Journal - Salfati - Centre For Investigative Psychology

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Journals : 2000

Salfati, C. G. (July 2000)

The Nature Of Expressiveness And Instrumentality In Homicide, And It's Implications For Offender Profiling.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Publication

Most of the longitudinal literature on aggression shows that there are thematic consistencies and patterns between earlier and later life characteristics. There have also been some early indications that these characteristics can be linked to the different ways offenders commit their crimes (e.g. Canter and Heritage 1990, Davies et al. 1997, Salfati and Canter 1999). The present study aimed to investigate and evaluate the hypothesis that consistencies would be found in the way offenders act during homicide. This would be evident in homicide crime scenes being classifiable into separate thematic 'types'. These consistencies, it was hypothesised, would not only be specific to the homicide situation, but would also reflect general interpersonal strategies that would be mirrored in an offender's general past in terms of their previous relationship with the victim, their previous criminal record, their age and their experience. These consistencies in turn, would form the scientific base for offender profiling - making the link between the way an offender acts at the crime scene, and the type of person who may be responsible for these actions.