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August 19, 2026Legal and Criminological PsychologyOpen Access

From novice to expert: A rational choice examination of detection avoidance strategies among sexual offenders

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Authors

AAAlexandra Ferreira De AmorimJCJulien ChopinÉBÉric Beauregard

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Overview

Observational study reveals a continuum of criminal expertise via detection avoidance in sexual offenders, indicating distinct hierarchical levels of forensic and investigative awareness.

Key Points

  • To determine whether forensic and investigative awareness detection avoidance strategies, independent of modus operandi, represent a meaningful indicator of criminal expertise among sexual offenders.
  • Analyzed N=1,349 solved cases of stranger sexual assault with penetration against adult female victims in France from 2001 to 2018.
  • Conducted latent class analysis using six detection avoidance variables, followed by bivariate analyses to evaluate external validity against modus operandi sophistication and offender traits.
  • Identified five distinct latent classes forming a hierarchical continuum of criminal expertise ranging from 'Novices' with minimal avoidance strategies to 'Experts' combining forensic and investigative techniques.
  • Observed a systematic progression from basic investigative awareness strategies to complex forensic awareness strategies across ascending expertise classes.
  • Found significant associations between expertise class membership, modus operandi sophistication, and offender characteristics.

Cite This Study

Amorim et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a85642503308d306e2d7b4ehttps://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.70058
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