This book brings to life the major theories of crime and deviance by presenting detailed profiles that help readers differentiate each theory and its major propositions by better understanding how, when, and by whom the theory was formed. Criminology is based on strong theoretical foundations that attempt to answer the question of why people commit crime. Criminological theory is especially complex in that theorists come from a variety of disciplines including medicine, sociology, psychology, economics, and law. While not an exhaustive list of each theorist’s works, nor an in-depth review of the empirical work that has been done on each theory, this text tracks the intellectual development of a theory by profiling the theorists who are responsible for the major ideas in criminological thought. By viewing the field in the context of the social conditions of the time and the personal histories of the theorists, students can better understand the intellectual history of each theory and the relationship between criminology and other fields, to grasp a better appreciation of how the science of crime and the study of criminals has evolved. All chapters are organized with a brief overview of the theorist and their significant ideas, a biographical profile of the theorist, coverage of the theoretical developments and contributions of the theorist, a list of major works by the theorist, and a summary detailing the overall legacy of the theorist in the field. This book is ideal for courses on criminology, criminological theory, and criminal behavior.

In this book, renowned profiler Dr. Richard Kocsis presents a distinct approach to profiling called Crime Action Profiling or CAP. The volume explains the scope and methodology employed in the studies that the author has undertaken over the past decade and a half. CAP adopts the view that profiling essentially represents a psychological technique that has its foundations in the disciplinary knowledge of forensic psychology.

In this book, renowned profiler Dr. Richard Kocsis presents a distinct approach to profiling called Crime Action Profiling or CAP. The volume explains the scope and methodology employed in the studies that the author has undertaken over the past decade and a half. CAP adopts the view that profiling essentially represents a psychological technique that has its foundations in the disciplinary knowledge of forensic psychology.

"'Criminal & Behavioral Profiling, ' written by well-established authors Curt and Anne Bartol, presents a realistic and empirically based look at the theory, research, and practice of modern criminal profiling, or, as it's more professionally termed, behavioral analysis or behavioral investigative analysis. Designed for use in a variety of criminal justice and psychology courses, the book delves into the process of identifying distinctive behavioral tendencies, geographical locations, demographic, and biographical descriptors of offenders, and personality traits, based on characteristics of the crime. Timely literature and case studies from the rapidly growing international research in criminal profiling help students understand the best practices, major pitfalls, and psychological concepts that are key to this process."--Back cover.

In Criminological Theories, the noted criminologist Ronald Akers provides thorough description, discussion, and appraisal of the leading theories of crime/delinquent behavior and law/criminal justice - the origin and history of each theory and its contemporary developments and adherents. Akers offers a clear explanation of each theory (the central concepts and hypotheses of each theory as well as critical criteria for evaluating each theory in terms of its empirical validity). Researchers and librarians, as well as general readers, will find this book a very useful tool and will applaud its clear and understandable exposition of abstract concepts.

Most incidents of violent crime occur between people who know each other, but in other cases (fortunately much less frequent) there are no obvious ties between the victim and the criminal, and these cases cause a great deal of social fear and uncertainty. They also result in large-scale, costly investigations and, increasingly, police are collaborating with other professionals in a process of offender profiling which might help their investigation. This book is a substantial, unique and critical account of the scope and practice of offender profiling, and its limitations. Professionals worldwide, from psychiatry, psychology, criminology and policing, have contributed accounts of their experience and knowledge across a range of approaches to offender profiling. Some use a clinical approach, based on the application of established theories of personality and psychopathy. Others argue for the effectiveness of the objective analysis of offence records to predict future offending. Some of the police contributions provide a frank description of their methods, others address the difficult issues relating to the use of offender profiling. This is a controversial subject, full of potent myth, and the object of this book is to provide a cool overview of the related scientific knowledge, now spread over many journals and reports, as well as accounts of the process and difficulties of offender profiling. It will be useful and interesting to most scientists and professionals in the field of criminal justice. This book is in the Wiley Series in the Psychology of Crime, Policing and Law.

Serial Crime, Second Edition, examines serial predatory behavior and is divided into two main parts. Part one deals with behavioral profiling, and covers a variety of critical issues from the history of profiling and the theoretical schools of thought to its treatment in the mainstream media. This updated 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, and discussions 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