Perpetrator-Motive Research Design: A Strategy for Understanding Motivations, Values, and Tactics of Criminal Offenders

• NCJ Number: 241757
• Journal: Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2013 Pages: 11-18
• Author(s): Gregory M. Vecchi; Vincent B. Van Hasselt; Amy J. Angleman
• Date Published: February 2013
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The Perpetrator-Motive Research Design was applied in the FBI's Global Hostage-Taking Research and Analysis Project (GHosT-RAP) in order to identify and describe captive-taker values and paradigms; to determine motivations and methods for captive-taking; and to improve strategies for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities.

Abstract

Roy Hazelwood and his colleagues at the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) at the FBI Academy developed a spectrum classification for perpetrator behavior in examining the motives of serial rapists in committing their crimes. The strategy developed is called the Perpetrator-Motive Research Design (PMRD). It consists of 12 steps: define the need for research; define stakeholders; identify the offender population; obtain authorities and access; develop and refine protocols; conduct protocol training; develop subject dossiers; conduct pilot test; retool protocols and processes; collect data for the larger study; perform data analysis; and develop and deploy deliverables. The GHosT-RAP pilot study field-tested the PMRD strategy in order to identify and describe captive-taker values and paradigms; to determine motivations and methods for captive-taking; and to use resulting data in improving strategies for countering captive-taking as a significant domestic and international security problem for the United States. PMRD was systematically tested and successfully used during the GHosT-RAP pilot study. This was the first effort to use this methodology, and it should be applied to other research for validation. It is anticipated that GHosT-RAP will provide important insights into the domestic and international problem of captive-taking. This will result in anti-hostage-taking products and inform the training content for those at-risk for being taken captive. In addition, counter-hostage-taking products are useful for behaviorally based "toolkits" for those who manage captive-taking events and their aftermath. The information obtained from a PMRD may ultimately be used to determine probabilities and predictions about hostage-taking events and outcomes. 1 figure and 29 references