The use of crime linkage in sexual offense cases
Authors: Woodhams, J. and Davies, K.
Pages: 49-63
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-79968-7_5
Abstract:Crime linkage can be a useful tool in the investigation of sexual offenses when other, physical evidence is unavailable or too costly to process. It involves identifying behavior that is both consistent and distinctive, and thus forms an identifiable pattern through which a series of offenses committed by the same offender can be distinguished. While there is a substantial body of research to support the principles of crime linkage, samples often contain only one type of sexual offense, and further research is needed into offenses such as voyeurism and exhibitionism. In practice, there are a number of ways in which crime linkage can be conducted, and a variety of terms are used to describe these different processes. While writings from practitioners provide insight into how crime linkage is conducted, research now needs to focus more on systematically mapping its practice and documenting procedural differences. There are also a number of additional considerations that require further research attention where the practice of crime linkage is concerned, such as the utility of computerised databases designed to assist with the process, the human decision-making element of linking and how bias can affect this, and the effects of expertise and training on linkage efficacy.
Source: Scopus