Abstract
Generally, the application of geographic profiling (also known as geoprofiling) is under-researched and its scientific and theoretical foundations, as well as the existing research evidence of its effectiveness, claimed to be inadequate and questionable. Notwithstanding, the present study explored the role of geographic profiling, in the context of the South African serial rapist, by scrutinising, amongst others, the locations of their crime sites. The basic theoretical assumptions underlying geographic profiling, their empirical validity, methods of constructing geographic profiles, and geographic profiling’s accuracy were also probed. Findings presented pioneering criminological insights on how serial rapists navigated to and from their crime sites, which could potentially assist national and international crime investigators with the prediction of subsequent offence locales.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Coetzer, P. (2005). ‘Rape in contemporary South Africa-more vexing and vicious than ever’. Journal for Contemporary History, 2005 - journals.ufs.ac.za.
Gordon, D. R. (2009). Transformation and trouble: Crime, justice, and participation in democratic South Africa. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Vetten, L. (2014). ‘Rape and other forms of sexual violence in South Africa’, Institute for Security Studies, Policy Brief 72.
Interpol has named South Africa the “Rape Capital of the World”. Rape & sexual abuse affects men, women and children from all walks of life. (2016). https://tears.co.za/wp-content/uploads/presentation.pdf. Accessed on 12 January 2017.
Institute for Security Studies. (2017). Available at: https://issafrica.org/
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Collins, K. M. T. (2007). A typology of mixed methods sampling designs in social science research. The Qualitative Report, 12(2), 281–316.
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Johnson, R. B. (2006). The validity issue in mixed research. Research in the Schools, 13(1), 48–63.
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Teddlie, C. (2003). A framework for analyzing data in mixed methods research. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 351–383). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Heap, V., & Waters, J. (2019). Mixed methods in criminology. New York: Routledge.
Kocsis, R. N., & Irwin, H. J. (1997). An analysis of spatial patterns in serial rape, arson, and burglary: The utility of the circle theory of environmental range for psychological profiling. Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, 4(2), 195–206.
Rossmo, D. K. (1995). Place, space, and police investigations: Hunting serial violent criminals. Simon Fraser University, BC Canada, V5A 1S6.
Felson, M., & Cohen, L. (1998). Human ecology and crime: A routine activity approach. Human Ecology, 8(4), 389–405.
Lundrigan, S., & Canter, D. (2001). Spatial patterns of serial murder: An analysis of disposal site location choice. Behavioural Sciences and the Law, 19, 595–610.
Rossmo, D. K. (2000). Geographic profiling. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Churchland, P. (1989). A Neurocomputational Perspective: The Nature of Mind and the Structure of Science (pp. 95–115). Cambridge: MIT Press.
Brantingham, P. J., & Brantingham, P. L. (2003). Anticipating the displacement of crime using the principles of environmental criminology. Crime Prevention Studies, 16, 119–148.
Cohen, L. E., & Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activities approach. American Sociological Review, 44, 588–608.
Felson, M. (1987). Routine activities and crime prevention in the developing metropolis. Criminology, 25, 911–931.
Brantingham, P.J. and Brantingham, P.L. (1991). Introduction to the 1991 reissue: Notes on environmental criminology. In Brantingham, P. J. & Brantingham, P. L. (eds.), Environmental criminology. Waveland press; Prospect Heights, ILL: 1–6.
Brantingham, P. J., & Brantingham, P. L. (2003). Anticipating the displacement of crime using the principles of environmental criminology. In M. J. Smith & D. B. Cornish (Eds.), Theory for practice in situational crime prevention (pp. 119–148). Monsey: Criminal justice press.
Brantingham, P. J., & Brantingham, P. L. (1981). Introduction: The dimensions of crime. In P. J. Brantingham & P. L. Brantingham (Eds.), Environmental criminology (pp. 6–26). Prospect Heights: Waveland Press.
Brantingham, P. J., & Brantingham, P. L. (1981). Environmental criminology. Beverly Hills: Sage.
LeBeau, J. L. (1985). Some problems with measuring and describing rape presented by the serial offender. Justice Quarterly, 2, 385–398.
Lopez, J. (2004). The spatial behaviour of residential burglars. RCM-advies, The Netherlands.
LeBeau, J. L. (1987). The methods and measures of centrography and the spatial dynamics of rape. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 3(2), 125–142.
Warren, J., Reboussin, R., Hazelwood, R., Cummings, A., Gibbs, N., & Trumbetta, S. (1998). Crime scene and distance correlates of serial rape. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 14, 35–59.
LeBeau, J. L. (1992). Four case studies illustrating the spatial-temporal analysis of serial rapists. Police Studies, 15, 124–145.
Kocsis, R., Hayes, A., & Irwin, H. (2002). Investigative experience and accuracy in psychological profiling of a violent crime. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17(8), 811–823.
Canter, D., & Larkin, P. (1993). The environmental range of serial rapists. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 13, 63–69.
Canter, D., Coffey, T., Huntley, M., & Missen, C. (2000). Predicting serial killers’ Home Base using a decision support system. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 16, 457–478.
Turner, S. (1969). ‘Delinquency and distance’. In Sellin, T. and Wolfgang, M. eds. Delinquency: Selected studies. Wiley; New York: 11–26.
Godwin, G. (2000). Criminal psychology and forensic technology. A collaborative approach to effective profiling. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
The National Institute of Justice. (2006). Journal No. 253, January 2006.
Felson, M., & Clarke, R. (1998). ‘Opportunity makes the thief. Practical theory for crime prevention’. Police Research Series, 98. London: Home Office.
Beauregard, E., Rossmo, K., & Proulx, J. (2007). A descriptive model of the hunting process of serial sex offenders: A rational choice perspective. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 449–463.
Georges, D. (1978). ‘The geography of crime and violence: A spatial and ecological perspective’. Association of American Geographers: Resource papers for college geography, 78 (1).
Wortley, R., & Mazerolle, L. (2011). Environmental criminology and crime analysis. New York: Routledge.
Van Koppen, P. J., & De Keijser, J. W. (1998). The road to robbery: Travel patterns in commercial robberies. British Journal of Criminology, 38, 230–247.
O'Leary, M. (2006). ‘A new mathematical technique for geographic profiling’. Poster session presented at the NIJ conference, Washington, DC.
Paulsen, D. (2007). Improving geographic profiling through commuter/marauder prediction. Police Practice and Research, 8, 347–357.
English, W. (2008). The practical application of geographic profiling, a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of the MA in forensic psychology: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Hicks, S., & Sales, B. (2006). Criminal profiling. Developing an effective science and practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Monette, D., Sullivan, T., & DeJong, C. (2008). Applied social research: A tool for the human services (8th ed.). Brookes/Cole, Cengage Learning: Belmont.
De Vos, A. S., Strydom, H., Fouché, C. B., & Delport, C. S. L. (2011). Research at the grass roots for the social sciences and human service professions (4th ed.). Pretoria: JL Van Schaik Publishers.
Hanson, W., Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V., & Creswell, J. D. (2005). Mixed methods research designs in counselling psychology. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 52(2), 224–235.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Wankel, C. (2009). Encyclopaedia of business in today's world. Thousand oaks, CA: SAGE publications, Inc.: 1366-1367.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Dolma, S. (2010). Istanbul University Journal of the School of Business Administration. Cilt/Vol:39, Sayı/no:1, 2010, 169-174.
Bachman, R. and Schutt, R. (2015). Fundamentals of research in criminology and criminal justice, 3rd ed. University of Delaware, University of Massachusetts. SAGE publications Inc.: 105.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Sandelowski, M., Voils, C. I., & Knafl, G. (2009). On quantitizing. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 3(3), 208–222.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2003). Major issues and controversies in the use of mixed methods in the social and behavioural sciences. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and Behavioural research (pp. 3–50). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approached in the social and behavioral sciences. London: SAGE.
Tashakkori, A., & Teddlie, C. (2003). The past and the future of mixed methods research: From ‘methodological triangulation’ to ‘mixed methods designs’. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and Behavioural research (pp. 671–701). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gerson, K., & Horowitz, R. (2002). Observation and interviewing: Options and choices. In T. May (Ed.), Qualitative research in action. London: Sage.
Elgin, C. (1999). Considered judgment (pp. 10–14). Princeton University Press: Princeton.
Myers, M. D. (2009). Qualitative research in business and management. London: Sage.
Guest, G., Namey, E. E., & Mitchell, M. L. (2013). Collecting qualitative data: A field manual for applied research. Los Angeles: Sage.
Merriam, S. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Brantingham, P. J., & Brantingham, P. L. (1998). Environmental criminology: From theory to urban planning practice. Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention, 7, 1–30.
Canter, D. (D.Canter@hud.ac.uk) (11 March, 14 May 2016). Personal communication, Re: Commuter offenders.
Godwin, M. (drgodwin@drmauricegodwin.com) (25, 26, August 2016). Electronic correspondence. Re: Geographic profiling.
Bernasco, W. (2014). ‘Crime journeys: Patterns of offender mobility’. Subject: Criminology and Criminal Justice, Offender Decision-Making. Online Publication Date: Oct 2014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935383.013.49. Accessed 22 February 2014.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Glass, D., Herbig, F. Mapping matters: geoprofiling application in South African serial rape investigation. Crime Law Soc Change 75, 349–371 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-020-09926-x
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-020-09926-x