Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling

The unique presentation of the book successfully connects the concepts and creates links to criminal behavior across crimes—murder, sexual assault, and arson—something no other title does. The connection of serial behavior to profiling, the most useful tool in discovering behavior patterns, is also new to the body of literature available and serves to examine the ideal manner in which profiling can be used in conjunction with behavioral science to positively affect criminal investigations.

* Provides a theoretical and practical foundation for understanding the motivation and dynamics in a range of serial offenses
• Illustrates the promise, purposes and pitfalls of behavioral profiling in the investigation of various serial crimes
• Numerous case examples show the real world uses of behavioral profiling in investigations, as well as highlighting a variety of issues in understanding and investigating serial crime

The proposed book will look at serial predatory behavior and is comprised of two main parts. The first section deals with serial offenders by examining specific crime types (stalking, arson, murder, sexual assault, etc.) and proposing new paradigms for investigation based on psychological profiles, research, and cases studies of individuals involved in these cases. The second section deals with criminal profiling, one of the primary tools that aids in the investigative process aimed at narrowing down suspect pools. Profiling has typically seen most application in serial crimes and similar investigations, so the two topics are conceptually and practically related.

The book provides a holistic approach to an understanding of the nature of serial behavior and the psychological factors surrounding such psychopathology. Unlike much trade literature on the subject, the book will maintain academic credibility without sacrificing accessibility. With over 15 books on his resume, prolific author and expert in deviant behavior and violent crime, Jack Levin, will write an introductory chapter setting the stage for his and other behavioral experts chapter contributions on the compelling issues of serial behavior.
* This book will focus exclusively on serial crime. Unlike other pop pieces on the subject, this is the first collection that looks at the many types of serial predators and behavior from a sociological and psychological perspective.
* Typologies developed by the world's leading authorities will look at the motivations of these serial offenders

Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling, Second Edition edited by Wayne Petherick, PhD

Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling examines serial predatory behavior and is comprised of two main parts. The first section deals with behavioral profiling, and covers a variety of critical issues from profiling’s history and the theoretical schools of thought to its treatment in the mainstream media. The second edition includes new sections on the problems of induction, metacognition in criminal profiling and investigative relevance. Part two deals more specifically with a number of types of serial crime including stalking, rape, murder and arson. Chapters on each of these crimes provide definitions and thresholds, discussion of the offenders, the crime and its dynamics. Considerations for behavioral profiling and investigations and the development of new paradigms in each area are interwoven throughout. Topics are conceptually and practically related since profiling has typically seen most application in serial crimes and similar investigations.

The unique presentation of the book successfully connects the concepts and creates links to criminal behavior across crimes—murder, sexual assault, and arson—something no other title does. The connection of serial behavior to profiling, the most useful tool in discovering behavior patterns, is also new to the body of literature available and serves to examine the ideal manner in which profiling can be used in conjunction with behavioral science to positively affect criminal investigations.

• Provides a theoretical and practical foundation for understanding the motivation and dynamics in a range of serial offenses
• Illustrates the promise, purposes and pitfalls of behavioral profiling in the investigation of various serial crimes
• Numerous case examples show the real world uses of behavioral profiling in investigations, as well as highlighting a variety of issues in understanding and investigating serial crime

Wayne Petherick is Associate Professor of Criminology and Head of Department at Bond University on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia. Wayne teaches in the subject areas of Criminal Profiling, Behavioral Evidence Analysis, Crime and Deviance, Criminal Motivations, Forensic Criminology and Forensic Victimology. He has been involved in a number of cases for law enforcement and private clients from murder to sexual assault to stalking and has taught in Australia and the United States for state and federal law enforcement. Wayne is a board member of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling and is a Full Member of the Criminology Section.

ISBN: 978-0-12-374998-7
Shelving Classification: Social Sciences/ Sociology/ Criminology/ Forensic

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM(Abbott Laboratories)
Description:This is a fascinating and thorough examination into the world of serial crime. The author takes us on a journey many have never seen and definitely beyond the realm of television crime dramas.
Purpose:The purpose of this book is to demystify profiling, promote the realistic rather than the media portrayal of profiling, and to study the topic of serial crime in a more systematic way. This book examines the theoretical and practical foundation on which behavioral profiling is based. The book also successfully aims to provide the reader with an objective source considering how many "arm-chair experts" there have been introduced into the field. The book not only exceeds the author's objectives but mine as well.
Audience:Clearly, this book is for the trained forensic clinician, criminologist, law enforcement officials, etc. However, this book would serve as a primer for graduate study especially since it is objective and sets a solid base for understanding the nature of criminals and their activity. The author is highly credible in his field.
Features:This book provides the reader with not just a foundation of knowledge but the recognition and reminder that there is a high level of responsibility to being a profiler or researcher in forensics. There are excellent examples throughout the book on the various topics of serial stalking, serial rape, serial murder, and the fascinating area of serial arson. The reader gets into the mind of the criminal and the profiler as the criminal profiling methods are described, but what makes this book unique is the way the author highlights the pitfalls and errors which can happen along the way.
Assessment:The need for an empirical, unbiased examination of the field of forensic psychology is long overdue. The author and contributing authors deserve an overwhelming applause for their real world focus and true usage of behavior profiling. Clearly, a stand alone book and a much-needed contribution to the field.

Wayne Petherick, PhD, is Associate Professor of Criminology at Bond University on Australia's Gold Coast. Here Wayne teaches Criminal Profiling, Behavioral Evidence Analysis, Criminal Motivations, Forensic Criminology and Crime and Deviance, among other subjects. He also consults to private clients on matters of risk and threat, stalking, miscarriages of justice and crime prevention. Wayne is the author of Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues in Behavioral Profiling, 2nd Edition (2009), and co-author of Forensic Victimology (2008), both with Elsevier Science. He has also published numerous articles on profiling and stalking. Wayne is a board member of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling and Assistant Editor of the Journal of Behavioral Profiling. He can be reached via email on [email protected] or [email protected].