| Within the Western countries among which the United States acts as the representative, the study and exertion on the analysis of psychological trace of crime has been persisted for several decades. It is noteworthy that this technology plays an increasingly important role in the practice of justice, especially in criminal investigations. It provides strong supports to the eventual cracking of raft difficult cases. However, the exploitation and study on analysis of psychological traces of crime in our country is still in its embryonic stages. The lack of systematic theoretical guidance and especially the lack of operational standards in its use in criminal investigations results in a big gap between our country and western counties. To cope with the complicated circumstances of crime developing in new period, I think that we should conduct a comprehensive research on the analysis of psychological traces of crime, and then apply it to criminal investigations, so as to enhance the public security organs' capability of cracking serious criminal cases, and strengthen the prevention and control of crime.However, in our current level, how can we conduct a more effective study on the analysis of psychological traces of crime and apply it to the practice of criminal investigation? To solve the problem, this paper elaborates on three aspects: the concept of psychological traces of crime, the research methods of analysis of psychological traces of crime and its application in criminal investigations.First, the concept of psychological traces of crimePsychological and material trace of crime belongs to different areas. The former is a concept of psychology, the latter is a concept of trail. The biggest difference between the two lies in their different existences. Material trace is visible, tangible and substantial, it forms in the whole process of crime, and exists in the scene environment which had been directly or indirectly touched by criminals and changed. Thus, it makes the detecting and withdrawing of material trace by sense organs and instruments possible. On the contrary, psychological trace of crime is invisible and abstract. It's a kind of psychological characteristics that can only be felt by policeman. It's not independent. And it exists in material trace of crime, which comes into being at the same time with it. It determines that psychological trace of crime is the" invisible trace" behind material trace of crime, which can only be analyzed and identified by human thought.But as mentioned earlier, psychological traces of crime relates to psychological trace of crime. They reflect the same content, which contains perpetrator's crime. They are respectively the two aspects of one issue. In other words, psychological and material traces of crime are both resulted in perpetrators and their behaviors. The former exists in the latter. They verify each other and can't be divided. So I think that the concept of psychological traces of crime can be expressed as:" Perpetrator's typical characteristics of mentality and psychological process reflects in material trace and victims' consciousness, which result in the touch and interaction between perpetrator and scene circumstance in the whole process of crime."Second, the research methods on the analysis of psychological trace of crimeThe research on the analysis of psychological traces of crime needs scientific and effective method. Because of abstract and being indirect of psychological traces of crime, the cognition and study on it couldn't only depend on simple perceptual thought. We have to use stricter scientific methods. The principle of epistemology in Marxist philosophy provides us with the inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning, and respectively solves two epistemology problems. There's no doubt that the effective use of these theories is propitious to solve practical problems. I use them for reference to the study on the analysis of psychological traces of crime, so as to establish scientific and effective system of research methods. Furthermore, whereas the great relations among criminal investigation, criminal psychology and the actual cases, I solely list the Statistic of cases as one of the research methods on analysis of psychological traces of crime.Third, the applications of analysis of psychological traces of crime in criminal investigations1. To help find traces and evidences of crime in scene tracing. There must be traces and evidence of crime in scene of crime. For this reason, to trace the scene of crime is a very important way of getting evidences. In a certain sense, the final cracking of cases relies on the collection of evidences as many as possible. As a matter of fact, because of the complexity of the crime, the traces perpetrators left at the scene of the crime are extremely complicated. The types of traces and evidences of crime are divers, and distribution extensive. And some minor traces and evidence are secluded and short-lived. These situations increase the difficulty of taking evidence. However, the use of the analysis of the psychological trace would help change this decline. In the process of crime scene investigation, the simultaneous analysis of the psychological trace of crime is helpful to find traces and evidence of crime which are not so easy to be detected, such as traces and evidence perpetrator left in some corner, inside or bottom of some objects, etc.2. To help analyze the details of case and depict crime in the course of investigation. The analysis of the details of case is to rebuild the course of crime in thought (rather than fact) by studying on the result of crime, so as to distinguish the characteristic of case, the course of crime and the characteristic of perpetrator. In other words, the analysis of the details of case is due to the backward process. In this course, investigators could be interfered by many negative factors, which would prevent investigators from distinguishing the characteristic of case and the course of crime. However, if we try to analyze the psychological trace of crime and study the motive and goals of crime, research the features of perpetrator's mental activity, it will be helpful for investigators to find the information of crime as real as possible. In this way, we can distinguish the characteristic of case and perpetrator, and the course of crime.3. To provide ancillary clues to guide investigation out of its predicament. Generally speaking, investigators could find clues through the traces and evidence in crime scene. But because of the enhancement of perpetrators' awareness of anti-detection, the raise of crime intelligence, and the application of high technology in crime, the clues of investigation are of shortage usually, which leads investigation bog down. How to break this stagnation of the situation and bring a breakthrough in investigation? To solve the problem, we must do a good job in two areas of work: First, study the reasons for the stagnation of investigation; second, study the method of advancing investigation. In such circumstances, it is particularly important to apply the analysis of psychological traces of crime. If only the signs of change exist in the scene of crime, no matter the scene had been camouflaged or not, the perpetrator's mentality will be reflected, which is of great significance for finding out doubtful points, contradictions and clues of cases.4. To build the system of guideline for analysis of psychological traces of crime and guide the practice and theoretical research of investigation. The study on analysis of psychological traces of crime in China is still in its infancy stage. Compare with the world's advanced level, we are still laggard. We lack a complete system of indicators which contains kinds of guideline for research. To guide the practice and theoretical research of investigation, I think that we should build the system of guideline for analysis of psychological traces of crime.Through rigorous evaluation, I believe that: we must hold a correct cognition of the analysis of psychological traces of crime. It is neither the "unique skills of detection ", which is claimed by some people, nor the "deceptive tricks of telling fortune ". It is a kind of conclusion reasoned by analyzing the traces and evidence of crime in scene with scientific methods. Indeed, conclusion of the analysis of psychological traces of crime can not be used directly. It's only a "possibility". However, its narrow logic makes it effective assistant of investigation. In fact, the analysis of psychological traces of crime is a kind of highly targeted logical inference. It is thinking process, as well as more senior investigative thinking, which helps investigators in cracking High IQ crime, metamorphic crime and series of crime. It will help investigators know crime and its disciplinarian of occurring and development, so as to prevention and control social crimes more effectively. |
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