All About Forensic Psychology: Forensic Psychology Research: Suicide by Cop

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Forensic Psychology Research: Suicide by Cop

Forensic Psychology

(Photo Credit: Volker Neumann)

The phenomenon of suicide by cop (SBC) is attracting an increasing amount of empirical interest within forensic psychology. As a case in point, police and forensic psychologist Kris Mohandie, Ph.D. has just had a paper published entitled "Suicide by Cop Among Officer-Involved Shooting Cases" in the latest edition of the Journal of Forensic Sciences.

In defining SBC Dr Mohandie refers to the process by which "a suicidal individual engages in actual or apparently life threatening behavior in an effort to compel law enforcement to use deadly force against them". With this definition in mind, Dr Mohandie and his colleagues analyzed over 700 North American officer-involved shootings which involved reviewing police reports, witness statements, crime scene photographs, videotapes and news reports. Among the authors findings were that 36 percent of the shootings in the sample could be classified as SBC.

For a more detailed summary of the findings, Click Here To read Dr Mohandie's published research abstract.

Forensic psychologist Kris Mohandie, Ph.D. discussing SBC at the Youth & Young Adults Conference in San Diego, CA.

More SBC Information

Suicide by Cop: Defining a Devastating Dilemma. Wide ranging article by Anthony J. Pinizzotto, Edward F. Davis & Charles E. Miller. Published in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

Click Here To read the article in full.

Study Measures Scope of SBC Cases. Article written by Paul Dingsdale for University of Southern California News suggesting among other things that Those who provoke shootings by police tend to be men with a history of violence and alcohol or drug dependency.

Click Here To read the news article.

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