Cleaning up your act: Forensic awareness as a detection avoidance strategy

Although rational choice researchers has investigated how offenders successfully commit certain crimes, there is a lack of research looking at the factors explaining the use – or not - of certain detection avoidance strategies. This study introduces the concept of “forensic awareness” as a detection...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of criminal justice 2010-11, Vol.38 (6), p.1160-1166
Main Authors: Beauregard, Eric, Bouchard, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Avoidance
Canada
Consciousness
Crime
Criminal justice
Evidence
Forensic sciences
Genetic testing
Knowledge
Law Enforcement
Offenders
Prisoners
Rape
Rational Choice
Regression analysis
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Summary:Although rational choice researchers has investigated how offenders successfully commit certain crimes, there is a lack of research looking at the factors explaining the use – or not - of certain detection avoidance strategies. This study introduces the concept of “forensic awareness” as a detection avoidance strategy, and proposes to examine the effect of disinhibitors, target selection behaviors, and acts that may potentially leave evidence at the crime scene on its use. Factors influencing forensic awareness are tested using logistic regression models on a sample of 222 rape events collected from offenders incarcerated in Canada. Offenders exhibit less forensic awareness when under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. However, offenders who show some form of target selection are more likely to take forensic precautions. Finally, offenders who break and enter in the victim's residence, and undertake specific sexual acts during the crime are also more likely to exhibit forensic awareness. Despite the increasing use and knowledge of forensic evidence by law enforcement, offenders are inconsistent in their forensic awareness and they direct most of their efforts toward protecting their identity, neglecting to either destroy or clean up DNA that could be recovered at the crime scene. ► The study introduces the concept of forensic awareness as a detection avoidance strategy; ► Offenders are inconsistent in their forensic awareness; ► Forensically aware offenders are more preoccupied with protecting their identity than destroying or cleaning up DNA left at the crime scene;
ISSN:0047-2352
1873-6203
DOI:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.09.004