Offender Profiling Series: Vol 3
The Social Psychology of Crime










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The Social Psychology of Crime: Groups, Teams and Networks

Karyn McCluskey and Sarah Wardle
The Social Structure of Robbery


Offender Profiling research has until recently concentrated on offenders operating in isolation. However, many crimes are committed not by an offender acting alone, but by a group of offenders working together.
The purpose of this research was to examine the possibility of determining the characteristics of an armed robbery team from their actions at the scene of the crime. The first step in this research was to define whether the criminal team acted in ways similar to many other groups. The study examined the group make-up of seventeen armed robbery teams. All of the participants in this study were convicted armed robbers who were serving sentences in British Prisons.
Using the 5-WH interview technique (McGuire and Priestley, 1985) and sociograms, we examined the armed robbery team over a number of areas such as communication, roles, planning, conflict, trust, leadership, recruitment, goals and norms.

The overall finding of the research is that armed robbery teams are similar in many ways to many other 'legitimate' groups. They are goal oriented, have a structure, have positions for their members, undertake planning and set rules for themselves in the commission of the offence. In addition, there is a symbiotic relationship between the team organisation and the groups' cohesiveness.
Membership of an armed robbery team was found to influence the behaviour, beliefs, and attitudes of the team members. This research highlights the importance of examining group characteristics in order to fully understand the nature of this crime.

Sarah Wardle obtained a degree in Psychology and Neuroscience at the Victoria University of Manchester before completing a Masters degree in Investigative Psychology at the University of Liverpool. It was at Liverpool where the research documented in the following chapter was conducted. Since leaving Liverpool she returned to London and started work for the Metropolitan Police as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst. After 18 months she transferred to work at the Special Intelligence Section at New Scotland Yard. She is currently working as a Senior Analyst, with responsibility for the personal development of all analysts working in central London and for identifying and undertaking strategic analysis projects on crime area of concern to the area. She is hoping shortly to continue her research into robbery, focusing particularly on street robbery offences.

Karyn McCluskey obtained a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and then completed a Masters Degree in Investigative Psychology at the University of Liverpool. She worked for two years with the Sussex Police as a criminal intelligence analyst, and was in charge of developing their offender profiling programme. She has previously worked in prisons in Scotland, is a registered nurse and is currently working in the Lancashire Constabulary. She maintains an interest in prisoner profiling and is currently researching this with the Lancashire Police.

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