Differentiating Contract Killers: A Narrative-Based Approach

Yaneva, Miroslava and Ioannou, Maria and Hammond, Laura and Synnott, John (2018) Differentiating Contract Killers: A Narrative-Based Approach. The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 57 (1). pp. 107-123. ISSN 2059-1098

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Abstract

Previous attempts to determine contract killers’ behaviour have not benefited from any formal psychological framework of behavioural distinction. The Narrative Action System model (NAS model; Canter and Youngs 2009) offers an empirical basis for differentiating contract killings and examining the psychological underpinnings of different contract killer styles. The model identifies four major narrative offender types: Professional, Revenger, Hero, and Victim. The present study aims to examine whether these themes can be applied to contract killing. Content analysis of 75 contract killer cases identified 56 crime scene actions. Data were subjected to a non‐metric multidimensional scaling procedure, namely Smallest Space Analysis (SSA‐I). Findings revealed four distinct types of contract killers that could be related to the four modes of offending proposed by the NAS model. Differences in the thematic structure of contract killing offences are discussed, and implications are offered for clinical and investigative purposes.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12243
Date:	23 January 2018
Subjects:	C800 Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences > Dept. Psychology REF UoA Output Collections > REF2021 UoA 04: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Depositing User:	Silvio Aldrovandi
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2018 11:52
Last Modified:	28 Sep 2020 14:57
URI:	http://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5755

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