Clinical Assessment of Homicide Offenders

Clinical psychologists are sometimes asked to provide operational support to senior investigating officers in major crime inquiries including murder, abduction, and serious violent and sexual assault. Working directly with police officers investigating an offense inevitably forces psychologists to focus on the phenomenology of the offense. This can lead to an enhanced understanding of the critical relationship between the detail of the crime scene and the offender. This article sets out some of the relevant theoretical frameworks that underpin clinical psychologists' role in the police investigative context. It is argued that such offense analysis should already be a routine component of forensic clinical assessment; however, anecdotal evidence would indicate that this is not so. Improving this aspect of the assessment process, when used in conjunction with other actuarial and structured clinical approaches, should improve any attempts at treatment planning and risk assessment.