Tell us about some of your cases

I mostly get asked to give an opinion on the authorship of a text, which can be a book, a set of mobile phone texts, letters, emails and so on. I also do plagiarism analysis. For example, about four years ago I was approached by Lew Perdue, the novelist, who claimed that his book had been plagiarised by Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. This was a very big case and it went all the way to the US Supreme Court. Most of my work is criminal work. I did the authorship analysis in the case of Garry Weddell, the police inspector accused of murdering his wife. He was released on bail and later shot his mother in law and then himself. I also did the linguistics in the case of Julie Turner, the woman whose body was found in an oil barrel in Yorkshire.

What other kinds of cases do you get involved in?

I often get asked by coroners to look at suicide notes, or other texts surrounding incidents of suspicious death. I also do a lot of hate mail work and I’ve done quite a number of product contamination cases. I also do a lot of insurance and other security work in fraud and forgery cases. Mobile phone text authorship is also a key area in forensic linguistics.

How would you describe ‘Forensic Linguistics’?

There are two parts to forensic linguistics: language as evidence and the language of the law. Language as evidence involves the linguist being asked to give an expert opinion on the authorship, or possibly meaning, of a text. This involves making an analysis, writing a report and going to court to give evidence.

How do you find the experience of giving evidence in court?

I enjoy it and I also believe it’s right that we should be made to defend our views. Lawyers should not hesitate to be as probing as possible when it comes to experts.

When was forensic linguistics first used?

Forensic linguistics was first used in an analysis of a suspect statement in 1968 by a Swedish linguist by the name of Jan Svartvik. However, it did not make its first appearance in court in any serious way until the 1990’s.

How long have you been practising as a forensic linguist?

I have been practising since about 1995, working with police forces all over the UK and the US, and with lawyers in the UK and abroad. I have prepared over 300 reports for court and have given evidence many times, mostly for prosecution.

Do you think forensic linguistics has been beneficial for the justice system?

I believe forensic linguistics has had a major impact on the justice system in that it has helped courts to clarify the linguistic evidence either in favour of or against suspects.

How should police officers and lawyers brief forensic linguists?

It’s important that lawyers and police officers brief experts carefully. In a few cases people have ‘overbriefed’ experts, giving them information which is not only unnecessary, but which the expert should not know. Another important factor is when to approach the expert. I suggest the earlier the better - even if it is just to get an opinion on the viability of a particular piece of evidence.

How can Forensic Linguistics be used in a criminal investigation?

To identify the author of a text, such as a ransom demand or suicide note, or series of hate mail letters, mobile phone texts or emails. To clarify the meaning of a word or phrase. For example, in one case I was asked the meaning of a slang word in a murder trial and to evaluate the word in context and assess its meaning within the scope of the crime that had been committed.

What should investigators, solicitors or private clients consider when requesting help from Forensic Linguists?

The primary issue is whether the expert is appropriate for the task. Even forensic linguistics is becoming more and more specialised. Most linguists will be happy to tell the client if there is someone else who is better qualified or more current in the particular area under examination.

How long does a Forensic Linguist need to analyse a piece of evidence?

It very much depends on the evidence. In cases where there are many texts (whether emails, letters, mobile phone texts, etc) it can take several months. However, where there are only a few texts to analyse, the work can be completed within a week or ten days. Most linguists will give a preliminary opinion at little or no cost.

Is the science behind it robust enough to use in a trial as evidence?

Forensic Linguistics has been used successfully in courts many times, both in the UK and abroad. I believe linguistic evidence stands up as well as any other kind of forensic evidence in court. Behind every case is a considerable body of research: we base our conclusions on linguistic principles, on evidence from language databases, on previous experience and findings. In fact, just like any other forensic scientist, we use all the tools available to us.

What difficulties have you come across when analysing a piece of evidence?

All evidence is difficult to analyse: you can never underestimate the task. Perhaps the most difficult task is estimating the contribution of a particular piece of evidence to the overall case. Does it tend to support an identification of a suspect? Does it tend to support the identification of someone other than the suspect? It is important not to overstate an opinion or cause problems for courts by being over-confident. All forensic scientists have these issues.

Where do you see the future of Forensic Linguistics?

The only future that matters is that the justice system is well served and that investigators and lawyers are given useful, honest, impartial advice and evidence. I believe forensic linguistics can do this, and so will remain a good servant of the justice system. It is the integrity of the justice system that counts - nothing else matters.

Find out more:

• Crimepsych posts on forensic linguistics
• The Forensic Linguistics Institute (John’s website)
• Centre for Forensic Linguistics at Aston University
• Forensic Linguistics Discussion Group

Two books by John Olsson:

• Wordcrime: Solving Crime Through Forensic Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics: Second Edition

Forensic Science for the 21st Century: The National Academy of Sciences Report and Beyond

The Center for the Study of Law, Science, & Technology at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University will host an international conference on April 3-4, 2009, in Tempe, Ariz., on the future of forensic science, with special attention to the highly anticipated report of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, “Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Sciences Community.”

In addition to experts from universities such as the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard Law School, the University of Michigan Law School, the University of California, Irvine, the University of Virginia and ASU, among others, participants will include state and federal judges, the NAS committee chairmen, the president of the American Association of Forensic Sciences, directors of the FBI laboratory and the Innocence Project, and prosecutors, defense attorneys, forensic scientists, and criminalists. Papers will be published in the ABA-ASU journal, Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology, and in the Oxford University Press journal, Law, Probability & Risk.

As part of the conference, The Honorable Harry T. Edwards, Senior Circuit Judge and Chief Judge Emeritus of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and co-chair of the NAS Forensic Science Committee, will deliver the annual Willard H. Pedrick Lecture. The title of Judge Edwards’ talk is, ‘Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward.’

For more information about the conference, co-sponsored by the National Judicial College and the Criminal Justice and Science and Technology Law sections of the American Bar Association, and to register, go to http://LST.law.asu.edu.

Part 1: Discussion of who can catch a liar and some research on signs of lying.

Part 2: New technologies and deception detection, particularly recent advances in the debate over fMRI but also some news about ERP-related deception detection.

Part 3: It’s magic! Reporting on the little flurry of interest in understanding how magicians deceive us, with some lessons for how practiced liars might achieve the same effect.

Part 4: When people lie in specific situations, from 911 calls to deception by the police.

Part 5: Polygraphy, and some recent research on the psychophisiology of lying.

Part 6: Kids’ lies, online lies and my deception book of the year.

Blogging is likely to continue to be sporadic on both this and the other crimepsych blogs over the next few months as I try and finish the doctorate, but if all goes to plan I hope to be back to better blogging by the summer of this year.

Wishing you all the best for a happy, safe and successful year in 2009!

This paper contributes to the science of crowd dynamics and psychology by examining the social psychological processes related to the relative absence of “hooliganism” at the Finals of the 2004 Union Européenne de Football Association (UEFA) Football (Soccer) Championships in Portugal. Quantitative data from a structured observational study is integrated with data from a questionnaire survey of a group associated ubiquitously with ‘hooliganism’ – namely England fans. This analysis provides support for the contention that the absence of ‘disorder’ can be attributed in large part to the non-paramilitary policing style adopted in cities hosting tournament matches. Evidence is presented which suggests that this style of policing supported forms of non-violent collective psychology that, in turn, served to psychologically marginalise violent groups from the wider community of fans. The study highlights the mutually constructive relationships that can be created between psychological theory, research, policing policy and practice, particularly in relation to the successful management of ‘public order’. The paper concludes by exploring some of the wider implications of this research for theory, policy, the management of crowds, social conflict, and human rights more generally.

Reference:

• Clifford Stott, Otto Adang, Andrew Livingstone and Martina Schreiber (2008). Tackling Football Hooliganism: A Quantitative Study of Public Order, Policing and Crowd Psychology. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law 14(2):115-141

Can I, in particular, recommend you take a look at the latest issue of Criminal Justice and Behavior? It’s a special on “Pseudoscientific Policing Practices and Beliefs” pulled together by guest editor Brent Snook. Scott Lilienfeld and Kristin Landfield’s overview of science and pseudoscience is just ok (I don’t think it’s as good as it could be), but there are useful reviews (among others) of hypnosis in a legal setting (Graham Wagstaff), of detecting deception (Aldert Vrij), and of false confessions (Saul Kassin). These reviews will prove invaluable if you’re new to these areas of research or need a refresher.

Also in this issue, Snook and colleagues examine why criminal profiling is so seductive, when much of what passes for profiling is simply - according to the authors - “smoke and mirrors”. They conclude:

There is a growing belief that profilers can accurately and consistently predict a criminal’s characteristics based on crime scene evidence… We contend that this belief is illusory because a critical analysis of research on CP [criminal profiling] showed that the field lacks theoretical grounding and empirical support.

And there’s an extraordinary and provocative critique of the FBI’s programme to introduce Critical Incident Stress Debriefing for its agents, co-authored by a former agent who was involved in the programme. The authors bemoan the fact that although the business of “law enforcement is inextricably tied to facts, objectivity, organization, and high standards of proof” (p.1342), the FBI did not (according to the authors) apply the same standards when evaluating a stress debriefing programme for its agents. The evidence for the effectiveness of CISD is scant, argue the authors (and there is some evidence that CISD may even be harmful to people exposed to severe trauma). So, the authors explain: “We are thus compelled to consider how an idea so poorly grounded and so seriously discredited came to hold so tenacious a footing in the employee assistance practices of what is arguably the world’s most sophisticated law enforcement agency” (p.1342). Newbold, Lohr and Gist’s concluding comments could serve as an epitaph for the entire issue:

Pseudoscience finds its foothold where the blurring of boundaries allows the imperatives of evidentiary warrant shared by both domains to become compromised. It takes many years of training and experience to become competent as either a law enforcement agent or a psychologist, and either role requires strong focus and strict boundaries to be executed effectively. Police officers who want to play shrink and psychologists who want to play cop run a serious risk of blurring those boundaries.

Here are the contents in full:

• Brent Snook - Introduction to the Special Issue: Pseudoscientific Policing Practices and Beliefs
• Scott O. Lilienfeld and Kristin Landfield - Science and Pseudoscience in Law Enforcement: A User-Friendly Primer
• Michael G. Aamodt - Reducing Misconceptions and False Beliefs in Police and Criminal Psychology
• John Turtle and Stephen C. Want - Logic and Research Versus Intuition and Past Practice as Guides to Gathering and Evaluating Eyewitness Evidence
• Brent Snook, Richard M. Cullen, Craig Bennell, Paul J. Taylor, and Paul Gendreau - The Criminal Profiling Illusion: What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors?
• Graham F. Wagstaff - Hypnosis and the Law: Examining the Stereotypes
• William G. Iacono - Effective Policing: Understanding How Polygraph Tests Work and Are Used
• Saul M. Kassin - Confession Evidence: Commonsense Myths and Misconceptions
• Aldert Vrij - Nonverbal Dominance Versus Verbal Accuracy in Lie Detection: A Plea to Change Police Practice
• Katherine M. Newbold, Jeffrey M. Lohr, and Richard Gist - Apprehended Without Warrant: Issues of Evidentiary Warrant for Critical Incident Services and Related Trauma Interventions in a Federal Law Enforcement Agency
• David C. Flagel and Paul Gendreau - Commentary: Sense, Common Sense, and Nonsense

The ambiguity of the concept of crime is evident in the two strands of anthropological research covered in this review. One strand, the anthropology of criminalization, explores how state authorities, media, and citizen discourse define particular groups and practices as criminal, with prejudicial consequences. Examples are drawn from research on peasant rebellion, colonialism, youth, and racially or ethnically marked urban poor. The other strand traces ethnographic work on more or less organized illegal and predatory activity: banditry, rustling, trafficking, street gangs, and mafias. Although a criminalizing perspective tends to conflate these diverse forms of “organized” crime, in particular erasing the boundary between street gangs and drug trafficking, the forms have discrete histories and motivations. Their particularities, as well as their historical interactions, illuminate everyday responses to crime and suggest ways to put in perspective the “crime talk” of today, which borders on apocalyptic.

Reference

• Jane Schneider & ­Peter Schneider (2008). The Anthropology of Crime and Criminalization. Annual Review of Anthropology Vol. 37: 351-373

…debates [that] are ongoing about what roles profilers should play in criminal investigations, how profiles should be constructed, delivered, and evaluated, whether the contributions made by profilers are valid and, if so, how, and whether there are new, potentially more productive approaches to profiling that could improve upon or even replace the methods that are currently being used.

Though he rightly notes that it’s impossible to do the topic justice in one issue Bennell argues that he has pulled together some examples of research that “will help in some small way to move the profiling field forward”. One problem with this issue, however, is that it only shines a spotlight on research being conducted by members of Bennell’s research lab at Carlton University and Bennell’s current or former associates. As such, it offers a somewhat partial view of the range of research that is and could be done in this area. So I can’t help but agree that this issue represents only a small step forward, but science is generally built on small steps rather than great leaps.

What Bennell has done here is offer a taster of the kind of research that could and should be done to advance this field, including papers on the reliabilility of data that profiles are based on, the theoretical assumptions underlying some forms of profiling, the ways in which readers might interpret profiles and new, potentially fruitful approaches to profiling. There is plenty here that will be of interest to a range of readers including students, more established researchers and practitioners. Contents and further comments after the break.

The contents include:

• Investigating the Reliability of the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS) Crime Report - Melissa M. Martineau, Shevaun Corey
• A Failure to Find Empirical Support for the Homology Assumption in Criminal Profiling - Brandy Doan, Brent Snook
• The False Recognition Effect in Criminal Profiling - Craig Bennell, Rebecca Mugford, Alyssa Taylor, Sarah Bloomfield, Catherine M. Wilson
• Body Disposal Patterns of Sexual Murderers: Implications for Offender Profiling - Eric Beauregard, Jessica Field
• Taming the Beast: The UK Approach to the Management of Behavioral Investigative Advice - Lee Rainbow

I’ve only had time to skim some of the articles in this issue, but I was particularly taken with experienced Behavioural Investigative Advisor Lee Rainbow’s ‘future challenges’ section in his article on the provision of behavioural investigative advice in the UK. Rainbow explains in detail how behavioural advice is used in police investigations in the UK and summarises the various steps taken in the last decade to put such advice on a scientific and professional footing, including strict accreditation standards for individuals offering behavioural investigative advice and systematic evaluation of their reports. But Rainbow argues that the first challenge for the future is addressing a growing misconception that ‘profiling’ skills are widespread and easy to obtain, a misconception that has been created by “the expansion and availability of post-graduate forensic psychology courses, and courses more specifically focussing on some form of ‘profiling’ ”. Rainbow goes on to suggest that this

has created a situation where individuals within the police service itself are exploiting the opportunity to apply the principles of behavioral science to the investigative process, but for which the appropriate quality assurance mechanisms could be lacking. Such ambiguous provision of support must be addressed to arrest the potential dilution and undermining of the current high standards of the service.

A second, and Rainbow suggests, more significant challenge

results from the intense media interest in such activity. Media coverage of any major crime story in the UK is almost exclusively accompanied by a psychologist or “profiler” waxing lyrically about the offender’s likely characteristics, personality, psychopathology and the resulting recommended investigative actions. Whilst such observations are a somewhat inevitable product of both the popular fascination of “getting inside the mind of the killer” and 24 hour news scheduling, the apparent readiness with which some individuals feel compelled to feed such appetites may be viewed as contrary to expected levels of professionalism.

As longtime readers will know, psychologists and psychiatrists offering speculative comments on high-profile cases is something I (and many others) have criticised before. As Rainbow points out:

These individuals should be acutely aware from experience that the information available within the public domain during investigations is a deliberately restricted subset of the known facts in the case. To base speculation on such limited information demonstrates a disregard for expected standards of scientific integrity.

The latest issue of Applied Cognitive Psychology (Volume 22 Issue 6, September 2008) is a special devoted to Basic and Applied Issues in Eyewitness Research, edited by Brian H. Bornstein, Christian A. Meissner. Published to mark the centenary of the publication of “On the Witness Stand” by Hugo Munsterburg, one of forensic psychology’s founding fathers, this issue contains a feast of articles by some of the top names in the field, and will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in eyewitness psychology.

The editors explain why the publication of Munsterberg’s text is worth marking:

Hugo Munsterberg, who was one of the earliest researchers on eyewitness memory, is probably the first figure to advocate strongly for a wider reliance by the courts on psychological research… [His] efforts were largely rebuffed … and since that time, there have been repeated calls for the courts to take eyewitness research (indeed, all social science research) more seriously, accompanied by a range of judicial responses ranging from ready acceptance to outright rejection (Monahan & Walker, 2005). Nor are all psychologists of one mind on this issue. Indeed, even Munsterberg himself, who is widely regarded as one of the founders of applied psychology, at times urged caution in applying psychological research findings to real-world problems…

Bornstein and Meissner go on to highlight two other reasons to revisit the issue of applying psychology in the courtroom: First, despite the increasing acceptance of eyewitness research in the courtroom (they say the “American courtroom” but of course other countries’ judicial systems have also taken note) there remain disagreements about the quality and ecological validity of such research. And second, the editors suggest that the “trend for greater acceptance of research findings by the legal system has, in the opinions of some observers, created a situation in which there is an overemphasis on practical questions, accompanied by a lack of theoretical relevance”. In other words, applied researchers need to pay equal attention to theoretical and practical implications of their research.

The articles in this issue set eyewitness research in a historical context and address the specific issues associated with such research and its applications. Highly recommended.

Contents include:

• Basic and applied issues in eyewitness research: A Münsterberg centennial retrospective - Brian H. Bornstein, Christian A. Meissner
• Lessons from the origins of eyewitness testimony research in Europe - Siegfried Ludwig Sporer
• Hugo who? G. F. Arnold’s alternative early approach to psychology and law - Brian H. Bornstein, Steven D. Penrod
• Toward a more informative psychological science of eyewitness evidence - John Turtle, J. Don Read, D. Stephen Lindsay, C. A. Elizabeth Brimacombe
• A “middle road” approach to bridging the basic-applied divide in eyewitness identification research - Sean M. Lane, Christian A. Meissner
• Study space analysis for policy development - Roy S. Malpass, Colin G. Tredoux, Nadja Schreiber Compo, Dawn McQuiston-Surrett, Otto H. MacLin, Laura A. Zimmerman, Lisa D. Topp
• The importance (necessity) of computational modelling for eyewitness identification research - Steven E. Clark
• Estimating the impact of estimator variables on eyewitness identification: A fruitful marriage of practical problem solving and psychological theorizing - Kenneth A. Deffenbacher
• Eyewitness confidence and latency: Indices of memory processes not just markers of accuracy - Neil Brewer, Nathan Weber
• Münsterberg’s legacy: What does eyewitness research tell us about the reliability of eyewitness testimony? - Amina Memon, Serena Mastroberardino, Joanne Fraser
• Theory, logic and data: Paths to a more coherent eyewitness science - Gary L. Wells

See also:

• British Psychological Society guidelines on memory
• On the Witness Stand: Essays on Psychology and Crime by Hugo Munsterberg

This is the last time the recently advertised jobs round-up will be published on Psychology and Crime News. Job-seekers can register directly with Jobs.ac.uk to get updates on job opportunities in criminology and forensic psychology direct to their inbox. Other job hunting resources can be found here.

Recently advertised jobs from the last 10 days:

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Criminal Justice, School of Law, Kingston University (UK): Applications are invited for PhD research projects in Criminal Justice. Closing date: 4th September 2008

Research Assistant / Research Associate, UCL Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, University College London: The successful applicant will be employed on a project with Merseyside Police on the application of data mining and other computational approaches in the analysis of crime (and other) data. Closing date: 22nd September 2008

Photo credit: Khalilshah, Creative Commons License

The SIPR [Scottish Institute for Policing Research] Evidence & Investigation Network and Grampian Police have organised a seminar exploring child witnesses and witnesses with learning disabilities. The audience will consist of academics, representatives from the police and the criminal justice system and members of the Scottish Executive.

The free seminar will be held on 15 October in Aberdeen. Speakers include Dr Derek Carson (University of Abertay), Professor Amina Memon (University of Aberdeen) and Dr Penny Woolnough (Grampian Police).

Register using the form here (pdf).

… we use data from the English Peterborough Youth Study and the Swedish Eskilstuna Youth Study. The findings show that in both cities (1) young people’s self-reported violent behaviour is predicted by crime propensity and lifestyle, and their interaction, and (2) a substantial proportion (40 percent) of the difference in the level of violence vanishes when taking into account national differences in young people’s crime propensity and lifestyles. We conclude that the findings support the notion that one major cause of the difference in the level of violence among young people in England and Sweden is that more young people in England have a higher crime propensity and are living criminogenic lifestyles than in Sweden [from the abstract].

In other words, it looks as if they’re arguing that youths in England are criminals because they live a criminal lifestyle (a bit like this study reported in Improbable Research). In fact, it’s rather more interesting than that.

Here’s the theoretical framework Wikstrom and Svensson use to explore the data:

Two central ideas in criminology are that crime involvement is a consequence of (1) individual crime propensity and (2) criminogenic features of the environments to which an individual is exposed… One recent theory that takes into account the role of the individual–environment interaction in the explanation of crime is the situational action theory of crime causation … The cornerstone of the situational action theory is the assertion that human actions (including acts of crime and violence) are an outcome of how individuals perceive their ‘action alternatives’ and make their choices as a result of the interaction between their individual characteristics and experiences (propensities) and the features of the behaviour setting in which they take part (environmental inducements) [p.311].

Wikstrom and Svensson’s analysis indicates that not only are there more youths with higher levels of crime propensity in Peterborough compared to Eskilstuna but they also have lifestyles that are more ‘criminogenic’, i.e., they do things that put them into risky settings, which are more likely to prompt or facilitate criminal behaviour. Interesting stuff.

Reference:

• Per-Olof H. Wikström & Robert Svensson (2008). Why are English Youths More Violent Than Swedish Youths? A Comparative Study of the Role of Crime Propensity, Lifestyles and Their Interactions in Two Cities. European Journal of Criminology 5(3):309-330

Other articles in this issue include:

• The Greek Connection(s): The Social Organization of the Cigarette-Smuggling Business in Greece - Georgios A. Antonopoulos
• How Serious Is the Problem of Item Nonresponse in Delinquency Scales and Aetiological Variables?: A Cross-National Inquiry into Two Classroom PAPI
• Self-Report Studies in Antwerp and Halmstad - Lieven Pauwels and Robert Svensson
• Self-Control in Global Perspective: An Empirical Assessment of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory Within and Across 32 National Settings - Cesar J. Rebellon, Murray A. Straus, and Rose Medeiros
• Reassessing the Fear of Crime - Emily Gray, Jonathan Jackson, and Stephen Farrall

Photo credit: Marxchivist, Creative Commons License

The latest issue of Psychology, Crime & Law (Volume 14 Issue 3) is one of those issues where almost all the articles look tempting. Given my particular interest in deception I’ll be starting with Granhag and Hartwig’s intriguing offering on mind-reading and deception detection, but the articles on how TV affects legal decision making and linking crimes in serial homicide will be next on the list.

Here’s the line-up:

• What judges know about eyewitness testimony: A comparison of Norwegian and US judges (Svein Magnussen; Richard A. Wise; Abid Q. Raja; Martin A. Safer; Nell Pawlenko; Ulf Stridbeck)
• A new theoretical perspective on deception detection: On the psychology of instrumental mind-reading (Pär Anders Granhag; Maria Hartwig)
• Perceptions of children during a police interrogation: Guilt, confessions, and interview fairness (Allison D. Redlich; Jodi A. Quas; Simona Ghetti)
• ‘Objection, Your Honor! Television is not the relevant authority.’ Crime drama portrayals of eyewitness issues (Sarah L. Desmarais; Heather L. Price; J. Don Read)
• Behavioural crime linking in serial homicide (Pekka Santtila; Tom Pakkanen; Angelo Zappalà; Dario Bosco; Maria Valkama; Andreas Mokros)
• What do prisoners want? Current concerns of adult male prisoners (Mary McMurran; Eleni Theodosi; Anna Sweeney; Joselyn Sellen)

The cross-Council programme focuses on the nature and interactions of five global issues: conflict, crime, environmental degradation, poverty and terrorism, and their implications for various concepts and contexts of security and insecurity. Within this framework, this fellowship call focuses specifically on how ideas and beliefs of individuals, communities and nation states relate to these five global phenomena.

Fellowship applications under this call must address one or more of the following key research areas:

1. How do individuals and communities develop their ideas and beliefs about security and insecurity?
2. Why do some ideas and beliefs lead to conflict, violence or criminal activity? What lessons can we learn… that provide the basis for countering those ideas and beliefs that reinforce conflict, violence and crime?
3. How do issues around the cycle of knowledge production and use interact with the creation, management and resolution of insecurities?
4. How are risks and threats communicated, constructed, represented and received by key actors and communities, using different media and cultural forms for different audiences, including the use of language, images and symbolism?
5. Is there an acceptable balance between national security needs and the protection of civil liberties and human rights? If so, can one be secured? And how do we balance local needs against global responsibilities within a security context?
6. How should institutions with responsibility for different aspects of a broad security agenda, including security forces themselves, evolve to meet new risks and threats?

It’s an exciting opportunity for researchers based in the UK, and the funding is also available to non-UK researchers looking for a chance to work at a UK institution:

Applications are open to both senior/professorial level researchers and to researchers at an earlier stage in their research career looking to achieve an international research leadership role during the period of the fellowship (minimum 3 years post-doctoral, or equivalent, research experience). Applications from leading overseas researchers seeking to conduct research on a relevant topic at an eligible UK research institution will also be welcomed. Applications from researchers who have not previously worked on security issues but wish to apply their expertise to research in this more broadly construed security agenda are encouraged.

The deadline for applications is 25th September 2008. Many more details, including FAQs [pdf] and a programme overview [pdf] via the ESRC website.

More details and registration instructions here.

• Assistant/Associate Professor, Criminal Justice Department, Seattle University (Washington, USA) - closing date 1 October 2008
• Department Faculty - MA Forensic Psychology - Research Methods, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (Illinois, USA) - posted 11 July 2008, closing date not given.
• Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of the West of Scotland, UK - Closing date: 22 August 2008
• Research Associate, Predict and Understand the Reasons behind Dangerous and Criminal Behaviour in Mentally Disordered Offenders, Cardiff University, UK - Closing date: 11 August 2008
• Principal Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, London Metropolitan University, UK - Closing date for applications: 13 August 2008
• Lecturer in Forensic and Investigative Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK - Closing Date: 22 August 2008

Photo credit: Khalilshah, Creative Commons License

As the principal authors Martin A. Conway and Emily A. Holmes explain in the introduction to the report:

The guidelines and key points should then be taken as they are intended – as guidelines and not absolute statements. Because they are based on widely agreed and acknowledged scientific findings they provide a far more rigorously informed understanding of human memory than that available from commonly held beliefs. In this respect they give courts a much firmer basis for accurate decision-making.

According to the press release (11 July):

The report has some sobering key points on the reliability of people’s memories in court cases. Key points of ‘Memory and Law’ include:

• The content of memories arises from an individual’s comprehension of an experience, both conscious and non-conscious. This content can be further modified and changed by subsequent recall
• Any account of a memory will feature forgotten details and gaps
• People can remember events that they have not in reality experienced

You can find out more about the research and download the full report via the BPS website here.

Photo credit: Martin Deutsch, Creative Commons License

Here’s some more from the report:

Just as bees forage some distance away from their hives, so murderers avoid killing near their homes, says the University of London team. This “geographic profiling” works so well in bees, the scientists say future experiments on the animals could now be fed back to improve crime-solving. The team’s work is reported in the Royal Society journal Interface.

“We’re really hopeful that we can improve the model for criminology,” Dr Nigel Raine, from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), told BBC News.

Later the report reveals that the research team includes Kim Rossmo, detective-turned-geo-profiler.

Instead of using information about the distribution of flowers visited by bees to explain the insects’ behaviour, criminologists’ models will use details about crime scenes, robbery locations, abandoned cars, even dead bodies, to hone the search for a suspect.

“Bees have much simpler brains and so understanding how bees are recruited to flowers is much easier than understanding the complex thoughts of a serial murderer,” Dr Raine said.

Well the cynics would say that’s one reason why a bee-model might have some limitations when it comes to hunting serial killers.

Here’s the reference:

• Raine NE, DK Rossmo & SC Le Comber. Geographic profiling applied to testing models of bumblebee foraging. Journal of the Royal Society Interface

*In the entertaining headline contest, the BBC lags far behind the Royal Society with “Bees can help detectives to ’sting’ criminals” and the Welcome Trust with “Criminal Bee-haviour“. Is no one going to use “scientists set a honey-trap for murderers”? (I’ll get my coat.)

UPDATE: Thank you to Aaron Jacklin for a link to the pre-publication paper [pdf] on Nigel Raine’s QMUL web pages.

Photo credit: Automania, Creative Commons Licence

Communities

Crime and Communities Review (UK, published 18 June, Cabinet Office): A major review examining how to better engage communities in the fight against crime and raise public confidence in the Criminal Justice System - link to pdf downloads.

Gangs at the Grassroots: Community solutions to street violence (UK, published 17 July 2008, New Local Government Network) - pdf

Investigations

Witness and victim experience survey: early findings (UK, published 3 July 200, Ministry of Justice) - pdf

Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims: A 21st Century Strategy (US, International Association of Chiefs of Police) - pdf (Hat tip Docuticker)

First Response to Victims of Crime (US, published April 2008, National Sheriffs Association) - pdf (Hat tip Docuticker)

Police Enforcement Strategies to Prevent Crime in Hot Spot Areas (US, Department of Justice) - pdf (Hat tip Docuticker)

Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators (US, FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit) - pdf (Hat tip Docuticker)

Prisons

International profile of women’s prisons (UK, published April 2008, Kings College London for HM Prison Service) - pdf (Hat tip Intute)

Prosecuting Sexual Violence in Correctional Settings: Examining Prosecutors’ Perceptions (US, published May 2008, American University, WCL Research Paper, via SSRN)

Juveniles

Violence by Teenage Girls: Trends and Context (US, published May 2008, US Department of Justice) - pdf (Hat tip Docuticker)

Differential Response to Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect (US, published February 2008, Child Welfare Information Gateway) - pdf (Hat tip Docuticker)

Photo credit: ex_libris_gul, Creative Commons License

Does Islamic appearance increase aggressive tendencies, and what role does affect play in such responses? In a computer game, participants made rapid decisions to shoot at armed people, some of whom wore Islamic head dress. We predicted and found a significant bias for participants to shoot more at Muslim targets. We also predicted and found that positive mood selectively increased aggressive tendencies towards Muslims, consistent with affect-cognition theories that predict a more top-down, stereotypical processing style in positive mood. In contrast, induced anger increased the propensity to shoot at all targets. The relevance of these results for our understanding of real-life negative reactions towards Muslims is discussed, and the influence of affective states on rapid aggressive responses is considered.

Reference:

• Christian Unkelbach, Joseph P. Forgas and Thomas F. Denson (in press). The turban effect: The influence of Muslim headgear and induced affect on aggressive responses in the shooter bias paradigm. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Photo credit: “Muslim Crop” by Olly Farrell, Creative Commons License

• Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer, Community and Criminal Justice, De Montfort University. Closing date: 22 July
• Lecturer in Alcohol and Drug Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland. Closing date: 24 July
• Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of the West of England, Bristol. Closing date: 25 July 2008.
• Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Anglia Ruskin University. Closing date: 13 August

Photo credit: Khalilshah, Creative Commons License

The latest issue of Policing (vol 2 no 2) is a special edition on Crime Science featuring in particular the work of the Jill Dando Institute at University College London .

Contents include Ken Pease wondering How to Behave Like a Scientist? and articles on Mathematics, Physics, and Crime, Evolutionary Psychology and Fear of Crime, Crime Prevention Strategies, Forensic Geoscience, Vulnerable Localities, Mobile Phone Crime, Evaluating Crime Prevention and Technology and Policing.

Two articles not part of the special edition on whether Northern Ireland is a model for Post-conflict Police Reform and on the Policing of Fraud.

Abstracts and access to full text articles (subscription required) here.

Here’s one that will be of particlar interest to those interested in psychological profiling of offenders - the theory that particular types of offending behaviour may be associated with particular personality traits. In discussing a Differentiated Model of Offender Personality, Angela Pardue and Bruce A. Arrigo wisely steer clear of the tricky issue of whether the personality characteristics of unknown offenders can be inferred from behavioural and crime scene data (see Alison et al., 2002) but instead explore the relevance of classifying rapists to “effective diagnosis, treatment, and prevention” (p.385). They explain that although several ‘rapist typologies’ exist, such typologies simply describe the type of offending behaviour and

“missing from the literature on rape offenders is any coherent classification schema that describes the personality structure and operation (i.e., profile) of these different, although related, forms of sexual offending (Douglas et al., 2006). Thus, although researchers agree that the tactics and behaviors of rapist types differ, no single taxonomy has been developed that adequately accounts for personality properties” (p.384).

They use a case study method to demonstrated how such a taxonomy might be developed, through a detailed analysis of the offending behaviours and personality characteristics of three well-known offenders: Gilbert Escobedo, Paul Bernardo and Jeffrey Dahmer. They conclude:

Admittedly, the [three case study] analysis is limited in scope and is not generalizable to a larger sample of rapists… [But] the findings from this heuristically oriented case study inquiry suggest that rapists are a heterogeneous group who must be studied as such. Consequently, additional investigations on rapist types and personality composition should be undertaken. This includes the construction of theoretical frameworks and the development of classification taxonomies that lead to empirical analyses (p.397).

References:

• Angela Pardue and Bruce A. Arrigo (2008). Power, Anger, and Sadistic Rapists: Toward a Differentiated Model of Offender Personality. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 52(4):378-400
• Laurence Alison, Craig Bennell, Andreas Mokros and David Ormerod (2002). The Personality Paradox in Offender Profiling: A Theoretical Review of the Processes Involved in Deriving Background Characteristics From Crime Scene Actions [PDF]. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law 8(1):115–135

Also in this issue of International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology:

• Ron Langevin and Suzanne Curnoe - Are the Mentally Retarded and Learning Disordered Overrepresented Among Sex Offenders and Paraphilics?
• Tomer Einat and Amela Einat - Learning Disabilities and Delinquency: A Study of Israeli Prison Inmates
• Eric L. Sevigny and Phyllis D. Coontz - Patterns of Substance Involvement and Criminal Behavior: A Gender-Based Cluster Analysis of Pennsylvania Arrestees
• Mally Shechory and Avital Laufer - Social Control Theory and the Connection With Ideological Offenders Among Israeli Youth During the Gaza Disengagement Period
• Connie Ireland and Bruce Berg - Women in Parole: Respect and Rapport

Photo credit: “Medo / Fear” by xaimex, Creative Commons License

• Lineup composition, suspect position, and the sequential lineup advantage by Curt A. Carlson, Scott D. Gronlund and Steven E. Clark
• Forgetting the once-seen face: Estimating the strength of an eyewitness’s memory representation by Kenneth A. Deffenbacher, Brian H. Bornstein, E. Kiernan McGorty, and Steven D. Penrod
• Camera perspective bias in videotaped confessions: Evidence that visual attention is a mediator by Lezlee J. Ware, G. Daniel Lassiter, Stephen M. Patterson and Michael R. Ransom

Lecturer in Criminology, University of Brighton: In this exciting new role you will contribute to teaching on a range of modules as well as bring a specialism to complement or develop the existing portfolio of options at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level. A commitment to developing a research profile is also strongly encouraged. Closing date: 8 July 2008

Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice Studies, University of Bradford: Criminal Justice Studies has been targeted as an area of growth within the University and we are seeking as applicant to play a key role in the expansion of teaching and research in this area. It is anticipated that you will have a background of research and refereed publications as well as experience of teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Experience of employment within the criminal justice system is advantageous. Closing Date: 11 July 2008

SIPR Studentship, Scottish Based Anti-Money Laundering Operations: Police Inter-Agency Co-operation across Jurisdictions, University of Abertay, Dundee: A graduate student with an upper second or first class degree in either law or criminology/sociology, or equivalent, with a familiarity with the second discipline area, is sought for this Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) - funded studentship. … Work will require collaboration with academic staff and serving police officers specialising in anti-money laundering investigations at both the Scottish and UK level. Closing date: 11 July 2008

Senior Lecturer in Police Studies, Buckinghamshire New University: Police Studies is a thriving area that has expanded considerably over the last 18 months. You will be required to provide tuition and support primarily to students studying Police Studies and combined programmes; whilst continuing to develop the working relationship with Thames Valley Police and other areas of criminal justice. Closing date: 18 July 2008

Research Associate, Bystander Behaviour in Violent Emergencies, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University: Applications are invited for the post of Research Associate in the Psychology Department at Lancaster University. The project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and is carried out in conjunction with University College London (UCL) and Bournemouth University. The aim of the project is to bring together social psychological research on bystander behaviour in violent emergencies with cutting edge work on Immersive Social Environments (IVE’s). The project will develop and then use IVE’s (‘virtual reality’) to carry out social psychology experiments. These experiments will explore, in ‘real time’, the behaviour of bystanders to violent events. Closing Date: 6 August 2008

And two in the US:

Online Graduate Forensic Psychology Instructors, Argosy University Online Programs (Pennsylvania): Argosy University is seeking qualified faculty members to teach an online graduate classes in Forensic Psychology at the Masters level. Applicants must hold a PhD or EdD in Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology Counseling Psychology or closely related field. Candidates must have at experience providing psychiatric diagnoses in a clinical, counseling and forensic setting as well as experience conducting forensic evaluations…. Successful candidates must reside in the United States. Posted 17 June 2008; review of applicants will begin immediately.

Program Chair, MA Forensic Psychology program, Education Management Corporation (D.C.): The Program Chair of the Forensic Psychology program at Argosy University, Washington D.C. is the academic and administrative leader and is responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the program… Qualified candidates will hold a doctoral degree in psychology or other related field and ability to hold the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor. Must have a commitment to the field of forensic psychology as evidenced by education, experience and professional affiliation. Posted 27 June 2008, no closing date specified.

Photo credit: Khalilshah, Creative Commons License

The June/July issue of the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (Volume 31, Issue 3) is a special issue on psychopathic traits and risk assessment in children and adolescents, edited by Theo Doreleijers and Robert Vermeiren. A range of articles deals with identifying psychopathic traits, prediction of violence and risk assessment.

Although there has been intense interest in the application of the construct of psychopathy among juveniles, few studies have investigated psychopathic traits among adolescent females. To redress this, this study examines psychopathic features and tests their utility in predicting violent behavior, theft, and drug abuse in a statewide survey of 94 female juvenile offenders. Results indicate that interpersonal and affective facets of psychopathy, specifically narcissism and carefree nonplanfulness were significantly associated with violence and theft. Psychopathy features were not significantly associated with drug abuse. Study limitations and implications for future research are delineated.

I do like the term “carefree nonplanfulness”. It’s part of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, which “is one of several self-report psychopathy measures available for research purposes” (Long & Titone, 2007, p.124). Carefree nonplanfulness “measures the tendency to live in the moment and ignore the future”. But I do wonder what “careful nonplanfulness” might measure. Or “carefree planfulness”.

You can access the article on psychopathy among female juveniles via this link (subscription required for full text). Other articles in the same issue cover predictors of police contact among Midwestern homeless and runaway youth; implementing effective community-based prevention programs; classification of offenders; and the impact of reentry services on juvenile offenders’ recidivism .

Reference:

• L. Stephen Long and Debra A. Titone (2007). Psychopathy and verbal emotion processing in non-incarcerated males [PDF]. Cognition and Emotion 21(1):119-145
• Michael G. Vaughn, Christina E. Newhill, Matt DeLisi, Kevin M. Beaver and Matthew O. Howard (2008). An Investigation of Psychopathic Features Among Delinquent Girls:Violence, Theft, and Drug Abuse. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 6(3): 240-255

• Lecturer in Criminology, University of Leicester. Closing date: 24 June
• Senior Lecturer in Criminal Psychology, Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth. Closing date: 27 June
• Senior Lecturer, Penology and Prisons, Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth. Closing date: 27 June
• Research Associate, Child Protection, Department of Educational Studies, University of Edinburgh. Closing date: 27 June
• Research Officer, Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, School of Law, University of Leeds. Closing date: 30 June
• Senior Lecturer/Lecturer In Criminology, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, University of the West Indies. Closing date: 15 July
• Lecturer / Senior Lecturer, Criminology, Middlesex University. Closing date: 1 July
• Senior Lecturer Criminology, Coventry University. Closing date: 1st July
• Lecturer/Preparatory Lecturer in Criminology (Violence), University of Salford. Closing date: 4 July

Photo credit: Khalilshah, Creative Commons License

Objective: Studies indicate there is a substantial biological substrate for psychopathic behavior. Neuroimaging techniques have afforded biomedical sciences a means to investigate further how aberrant brain activity or structure may be correlated with psychopathy and violence. This paper will provide an overview of the literature, and then will explore the role of structural and functional MRI brain imaging in the defense of a young adult male charged with kidnapping and rape.

Method: Using Pubmed and the keywords “functional neuroimaging,” “structural neuroimaging,” “psychopathy,” “antisocial personality,” “sociopathy,” “aggression,” “impulsivity,” and “violence,” the authors conduct a review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies involving aggressive, violent, psychopathic or antisocial offenders. We then provide a case report of a defendant, charged with kidnapping and rape, who was found during a forensic evaluation to have abnormal neuroimaging findings.

Results: The defendant’s counsel was able to present in his client’s defense multiple indicators of brain dysfunction and psychiatric illness partially substantiated by brain imaging.

Conclusions: The extent to which neuroimaging findings can be used as exculpatory or mitigating evidence remains the subject of much debate. Neuroimaging is just one piece of evidence the forensic expert relies on in determining the extent of neuropathology and mental illness. As illustrated in the case report, imaging studies most often will serve a mitigating role, affording the courts an opportunity to tailor punishment, provide court-ordered treatment, and potentially decrease recidivism.

Reference

• David S. Husted, Wade C. Myers and Yuijin Lui (2008). The limited role of neuroimaging in determining criminal liability: An overview and case report. Forensic Science International 179(1): e9-e15

• Empirical evidence on the use and effectiveness of telepsychiatry via videoconferencing: Implications for forensic and correctional psychiatry - Diana J. Antonacci, Richard M. Bloch, Sy Atezaz Saeed, Yilmaz Yildirim, Jessica Talley
• VA telemental health: Suicide assessment - Linda Godleski, J. Edwin Nieves, Adam Darkins, Laurent Lehmann
• Telepsychiatry with rural American Indians: issues in civil commitments - Jay H. Shore, Joseph D. Bloom, Spero M. Manson, Ron J. Whitener
• Teleconferencing model for forensic consultation, court testimony, and continuing education - Thomas W. Miller, James Clark, Lane J. Veltkamp, Deborah C. Burton, Marian Swope
• Telepsychiatry in Chennai, India: The SCARF experience - Rangaswamy Thara, Sujit John, Kotteswara Rao
• Videoconferencing and forensic mental health in Australia - Danny H. Sullivan, Murray Chapman, Paul E. Mullen
• Forensic telepsychiatry in the United Kingdom - Younus Saleem, Mark H. Taylor, Najat Khalifa

The Centre for Forensic Linguistics is a new initiative combining:

• Consultancy services
• PhD research opportunities
• MSc Forensic Linguistics by distance learning and so available to study worldwide
• Professional courses for police, legal professionals and others.

For anyone unfamiliar with the field, Tim, Professor Malcolm Coulthard (director of the Centre) and their colleague Dr Krzysztof Kredens all have excellent reputations in forensic linguistics and as well as producing good quality research, have also worked with law enforcement agencies on some important and high profile cases. There’s a heap of information on the Centre website so why not swing by and take a look?

See also:

• The Text Trap - article on expert evidence provided by Malcolm Coulthard in a recent murder trial - from the Northern Echo (February 2008)
• Forensic linguists make a science of syntax - from Lawyers USA (April 2008)
• Previous CrimePsychBlog posts on Forensic Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics listserv (pretty busy, almost always interesting!)
• International Association of Forensic Linguists
• Sue Blackwell’s FL pages
• Peter Tiersma’s Language and Law site
• John Olsson’s Forensic Linguistics Institute