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.

Whilst there is considerable literature on rape from various perspectives, there is very little that focuses on rape committed by multiple perpetrators (also referred to as group or gang rape). For the first time, this handbook brings together international multi-disciplinary perspectives on multiple perpetrator rape. The book is organised to provide readers with a comprehensive account of the thinking, theorising and empirical evidence on multiple perpetrator rape to date. Aspects covered include: different contexts in which multiple perpetrator rape occurs such as gangs, war, fraternities, South Africa; experiences of women and girls as victims and perpetrators; offence characteristics such as leadership and role taking, aggression and violence; the importance of group size; the prosecution of and treatment of offenders; and approaches to prevention. The contributions to this collection are written by leading academics and practitioners from a variety of disciplines who bring together research and practice on multiple perpetrator rape by presenting new data from a strong theoretical and contextual base. This book will be a key text for students and academics studying multiple perpetrator rape and an essential reference tool for professionals working in the field including police officers, educationalists, forensic psychologists, youth workers, probation staff, lawyers, judges and policy makers.

Whilst there is considerable literature on rape from various perspectives, there is very little that focuses on rape committed by multiple perpetrators (also referred to as group or gang rape). For the first time, this handbook brings together international multi-disciplinary perspectives on multiple perpetrator rape. The book is organised to provide readers with a comprehensive account of the thinking, theorising and empirical evidence on multiple perpetrator rape to date. Aspects covered include: different contexts in which multiple perpetrator rape occurs such as gangs, war, fraternities, South Africa; experiences of women and girls as victims and perpetrators; offence characteristics such as leadership and role taking, aggression and violence; the importance of group size; the prosecution of and treatment of offenders; and approaches to prevention. The contributions to this collection are written by leading academics and practitioners from a variety of disciplines who bring together research and practice on multiple perpetrator rape by presenting new data from a strong theoretical and contextual base. This book will be a key text for students and academics studying multiple perpetrator rape and an essential reference tool for professionals working in the field including police officers, educationalists, forensic psychologists, youth workers, probation staff, lawyers, judges and policy makers.