Keywords
How to Cite
Abstract
Aim: The aim of the present paper is to provide specific techniques in the support of the interrogation of sex offenders beyond the basic level applying international and domestic empirical findings.
Methodology: The topic was examined by reviewing the empirical findings of interrogation in general, interrogation of sex offenders in particular, and the international and national literature on sex offenders and their typologies. The literature review concludes with an international understanding of the profiling nexus of the topic.
Findings: The literature review suggests that the interrogation of sex offenders may be influenced by factors related to the victim, the offender and the conduct of the criminal procedure. Recent results suggest that the distinction of research on interrogation by type of offence is necessary. Therefore, the interrogation of sex offenders should be treated as an individual field of forensic science. However, results focusing on interrogation only at the general level are not sufficient for practical application. Each interrogation situation is greatly influenced by the individual and unique circumstances of it and the outcome of them is determined by a number of situational and psychological factors.
Value: That is a widely accepted fact by forensic experts that confession is crucial during the investigative process, its significance therefore is unquestionable also during the criminal proceedings. Criminal profilers and behavioural experts have been developing technique of interrogation counselling for decades – since the very beginning of criminal profiling, although the method of interrogation strategy has only recently been supported by empirical findings. These scientific works primarily focus on aspects of the interrogation such as the dynamics between the participants of the interrogation – including interrogator and the subject, the confession and those factors that may increase the risk of false confessions. The summary and integration of such works may provide practical tools for interrogation strategy.
References
Baldwin, J., & McConville, M. (1980). Confessions in crown court trials (Vol. 5). HM Stationery Office.
Bárány, B. (2015). A büntetőeljárási kihallgatás és meghallgatás összehasonlítása [Comparison of interrogation and hearing in criminal proceedings]. Belügyi Szemle, 63(2), 93–114. https://doi.org/10.38146/BSZ.2015.2.4
Beauregard, E., & Proulx, J. (2002). Profiles in the offending process of nonserial sexual murderers. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 46(4), 386–399.
Beauregard, E. (2010). Rape and sexual assault in investigative psychology: the contribution of sex offenders’ research to offender profiling. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 7(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.114
Beauregard, E., Deslauriers-Varin, N., & St-Yves, M. (2010). Interactions between factors related to the decision of sex offenders to confess during police interrogation: A classification-tree approach. Sexual Abuse, 22(3), 343–367.
Beauregard, E., &Mieczkowski, T. (2011). Outside the interrogation room: The context of confession in sexual crimes. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 34(2), 246–264.
Beauregard, E., & Mieczkowski, T. (2012). From Police Interrogation to Prison: Which Sex Offender Characteristics Predict Confession? Police Quarterly, 15(2), 197–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611112442814
Beauregard, E., Busina, I., & Healey, J. (2017). Confessions of sex offenders: extracting offender and victim profiles for investigative interviewing. Journal of Criminal Psychology, 7(1), 13–28. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcp-10-2016-0031
Bócz, E. (Ed.) (2004). Kriminalisztika II [Criminalistics II]. BM Duna Palota és Kiadó.
Bócz, E. (2015). Krimináltaktika, kihallgatás, jegyzőkönyv [Criminal tactics, interrogation, record]. Belügyi Szemle, 63(2), 115–121. https://doi.org/10.38146/BSZ.2015.2.5
Bowling, R., & Resch, D. (2005). Child Pornography Cases: Obtaining Confessions with an Effective Interview Strategy. U.S. department of Justice.
Chantry, K., & Craig, R. J. (1994). MCMI typologies of criminal sexual offenders. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 1(3), 215–226.
Connor, T., & Carson, W. (2005). Understanding the psychology of child molesters: A key to getting confessions. Police Chief, 72(12), 70–74,76.
Craig, L. A., Browne, K. D., Beech, A., & Stringer, I. (2006). Psychosexual characteristics of sexual offenders and the relationship to sexual reconviction. Psychology, Crime & Law, 12(3), 231–243.
Ellis, A. (1954). Interrogation of sex offenders. The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, 45(1), 41–47.
Evans, R. (1994). Police interrogations and the Royal commission on criminal Justice. Policing and Society,4, 73–81.
Fenyvesi, Cs., Herke, Cs., & Tremmel, F. (2022). Kriminalisztika [Criminalistics]. Ludovika Egyetemi Kiadó.
Fenyvesi, Cs. (2013). A kriminalisztika alapkérdései. In Gaál, Gy. & Hautzinger, Z. (Eds.), Pécsi Határőr Tudományos Közlemények XIV. Tanulmányok “A változó rendészet aktuális kihívásai” című tudományos konferenciáról (pp. 341–349). Magyar Hadtudományi Társaság Határőr Szakosztály Pécsi Szakcsoportja.
Grady, M. F. (2009). Unavoidable accident. Review of Law & Economics, 5(1), 177–231.
Groth, A. N., & Birnbaum, H. J. (1979). Patterns of rape. In A. N. Groth & H. J. Birnbaum (Eds.), Men who rape: The psychology of the offender (pp. 110–192). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6078-8_4
Groth, A. N., Burgess, A. W., & Holmstrom, L. L. (1977). Rape: Power, anger, and sexuality. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134(11), 1239–1243. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.134.11.1239
Gudjonsson, G. H., & Petursson, H. (1991). Custodial interrogation: Why do suspects confess and how does it relate to their crime, attitude and personality? Personality and Individual Differences, 12(3), 295–306.
Gudjonsson, G. (1999). The making of a serial false confessor: The confessions of Henry Lee Lucas. The journal of forensic psychiatry, 10(2), 416–426.
Gudjonsson, G. H., & Sigurdsson, J. F. (2000). Differences and similarities between violent offenders and sex offenders. Child abuse & neglect, 24(3), 363–372.
Gudjonsson, G. H. (2003). The psychology of interrogations and confessions: A handbook. John Wiley & Sons.
Gudjonsson, G. H. (2006). Sex offenders and confessions: How to overcome the irresistance during questioning. Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine, 13(4), 203–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcfm.2006.02.003
Heil, P., Ahlmeyer, S., & Simons, D. (2003). Crossover sexual offenses. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 15, 221–236.
Hershkowitz, I., Horowitz, D., Lamb, M. E., Orbach, Y., & Sternberg, K. J. (2004). Interviewing youthful suspects in alleged sex crimes: A descriptive analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(4), 423–438.
Holmberg, U., & Christianson, S. Å. (2002). Murderers’ and sexual offenders’ experiences of police interviews and their inclination to admit or deny crimes. Behavioral sciences & the law, 20(1‐2), 31–45.
Horvath, F., & Meesig, R. (1996). The criminal investigation process and the role of forensic evidence: A review of empirical findings. Journal of forensic sciences, 41(6), 963–969.
Ibolya, T. (2005). A kihallgatási taktika a nyomozásban [Interrogation tactics in the investigation]. Rejtjel Kiadó.
Irving, B. L., & McKenzie, I. K. (1989). Police interrogation: the effects of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Police Foundation.
Kebbell, M., Hurren, E., & Mazerolle, P. (2006). An investigation into the effective and ethical interviewing of suspected sex offenders. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, (327).
Klockars, C. B., & Mastrofski, S. D. (1991). Thinking about police: Contemporary readings. McGraw-Hill.
Knight, R. A., & Prentky, R. A. (1990). Classifying sexual offenders: The development and corroboration of taxonomic models. In Marshall, W. L., Laws, D. R. & Barbaree, H. E. (Eds.), Handbook of sexual assault: Issues, theories, and treatment of the offender (pp. 23–52). Springer US.
Langevin, R. (2003). A study of the psychosexual characteristics of sex killers: Can we identify them before it is too late? International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47(4), 366–382.
Langevin, R., Curnoe, S., Fedoroff, P., Bennett, R., Langevin, M., Peever, C. & Sandhu, S. (2004). Lifetime sex offender recidivism: A 25-year follow-up study. Canadian Journal of criminology and criminal justice, 46(5), 531–552.
Leo, R. A. (1996). Miranda’s revenge: Police interrogation as a confidence game. Law and Society Review, 30(2), 259–288.
Manlove, J., & Terry-Humen, E. (2007). Contraceptive use patterns within females’ first sexual relationships: The role of relationships, partners, and methods. Journal of Sex Research, 44(1), 3–16.
Merrill, W. F. (1995). The art of interrogating rapists. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 64(1) 8–12.
Milsom, J., Beech, A. R., & Webster, S. D. (2003). Emotional loneliness in sexual murderers: A qualitative analysis. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 15, 285–296.
Mitchell, J. C. (1983). Case and situation analysis 1. The sociological review, 31(2), 187–211.
Moston, S., Stephenson, G. M., & Williamson, T. M. (1992). The effects of case characteristics on suspect behaviour during police questioning. The British Journal of Criminology, 32(1), 23–40.
Myers, M. A., & Hagan, J. (1979). Private and public trouble: Prosecutors and the allocation of court resources. Social Problems, 26(4), 439–451.
Nagygyőr, Cs. (2022). A gyermekek kihallgatása a nyomozások során [Interviewing children during criminal investigations]. Belügyi Szemle, 70(8), 1653–1670. https://doi.org/10.38146/BSZ.2022.8.5
Napier, M. R. (2010). Behavior, Truth and Deception: Applying Profiling and Analysis to the Interview Process. CRC Press.
Neubauer, D. W. (1974). Confessions in Prairie City: Some causes and effects. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 65(1), 103–112.
Oliver, C. J., Beech, A. R., Fisher, D., & Beckett, R. (2007). A comparison of rapists and sexual murderers on demographic and selected psychometric measures. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 51(3), 298–312.
Oxburgh, G., Williamson, T., & Ost, J. (2006). Police officers’ use of emotional language during child sexual abuse investigations. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 3(1), 35–45.
Pearse, J., Gudjonsson, G. H., Clare, I. C. H., & Rutter, S. (1998). Police interviewing and psychological vulnerabilities: Predicting the likelihood of a confession. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 8(1), 1–21.
Petőfi, A., & Tóth, É. (2015). A kihallgatási taktika, az élet, testi épség elleni bűncselekmények bírói gyakorlata [Interrogation tactics, judicial practice in crimes against life and limb]. In Tóth, É. & Belovics, E. (Eds.), A büntetőeljárás segédtudományai II (pp. 115–149). Pázmány Press.
Polaschek, D. L., Hudson, S. M., Ward, T., & Siegert, R. J. (2001). Rapists’ offense processes: A preliminary descriptive model. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16(6), 523–544.
Proulx, J., Perreault, C., & Ouimet, M. (1999). Pathways in the offending process of extrafamilial sexual child molesters. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 11, 117–129.
Proulx, J., Beauregard, E., Cusson, M., & Nicole, A. (Eds.) (2007). Sexual murderers: A comparative analysis and new perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.
Proulx, J., & Beauregard, E. R. I. C. (2009). Decision making during the offending process: An assessment among subtypes of sexual aggressors of women. In Beech, A. R., Craig, L. A. & Browne, K. D. (Eds.), Assessment and treatment of sex offenders: A handbook (pp. 180–197). John Wiley & Sons.
Robertiello, G., & Terry, K. J. (2007). Can we profile sex offenders? A review of sex offender typologies. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12(5), 508–518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2007.02.010
Sigurdsson, J. F., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (1994). Alcohol and drug intoxication during police interrogation and the reasons why suspects confess to the police. Addiction, 89(8), 985–997.
Somogyvári, M. (2022). A szexuális bűnelkövetők karakterisztikája, és kezelési lehetőségei büntetés-végrehajtási keretek között [Characteristics and treatment opportunities for sex offenders within prisons]. Belügyi Szemle, 70(1), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.38146/BSZ.2022.1.7
St-Yves, M., & Pellerin, B. (2002). Sexual victimization and sexual delinquency: Vampire or Pinocchio syndrome? Forum on Corrections Research, 14(1), 51–52.
St-Yves, M. (2013). Police interrogation in Canada: From the quest for confession to the search for the truth. In Williamson, T., Milne, B. & Savage, S. (Eds.), International developments in investigative interviewing (pp. 92–110). Willan.
St-Yves, M., & Deslauriers-Varin, N. (2009). The psychology of suspects’ decision-making during interrogation. In Bull, R., Valentine, T. & Williamson, T. (Eds.), Handbook of psychology of investigative interviewing: Current developments and future directions (pp. 1–15). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470747599
Vennard, J., & Williams, K. (1980). Contested Trials in Magistrates’ Courts: The Case for the Prosecution (Vol. 6). HM Stationery Office.
Vettor, S. L. (2012). Offender Profiling: a review, critique, and an investigation of the influence of context, perception, and motivations on sexual offending. Doctoral dissertation. University of Birmingham.
Wald, M., Ayres, R., Hess, D., Schantz, M., & Whitebread, C. (1967). Interrogations in New Haven: the impact of Miranda. Yale Law Journal, 76, 1519–1648.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Academic Journal of Internal Affairs