Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
Journal Data
| Type | JOURNAL |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Springer Verlag (DE) |
| ISSN | 0882-0783 / 1936-6469 |
| Scopus | 12100155619 |
| Wikidata | Q15759482 |
| OpenAlex | S54351841 |
| Website | https://link.springer.com/journal/11896 |
| Total publications | 43 |
| Coverage period | 2013 - 2026 |
| Country | US |
| Language | EN |
| Indexing | Scopus indexed |
| Cited by | 11 |
| SJR | 0.629 (Q1) |
| SNIP | 1.01 |
| CiteScore | 3.2 |
| h-index | 1 |
| i10-index | 1 |
| Overton policy citations | 4 |
| Female authorship share | 57.6% |
This journal focuses on police and criminal psychology, which falls primarily within applied psychology and criminology. While psychological anthropology is a subfield, this venue's specific focus is too specialized and applied to be considered a closely cognate anthropological journal
Law · Applied Psychology · Child Abuse and Trauma · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Deception detection and forensic psychology · Emotional Intelligence and Performance · Face Recognition and Perception · Gun Ownership and Violence Research
Investigating Unresolved Serial Rape Cases in South Africa
This article examines the investigation of an unresolved serial rape series in the Ekurhuleni District of South Africa and analyses how forensic intelligence, behavioural linkage, and multidisciplinary investigative review interact in the identification of prolific stranger rapists. The article has two related aims. First, it documents the investigative development of the Ekurhuleni series, including the generation of DNA crime-to-crime forensic …
You are not Obliged to say Anything
Inefficacy of the SCAN Technique in Discriminating Between Truthful and Fabricated Statements
The study examined how well the Scientific Content Analysis Technique (SCAN) could differentiate between genuine and false statements related to negative experiences. SCAN, employed as a lie detection tool, was applied by trained, independent, and blind assessors who evaluated 151 truthful and 156 fabricated statements based on eleven SCAN criteria. Participants were divided into “Truth” and “Lie” groups, with the former describing genuine negati…
Assessing Police Recruit Disqualifiers
Current workforce shortages have led many police agencies to evaluate their hiring standards to increase the number of candidates they receive. Although getting more individuals into the profession is crucial, it should not come at the expense of losing trust and legitimacy from the public. With this in mind, the current study uses data from a national-level survey of citizens ( N = 1,340) to assess attitudes towards qualifications related to pri…
Political Participation, Police Trust, Sense of Social Justice, and Perception of Public Security
Sexual Assault Victim-Survivors’ Perceptions of Police Interview Techniques
Victim-survivors of sexual violence frequently describe police interviews as traumatising, yet their input has seldom been sought in the development of investigative interview techniques. Our study surveyed 285 adult victim-survivors of sexual violence in Australia to examine their perceptions of key police interview techniques. Conducting the interview in a private and comfortable environment was rated as the most important technique to victim-s…
“It’s all Just Part of the Job”
Investigating Resilience, Burnout, and Empathy
This exploratory study investigates the relationship between resilience, burnout, and empathy among law enforcement officers, utilizing the Professional Quality of Life measure, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and Revised-Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Through multivariate and mediation analyses, the research provides nuanced insights into how burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction influence emotional and psychological outco…
Psychological Outcomes for Investigators of Online Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) investigators are required to view thousands of sexually graphic images involving children as part of their daily work, raising concerns about possible harmful occupational health effects. We administered a battery of 24 psychological scales to 141 current CSE investigators and 106 investigators engaged in other areas of policing. Fourteen scales focused on potential psychological outcomes of the investigators’ rol…
Leadership Transition for the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
Police Psychotherapy as a Reconstructive Journey Toward Transformation, Healing, and Behavioral Change
When Technology Becomes a Weapon
When Symptoms Matter More Than Charges
Police increasingly serve as first responders to behavioral health crises, making critical jail diversion decisions at the intersection of law enforcement and mental health systems. While charge severity typically predicts diversion outcomes, it remains unclear whether this relationship operates consistently across different clinical presentations. This study examined whether psychotic presentations moderate the association between charge severit…
Feasibility of Mindfulness Training for Police Officers at the Spanish National Police Academy
The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate whether a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), the 'Mindfulness to Promote Police Well-being' program, was feasible for trainee inspectors of the National Police Academy in Spain. A 7-week MBI was conducted in a group of 61 trainee inspectors (M age = 43.52, SD = 8.95) from the National Police Academy in Ávila (Spain), divided into two cohorts. Expectancy and opinion, well-being, distress, aff…
The dual Sides of the Police Badge
Research on workplace well-being across diverse professional groups has yielded critical insights for advancing organizational management practices. Police officers, in particular, are subject to elevated stress levels due to the inherently demanding and high-stakes nature of their occupational roles. Investigating their experiences provides a robust basis for identifying theoretical and methodological lacunae in the academic literature and exist…
Behind the Badge
Adults’ Perceptions of Child Eyewitness Credibility
Conducted Energy Weapons are not a Generally Safe Intervention Option
Police Decision-Making on Legal Responses to Stalking
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
A Comparative Analysis of Character Strengths in Elite Tactical Units
Elite tactical teams in police and military contexts handle high-risk, complex operations that demand psychological resilience. Their selection, training, and operational strategies continuously drive toward optimized work performance. Character strengths, which guide a person’s actions and behaviors, are one likely factor in work performance. This study examines the character strengths prioritized by Swedish Special Intervention Unit officers an…
Correctional Officers
What are Training Scars in Police Operational-Skills Training? A Conceptual Synthesis via a Rapid Integrative Review
The Role of Resilience and Internal Locus of Control as Protective Factors Against Secondary Trauma and Poor Wellbeing in UK Police Family Liaison Officers
The Family Liaison Officer (FLO) role within Policing is to support a victim’s family members during their most challenging time, whilst also playing a key part in the ongoing criminal investigation. Given the trauma FLOs witness while assisting families, it is surprising that the impact of this role has not been subject to much academic research to date. This paper aims to explore the effects of family liaison work on police officers in England …
Evidence Disclosure and Confessions During Interrogations in Japan
Does enhanced rapport-building alter the dynamics of investigative interviews with suspected victims of intra-familial abuse
Investigating Unresolved Serial Rape Cases in South Africa
This article examines the investigation of an unresolved serial rape series in the Ekurhuleni District of South Africa and analyses how forensic intelligence, behavioural linkage, and multidisciplinary investigative review interact in the identification of prolific stranger rapists. The article has two related aims. First, it documents the investigative development of the Ekurhuleni series, including the generation of DNA crime-to-crime forensic …
You are not Obliged to say Anything
Inefficacy of the SCAN Technique in Discriminating Between Truthful and Fabricated Statements
The study examined how well the Scientific Content Analysis Technique (SCAN) could differentiate between genuine and false statements related to negative experiences. SCAN, employed as a lie detection tool, was applied by trained, independent, and blind assessors who evaluated 151 truthful and 156 fabricated statements based on eleven SCAN criteria. Participants were divided into “Truth” and “Lie” groups, with the former describing genuine negati…
Assessing Police Recruit Disqualifiers
Current workforce shortages have led many police agencies to evaluate their hiring standards to increase the number of candidates they receive. Although getting more individuals into the profession is crucial, it should not come at the expense of losing trust and legitimacy from the public. With this in mind, the current study uses data from a national-level survey of citizens ( N = 1,340) to assess attitudes towards qualifications related to pri…
Political Participation, Police Trust, Sense of Social Justice, and Perception of Public Security
Sexual Assault Victim-Survivors’ Perceptions of Police Interview Techniques
Victim-survivors of sexual violence frequently describe police interviews as traumatising, yet their input has seldom been sought in the development of investigative interview techniques. Our study surveyed 285 adult victim-survivors of sexual violence in Australia to examine their perceptions of key police interview techniques. Conducting the interview in a private and comfortable environment was rated as the most important technique to victim-s…
“It’s all Just Part of the Job”
Investigating Resilience, Burnout, and Empathy
This exploratory study investigates the relationship between resilience, burnout, and empathy among law enforcement officers, utilizing the Professional Quality of Life measure, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and Revised-Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Through multivariate and mediation analyses, the research provides nuanced insights into how burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion satisfaction influence emotional and psychological outco…
Psychological Outcomes for Investigators of Online Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) investigators are required to view thousands of sexually graphic images involving children as part of their daily work, raising concerns about possible harmful occupational health effects. We administered a battery of 24 psychological scales to 141 current CSE investigators and 106 investigators engaged in other areas of policing. Fourteen scales focused on potential psychological outcomes of the investigators’ rol…
Leadership Transition for the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
Police Psychotherapy as a Reconstructive Journey Toward Transformation, Healing, and Behavioral Change
When Technology Becomes a Weapon
When Symptoms Matter More Than Charges
Police increasingly serve as first responders to behavioral health crises, making critical jail diversion decisions at the intersection of law enforcement and mental health systems. While charge severity typically predicts diversion outcomes, it remains unclear whether this relationship operates consistently across different clinical presentations. This study examined whether psychotic presentations moderate the association between charge severit…
Feasibility of Mindfulness Training for Police Officers at the Spanish National Police Academy
The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate whether a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), the 'Mindfulness to Promote Police Well-being' program, was feasible for trainee inspectors of the National Police Academy in Spain. A 7-week MBI was conducted in a group of 61 trainee inspectors (M age = 43.52, SD = 8.95) from the National Police Academy in Ávila (Spain), divided into two cohorts. Expectancy and opinion, well-being, distress, aff…
The dual Sides of the Police Badge
Research on workplace well-being across diverse professional groups has yielded critical insights for advancing organizational management practices. Police officers, in particular, are subject to elevated stress levels due to the inherently demanding and high-stakes nature of their occupational roles. Investigating their experiences provides a robust basis for identifying theoretical and methodological lacunae in the academic literature and exist…
Behind the Badge
Adults’ Perceptions of Child Eyewitness Credibility
Conducted Energy Weapons are not a Generally Safe Intervention Option
Police Decision-Making on Legal Responses to Stalking
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
A Comparative Analysis of Character Strengths in Elite Tactical Units
Elite tactical teams in police and military contexts handle high-risk, complex operations that demand psychological resilience. Their selection, training, and operational strategies continuously drive toward optimized work performance. Character strengths, which guide a person’s actions and behaviors, are one likely factor in work performance. This study examines the character strengths prioritized by Swedish Special Intervention Unit officers an…
Correctional Officers
What are Training Scars in Police Operational-Skills Training? A Conceptual Synthesis via a Rapid Integrative Review
The Role of Resilience and Internal Locus of Control as Protective Factors Against Secondary Trauma and Poor Wellbeing in UK Police Family Liaison Officers
The Family Liaison Officer (FLO) role within Policing is to support a victim’s family members during their most challenging time, whilst also playing a key part in the ongoing criminal investigation. Given the trauma FLOs witness while assisting families, it is surprising that the impact of this role has not been subject to much academic research to date. This paper aims to explore the effects of family liaison work on police officers in England …