Handbook Of Scales For Research In Crime And Delinquency

In contrast to the great diversity of other crime and delinquency research measures, those drawn from the CPI and the MMPI have much in common. They are taken from standardized instruments administered under controlled conditions, with known stimulus properties and validity indicators. The CPI and MMPI measures will frequently be instruments of choice in research on personality and psychodynamics of offenders. CHAPTER 6 Law Enforcement and Police This chapter encompasses a variety of scales that refer to law enforcement or police agencies. Unfortunately, in the case of many scales, these terms are used simply with the assumption that the respondents understand the concepts and use them in the same way as researchers. In other cases, however, specific policing functions are identified and described. As noted in Chapter 3, a standard order of scale presentation is followed. First the attitudes scales are presented, followed by the behavior ratings, per sonality measures, milieu ratings, prediction measures and finally the very broad category of description. After the reviews are completed within each subcategory, other scales in that category are listed. (See Chapter 2 for a description of the criteria that were used in deciding upon whether a scale would be reviewed or simply listed. ) Listed scales are presented by title and bibliographic reference, followed by a very brief description.

Taken from published reviews: " Dr Blackburn has written a remarkably good book; indeed, the best book on the topic from either side of the Atlantic I have read. the breadth of the author s knowledge is nothing short of encyclopaedic. Not only psychology developmental and social, as well as clinical but also psychiatry, biology, philosophy, and law are addressed in this volume. Finally, the book is written with clarity, economy, and a lucid style. It is as inviting and user-friendly as any work of such complexity can be. I hope that it will find its way into psychiatry residency training programmes as well. It could do wonders for replacing turf-battles with common ground." Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health " The scholarly breadth and accuracy of this work are remarkable. There seems to be no important contribution to our psychological understanding of crime which Blackburn has omitted to discuss, including those approaches from sociological and social psychology which are frequently neglected in straightforward psychological treatments. Moreover, all approaches are intelligently and sympathetically discussed." Expert Evidence " The volume is infused with the author s enthusiasm for a social cognitive perspective on offending behaviour, but he also robustly defends the utility of the notion of personality traits. Overall, this book brings together a vast array of research and theory examined from the perspective of the clinician involved with the individual. It will almost certainly become the key background text for post-graduate courses teaching forensic psychology and would be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of any clinician with forensic concerns." Clinical Psychology Forum " This is undoubtedly an important book. The end result is a book of excellent quality, which I recommend most warmly to clinical psychologists, and indeed, to anybody who is interested in criminological psychology ." Behaviour Research and Therapy " This author is to be congratulated for having produced this impressive volume. It provides a comprehensive review which is critical yet well-balanced. It assumes no prior familiarity with the field, and specialists from many different disciplines will learn a great deal from it." Criminal Law Review

This volume of the series was designed to provide a comprehensive primer on the existing best practices and emerging developments in the study and design research on crime and criminology. The work as a whole includes chapters on the measurement of criminal typologies, the offenders, offending and victimization, criminal justice organizations, and specialized measurement techniques. Each chapter is written by experts in the field and they provide an excellent survey of the literature in the relevant area. More importantly, each chapter provides a description of the various methodological and substantive challenges presented in conducting research on these issues and denotes possible solutions to these dilemmas. An emphasis was placed on research that has been conducted outside of the United States and was designed to give the reader a broader more global understanding of the social context of research. The goal of this volume is to provide a definitive reference for professionals in the field, researchers, and students. This volume in the Handbooks in Criminology and Criminal Justice series identifies the principal topical areas of research in this field and summarizes the various methodological and substantive challenges presented in conducting research on these issues. In each chapter, authors provide a summary of the prominent data collection efforts in the topical area, provide an overview of the current methodological work, discuss the challenges in the measurement of central concepts in the subject area, and identify new horizons emerging in data collection and measurement. We encouraged authors to discuss work conducted in an international context and to incorporate discussion of qualitative methodologies when appropriate.

The systematic application of behavioral psychology to crime and delinquency was begun only 20 years ago, yet it has already contributed significantly to our practical knowledge about prevention and correction and to our general under standing of a pressing social problem. In this handbook, we review and evalu ate what has been accomplished to date, as well as what is currently at the leading edge of the field. We do so in order to present a clear, comprehensive, and systematic view of the field and to promote and encourage still more effective action and social policy reform in the future. The chapters in this text have been written by professionals who were among the original innovators in applying behavioral psychology to crime and delinquency and who continue to make critical contributions to the field's progress, and by a new generation of energetic, young professionals who are taking the field in important and innovative directions. The contributors have attempted to review and evaluate their areas with critical dispassion, to pro vide thorough but not overly specialized discussion of their material, and to draw implications for how research, application, and social policy might be improved in the future. For our part as editors, we have tried to foster integra tion across the chapters and to provide background and conceptual material of our own.

Blends sound pedagogy in research methods instruction with a range of classic and contemporary research examples from criminology and criminal justice. Students learn how to carry out research and also become familiar with the research that currently is available.