Date of Award
Spring 5-2021
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Elizabeth Jeglic
Abstract
Offender profiling has become an increasingly important tool in criminal investigations. The current research took an expansive, multifaceted empirical approach to the profiling of child molesters through investigative psychological methodologies with additional perspectives investigating concomitant clinical implications. In doing this, offenders were thematically differentiated based on their behaviors at the offense. The quality of the differentiation was tested, and the distribution of offenders across the derived themes was developed. Associations between the Massachusetts Treatment Center Child Molester Three, Axis One (MTC:CM3 A1) were assessed. This process was repeated for offender characteristic variables which were also thematically differentiated. Finally, behavioral themes and characteristic themes were assessed for a potential relationship. The entire analysis was done separately for both single offense offenders and recidivist offenders. Single offense offenders and recidivist offenders are empirically compared at each level of the analysis. The study derived a mechanism of profiling offenders through four themes across two levels. The study associated characteristic themes with decision two, axis one of the MTC:CM3, and revealed that history of offending reflected decision one axis one of the MTC:CM3. The results are discussed in terms of their applicability to criminal investigations and clinical evaluation.
Recommended Citation
Santora, John P., "Profiling Child Molesters: Thematic Differentiation of Crime Scene Indicators and Correlations to Psychopathology" (2021). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/192