how our teachers and school personnel can help students deal with these potentially traumatic events to reach the most positive possible outcomes. This collection brings together leading experts, including academics and professionals working in the field, to provide the most current evidence-based practices on how to help students who may have experienced or witnessed trauma. It presents research and advice on how to respond to traumatic events regarding bullying; drugs and alcohol; sexual abuse; mental health; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) safety; stranger danger; childhood disruptive behaviors; school shootings and lockdowns; and terrorism. It also includes a chapter focused on how to implement a school safety program. Schools cannot deal with these issues alone; effective strategies must engage family members and the broader community. Hence, the collection includes a chapter on how schools can partner with families and the communities they reside in to bring about positive change. All this work pays close attention to cultural and religious sensitivity, socio-economic variabilities, diversity issues, and developmental stages.

It is startling to read how few sexual offenses are reported in a year; even more shocking to see how few reports lead to an arrest. Research on effective responses to sexual offenses is much needed and ongoing. This edited book presents the current state of research on investigative techniques used in sex crime investigations, and the operational challenges and issues that arise in these investigations. Including an international cohort of scholars from various academic backgrounds, it reviews current efforts in key areas, synthesizing the research to make recommendations for the improvement of investigative practices and the criminal justice system's response to sexual offenses. Each chapter includes a brief introduction to the topic, a review of the research, and a discussion of the key points relevant to investigators and researchers as they move forward. The book is broken down into four themes: suspect prioritization and identification techniques, investigative interviewing, operational challenges and issues, and the investigation of specific types of sex crimes. With its broad coverage and international scope, this volume fills the gap in knowledge for investigators working on sex crimes cases. With its easy-to-read style and clear analysis of the research, this is the perfect volume for investigators and law enforcement officers, policy makers and researchers, and students in criminology and criminal justice, forensic psychology, and victim services.