Serial and single-victim rapists: differences in crime-scene violence, interpersonal involvement, and criminal sophistication

Three categories of crime‐scene behaviors (violence, interpersonal involvement, and criminal sophistication) among a group of 22 serial and 22 single‐victim rapists were studied. Findings indicate that serial rapists were more likely to display a higher level of criminally sophisticated behaviors to avoid detection, whereas single‐victim rapists were more likely to behave violently and engage in some form of interpersonal involvement with their victims. Implications of these findings for investigation and for understanding offenders' behavior are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.