Profiling in Policy and Practice / Edition 1

by David Canter, Laurence Alison

Overview

'Profilers' and 'Profiling' are now widely discussed, often with almost mythical respect. This is the first volume to cut through the confusions and misunderstandings surrounding this topic to report on detailed, original, scientific research that examines the variations in criminal behaviour from which any 'profile' must be derived. The studies included examine both early approaches to the field and the future problems and potential for an Investigative Psychology approach of offender profiling. This book will be of great value to all those who have been waiting for a scientific, psychological basis to police investigations. It will be read with interest by those who want to get behind the rhetoric and controversy that surrounds 'offender profiling' and require an up to date account of current research and recent discoveries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840147797
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/22/1999
Series:	Offender Profiling Series
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.62(h) x (d)

About the Author

David Canter, Laurence Alison

Table of Contents

Contents: Profiling in policy and practice, Laurence Alison and David Canter; Professional, legal and ethical issues in offender profiling, Laurence Alison and David Canter; Mobsters are human too, Petrus van Duyne; Social science perspectives on the analysis of investigative interviews, Nigel Fielding; False allegations of child sexual abuse, Ray Aldridge-Morris; Equivocal death, David Canter; Approaches to the scientific attribution of authorship, Joy P. Aked, David Canter, Anthony J. Sanford and Nichola Smith; Psychologists as expert witnesses, Kathleen Cox; Criminal profiling: trial by judge and jury, not criminal psychologist, David Ormerod.

Editorial Reviews

Introduces offender profiling in primarily British policy and practice, not shying away from ethical issues in the newer field of investigative psychology. As an alternative to a flawed system where the responsibility for solving a crime is thrust upon one fallible expert witness, Alison and Canter (investigative psychology, U. of Liverpool) recommend closer liaison and education of the persons involved in an inquiry, and empirically derived hypotheses operating within a social science model of behavior. This process is intended to support, as the last of nine essays is titled, "Trial by Judge and Jury, Not Criminal Psychologist." Lacks an index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

’This book is a must for aspiring forensic psychologists.’ Science and Justice ’...contains a number of interesting chapters outlining a diverse range of new areas of investigative psychology.’ Forensic Update

From the Publisher