Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crime by Douglas, John, Burgess, Ann W., Burgess, Allen G., Ressler, (2013) Paperback

by John E. Douglas

New

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Psychology, Research, Reference, Science

Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

John Edward Douglas is a former United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, one of the first criminal profilers, and criminal psychology author. He also wrote four horror novels in the mid 1990s. -Wikipedia

During his twenty-five year career with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a name he later changed to The Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995), John Douglas became the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. Through his research with serial criminal’s, Douglas learned how criminals think and what makes them do the things that they do, and why. Douglas can determine many personal traits and habits of an offender just by examining the crime scene; it’s evidence and victimology (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Interviews John Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the world’s most notorious serial offenders, which include: - Charles Manson, and three members of the Manson clan. - Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy. - John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer that killed 33 people. - David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. - James Earl Ray, assassin of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ted Bundy - Unsuccessful assassins of Gerald Ford and George Wallace (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Captured In addition, Douglas’s profiles aided in numerous arrests of serial offenders, some of which include: - Wayne Williams, the .22 caliber killer. - Carlton Gary, the stalking strangler. - Robert Hanson, the Anchorage Alaska baker who would kidnap, hunt, then kill local prostitutes. These are just a few of the cases that John Douglas aided in throughout his twenty-five year career as a profiler with the Behavioral Science Unit, which he later renamed the Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Contributions to Psychology Douglas and his colleagues outlined in an article that explained the goals of a serial offender in the September 1980 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. They are as follows: - What leads a person to become a sexual offender and what are the early warning signals? - What serves to encourage or to inhibit the commission of his offense? - What types of responses or coping strategies, by an intended victim are successful with what type of sexual offender in avoiding victimization, and - What are the implications for his dangerousness, prognosis, disposition and mode of treatment (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995)?

Reviews

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently studying Forensic Investigation (finished at the end of the year) and one of my units is Offender Profiling.
My Lecturer for the unit has this book and speaks from it as if it's a bible.. So I thought I'd get it and it is a wonderful, wonderful book! So many definitions about the different types of murders and serial killers and lots of case studies.

For those interested in Criminology and other aspects, I suggest reading this book!!

[Farha Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, if you're interested in the psychology and behavioral side of serial killers you might want to check out some of the books by John Douglass. He's the guy that created the FBI's Criminal Profiling Program ( the methods the FBI uses to psychologically profile serial killers and other criminals). He spent years running the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit where the FBI profilers are trained and work as well as years personally interviewing various serial killers so that he could better understand them and their motives.

Although, profiling alone is not enough to capture the culprit directly. But, Criminal Profiling isn't pseudoscience and Douglass with his team is the reason why the FBI invests in training Profilers.

Profilers are not the ones making the arrests or getting the glory but are usually working behind the scenes advising police on which direction to search, what to say publicly, how to speak to suspects (some people will say nothing if a person just blame and accuse them of their actions but will confess everything to the person who understands and ( at least pretends to) feels just like him in similar situation) and then advising Prosecutors on what to say and do if the person is taking the stand during their trial.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name]

Can we just not anymore put John Douglas on EVERYTHING behavioral science? There was TEAM of FANTASTIC crime fighters. His name isn’t even first alphabetically. I just have an issue with him selling out. And his books are nowhere near as progressive and technical as Ressler.but he died and it’s very sad.

[Prithvi Shams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an informative manual for those who are not affiliated with law-enforcement but interested in how the criminal mind works, how to investigate crimes and profile criminals. What struck me most about this book is the fact that, except for cyber-crimes and drug-trade related violence, females are disproportionately the victims. Most serial killers prey on women, most psychopathic murderers prefer to kill women over men for their devious gratifications. A feminist theorist could draw upon this manual to investigate the far-reaching consequences of a deeply ingrained misogyny in popular culture.

[Beth Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have in my library, it came in handy when I was a Criminal Justice and Forensics student. Clear definitions, easy to navigate and perfect when you need detail for classification.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speaking as a writer, not someone who solves crimes for a living: this is a research dream.

[Flaviapedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for every criminology fan.
Very recommended, well written, full of details and interesting examples of real FBI cases.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to see how everything gets classified.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference book.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro molto interessante, affascinante, ricco, completo, esaustivo e preziosissimo.
Peccato per l’indecente, vergognosa ed imbarazzante edizione italiana, piena di centinaia e centinaia di refusi, errori grammaticali, lettere e parole mancanti, aggiunte a caso o invertite, che non solo rendono fastidiosa ed irritante la lettura (che altrimenti sarebbe meravigliosa), ma sminuiscono e sviliscono tantissimo questo manuale così importante.
Ennesimo caso di trascuratezza ed inesistenza della figura del correttore di bozze.
E di inadeguatezza di una casa editrice (da 0 stelle) che tratta in questo modo, totalmente inaccettabile, un testo così eccezionale e prestigioso che avrebbe meritato 5 stelle.

[Tatiana Sabina Meloni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il Crime Classification Manual è stato (ed è tuttora, perché ogni tanto riprendo a sfogliarlo) una lettura fondamentale per alcuni lavori che sto svolgendo, tanto per l'analisi psico-socio-comportamentale dei soggetti quanto per le procedure investigative dell'FBI (raccolta prove, interrogatori ecc…). Il testo in questione, seppur tecnico, è preciso e veloce e mi sento di dire che possa essere adatto a tutti i curiosi o gli appassionati di true crime, in quanto contiene anche numerosi esempi di delitti reali.
La lettura di questo manuale mi ha davvero aperto un mondo.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have an older edition and I don't know what they changed in newer editions but it's still a fascinating read. You'd think it would be written in such a way that is hard to comprehend for the general public but it's quite reader friendly actually. There's many hidden bits of info on several killers I have intensively studied over the decades that you don't find anywhere else so I recommend this one! A lot!

[Charles Pruett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly not as dry as you might expect. But this is a textbook, basically. But John Douglas and the other authors, including the TRUE pioneer in profiling serial killers, Robert K. Ressler, the two men on whose work the Netflix show Mindhunter is based. If you're writing true crime or are just interested in such things, this is a "must read."

[Alessandro Schümperlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tomo interessante, con una traduzione molto buona. Fa un piccolo riassunto delle dinamiche che servono a capire e scoprire la maggior parte delle dinamiche criminose di quasi tutti(scrivo così vista la tendenza dell'essere umano a superarsi in cattiveria e malvagità) i casi di omicidi.
Consigliabile, principalmente, a chi sta facendo studi universitari in quella direzione

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

[Annalise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely informative and a great reference for studying the criminal mind. Easy to follow and like all John Douglas books-clear and straight to the point!

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for investigators trying to understand motive or the type of offender that committed a specific crime. This booked helped us solve a rape case when we needed to figure out how to approach the suspect to tell us what really happened. This book paid for itself many times over! This is set up as a reference book, not something you might read cover-to-cover.

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books are rated related to their usefulness and contributions to my research.
Overall, a good book for the researcher and enthusiast.
Read for personal research
- found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.

[Jimmy E. Durham, RN-BC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written by several white straight men developed data from locked up white overly horny serial killers desperately reliving their glory days and masking
It as science