Interactions between factors related to the decision of sex offenders to confess during police interrogation: a classification-tree approach

Sex Abuse. 2010 Sep;22(3):343-67. doi: 10.1177/1079063210370707. Epub 2010 Jun 2.

Abstract

Most studies of confessions have looked at the influence of individual factors, neglecting the potential interactions between these factors and their impact on the decision to confess or not during an interrogation. Classification and regression tree analyses conducted on a sample of 624 convicted sex offenders showed that certain factors related to the offenders (e.g., personality, criminal career), victims (e.g., sex, relationship to offender), and case (e.g., time of day of the crime) were related to the decision to confess or not during the police interrogation. Several interactions were also observed between these factors. Results will be discussed in light of previous findings and interrogation strategies for sex offenders.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Canada
  • Criminal Psychology / organization & administration
  • Defense Mechanisms
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Police
  • Prisoners / statistics & numerical data*
  • Professional-Patient Relations*
  • Sex Offenses / classification*
  • Sex Offenses / statistics & numerical data
  • Sex Offenses / trends
  • Truth Disclosure*
  • Young Adult