A predictive model of criminality in civil psychiatric populations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a predictive model of criminal risk in civil psychiatric populations, by determining the relative impacts of psychopathy, drug use, impulsivity and intelligence on levels of criminality. Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 871 civil psychiatric patients, selected from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, who had been diagnosed with a mental illness or personality disorder, and hospitalised less than 21 days. Each participant was administered the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version (PCL:SV), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R). In addition, information on background demographics, drug use and criminality was obtained via a self-report questionnaire. Findings Pearson correlations identified significant positive relationships between past arrests, psychopathy, impulsivity and drug use. Intelligence was negatively related to past arrests. Multiple regressions identified a significant main effect for Factor 2 psychopathy on past arrests when controlling for all covariates, but not for Factor 1 psychopathy, intelligence or impulsivity. Drug use and gender had small univariate effects. Research limitations/implications It is suggested that future research investigates the influence of specific mental disorders on different types of offending. Originality/value By investigating predictors of criminal behaviour in civil psychiatric patients, the present study makes valuable contributions to the research literature, enhancing our theoretical understanding of the relationships between psychopathy and criminality/recidivism. It also has notable implications in applied practice, for example in the development and refinement of risk assessment methods

The changing face of homicide research: The shift in empirical focus and emerging research trends

Homicidal behaviour is influenced by a complex interaction of behavioural, situational, and environmental factors that raise many challenging psychological questions. A large and continually-growing body of research has explored the crime of homicide, its epidemiology, victims and perpetrators. The area is developing rapidly, opening up new avenues of study. This special issue of the Journal of Criminal Psychology brings together an exciting array of papers on homicidal behaviour, examining a wide range of issues including juvenile homicide perpetrators, school shootings, child homicide, homicide-suicide and differences in offence behaviours and victim characteristics between hard-to-solve one-off homicides and serial homicides. The range of papers included in this special edition cover a wide range of aspects of homicidal behavior, reflecting the importance of - and the need for - applied research moving away from examining general homicide to specialised research focusing on subtypes of homicide and subgroups of homicide offenders. A research agenda is proposed

Age effects on juvenile homicide perpetration

Design/methodology/approach – Data on 150 juvenile homicide offenders and their offences was derived from material available within the public domain, including media reports, case studies, court reports and previously published studies. Comparisons were then made between those aged 14 and under (n=63) and those aged 14-17 (n=87) across a range of offender, victim and offence-related variables. Findings – There were no significant differences between the child (U-14) and adolescent (14-17) offender samples on any of the measured variables. The two groups had similar backgrounds, selected similar types of victims, had comparable breakdowns of different types of victim-offender relationship and had similar patterns of weapon use. Research limitations/implications – The fact that the two groups did not differ significantly has notable implications in practical and applied domains. By identifying risk factors for juvenile homicide perpetration, findings open up a range of possibilities for identification, investigation and intervention. In addition, findings might inform the development of offender treatment and rehabilitation programmes. Key limitations relate to the quality and quantity of data employed. Ways of remedying these weaknesses in future research are addressed. Originality/value – This is the first study to directly compare child and adolescent perpetrators of homicide over a broad range of offender, victim and offence attributes

A model for differentiating school shooters characteristics

Purpose The current study aimed to explore the potential for developing a model for differentiating school shooters based on their characteristics (or risk factors) before the attack took place. Design/methodology/approach Data on forty school shootings was compiled from the National School Safety Center’s Report on School Associated Violent Deaths (SAVD) and media accounts. Content analysis of the cases produced a set of 18 variables relating to offenders’ characteristics (or risk factors). Data were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), a non-metric multidimensional scaling procedure. Findings Results revealed three distinct themes: Disturbed School Shooter, Rejected School Shooter, and Criminal School Shooter. Further analysis identified links between these themes with the family background of the offender. Research limitations/implications These findings have both significant theoretical implications in our understanding of school shooters and the crime in general. They offer potential for practical applications in terms of prevention and intervention strategies. A key limitation relates to the quality of data. Originality/Value This is the first study to develop a model for differentiating school shooter characteristic

Personality Correlates of Co-witness Suggestibility

The present study examined the relationship between co-witness suggestibility and individual differences in interpersonal characteristics. Participants (N=473) took part in an eyewitness simulation, five independent conditions were used to control for misinformation size. Using confederates, the researchers exposed participants to misinformation about the witnessed event, prior to collecting their statements. The participants then completed the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behaviour assessment (FIRO-B; Schutz, 1958), a measure of expressed and wanted control, affection, and inclusion. Results suggested that the wanted control dimension was an accurate predictor of co-witness suggestibility. Eyewitnesses who scored highly on Wanted Control, were significantly more likely to accept misinformation from co-witnesses; and were more likely to lose confidence in their own judgements, after a group discussion. In addition, the results suggest that the unanimity of misinformation, but not the size, had a significant influence on co-witness suggestibility

The Effects of Memory Conformity as a Function of Co-Witness Familiarity

The present study examined the effects of a co-witness familiarity on statement similarity. The study aimed to determine whether eyewitnesses were at a higher risk of conforming to co-witnesses that they were familiar with, than to unfamiliar co-witnesses. The study utilised a novel experimental paradigm in which participants viewed footage of a crime before partaking in a post-event discussion with their group. The study used a between-subjects design, where participants either had a pre-existing relationship with their co-witnesses, had no previous relations to their co-witnesses, or were not permitted to discuss the event with their co-witnesses (control). Four hundred twenty participants took part in the study. They were placed into groups of five and viewed a CCTV footage of a crime. Participants then took part in a post-event discussion with group members before giving individual statements. A one-way between groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted. Results indicated that a post-event discussion significantly increased the level of statement similarity with eyewitness groups, but only when the co-witnesses shared a pre-existing relationship. The results also indicated that uncertain eyewitnesses were most susceptible to co-witness influence. The results indicate that eyewitnesses are more likely to accept contradicting information from peers than from strangers. Explanations for the findings, along with implication for police interventions, are discussed

The malleability of eyewitnesses: investigating the external predictors for eyewitness suggestibility

Introduction. A series of experiments were conducted to identify the salient characteristics within a post-event discussion that could increase the suggestibility of an eyewitnesses to misinformation from co-witnesses. The effects of the majority size (number of eyewitnesses presenting the misinformation), target group (number of eyewitnesses exposed to misinformation) and unanimity of misinformation amongst co-witnesses were explored. Method Five hundred fifty-six participants took part in an eyewitness simulation experiment. Participants were placed into groups and viewed video footage of a bar fight taking place. After witnessing the event, participants discussed the event with group members before giving individual statements privately. Through the use of confederates, the participants were exposed to misinformation. A mixed design was employed, with target group size and confederate size acting as the independent variables within the study. Results. The results indicated that misinformation size, as well as the unanimity of misinformation, were significant predictors for eyewitness suggestibility (P<.001). However, target group size was not able to predict for eyewitness suggestibility. Discussion. The findings indicated that an increase in the size of the misinformation source had a strong positive relationship with eyewitness suggestibility, with the rate of increase in eyewitness suggestibility remaining relatively constant as the misinformation size increased. Furthermore, despite the target group size showing no direct relationship with eyewitness suggestibility, the results indicated that if the misinformation was not unanimously held by all co-witnesses, the target would be significantly less likely to conform to the false information

Distribution and abundance of sei whales off the west coast of the Falkland Islands

The survey was funded by Falklands Conservation, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Falkland Islands Government Environmental Studies Budget.Little information exists on the current status of Southern Hemisphere sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis). We assessed their distribution and abundance along the west coast of the Falkland Islands (southwest Atlantic) during February and March 2018, using line transect and nonsystematic surveys. Abundance estimates were generated for a single survey stratum using design- and model-based approaches. Sightings of sei whales and unidentified baleen whales (most, if not all, likely to be sei whales) occurred from the coast to the 100 m depth isobath that marked the offshore boundary of the stratum. The modeled distribution predicted highest whale densities in King George Bay and in the waters between Weddell Island and the Passage Islands. Sei whale abundance was estimated as 716 animals (CV = 0.22; 95% CI [448, 1,144]; density = 0.20 whales/km2) using the design-based approach, and 707 animals (CV = 0.11; 95% CI [566, 877]; density = 0.20 whales/km2) using the model-based approach. For sei whales and unidentified baleen whales combined, the equivalent estimates were 916 animals (CV = 0.19; 95% CI [606, 1,384]; density = 0.26 whales/km2) and 895 animals (CV = 0.074; 95% CI [777, 1,032]; density = 0.25 whales/km2). The data indicate that the Falkland Islands inner shelf region may support globally important seasonal feeding aggregations of sei whales, and potentially qualify as a Key Biodiversity Area.PostprintPeer reviewe