THE EFFECTS OF CASE CHARACTERISTICS ON SUSPECT BEHAVIOUR DURING POLICE QUESTIONING

1 January 1992

journal article
research article
Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The British Journal of Criminology

Vol. 32 (1) , 23-40
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjc.a048178

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the associations between the characteristics of a suspect and case and a suspect's decision to admit or deny having committed an offence. It outlines a model to illustrate how such characteristics have a bearing on interviewing styles and thus a direct and indirect effect on suspect behaviour. A random sample of 1,067 cases from nine Metropolitan Police stations was examined. In each case the suspect was interviewed by a detective. The decision to admit an allegation during questioning was primarily associated with three factors: strength of evidence, legal advice, and the criminal history of the suspect. The results are discussed in relation to the effects of different interviewing strategies on suspect behaviour.

Keywords

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