The Situation: How Does it Define the Commission of a Crime?

• In Event: Sexual Offending, Crime Patterns, Mobility and Opportunity

Abstract

"The situation" has been defined many ways in the literature, and has been suggested to be a defining aspect for both differentiation between crime scenes and behavioral consistency or change. It has also been posited as one of the key elements of a crime and essential to the occurrence of a crime. However, little is known about how the situation exerts its influence on the interaction between the offender and the victim. Do the behaviors of the offender and the victim differ by situation, or is there a different underlying explanation for behavioral change? This issue was examined in the present study using serial sexual assault cases from the U.S.. Using multidimensional scaling, different types of situations were determined. Within those types of situations, differences between offender and victim behaviors were examined. The presentation aims to provide evidence for an interactive approach to understanding and investigating sexual assaults.

Authors

• Kimberley Schanz, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

• C. Gabrielle Salfati, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY