Clinical and Psychological Perspectives on Foul Play

Book excerpt: Clinical and Psychological Perspectives on Foul Play examines a wide range of factors that can influence how police determine foul play in possible homicide cases and in other possible crimes. It develops a new theory of uncertainty at micro, meso, and macro levels to explain how law professionals arrive at this decision. Specifically, it examines the extent to which uncertainty in these situations can be influenced by media coverage, family and community pressures, socioeconomic factors, demographic elements of victims, as well as police knowledge and resources. Written for forensic practitioners, this book describes how these professionals can consult with law enforcement on such issues as the staging of crime scenes to mask intent, the initiation of community strategies to find missing persons, and the reliability of behavioral profiles. The latest research from the Foul Play Project and the Missing Persons Project are employed to support the recommendations in this book and to point the way toward further research in this area.