1. Burglars: Personality and Spatial Behaviour
Mgr. Veronika A. Polisenska, MSc.

2. Burglary
Largely non-violent crime in which environmental influences play a significant role
Professional
Opportunist
(Bennet & Wright, 1984; Nee & Taylor, 1988; Barker, 2000)

3. Geography of burglary Ranges and zones Spatial patterns
Minimum and maximum range
Safety zone
Awareness space
Brantingham and Brantingham (1981)
Spatial patterns
Uniform
Distance bias
Bimodal
Directional
Rengert and Wasilchick (1985)

4. Mental maps How people Divisions understand environment
relate to the environment
make spatial decisions
(Kaplan, 1973; Cadwallader, 1976; Garling et al., 1985; Kitchin, 1994)
Divisions
Direction
Linear
Spread
Region
Specific
Large

5. Personality Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI)
Battery of tests
Designed to assess differences between people
7 dimensions of temperament and character
Temperament is defined as automatic emotional responses to experience that are partly heritable and stable throughout life.

6. The temperament dimensions
Novelty seeking
high - excitable, exploratory, curious, easily bored and easily angered, disorderly
low - slow tempered, indifferent, stoical, systematic
Harm Avoidance
high - cautious, careful, timid, nervous and passive, however, take greater care in anticipating danger
low - carefree, daring and courageous, confident in danger
Reward Dependence
high - loving, warm, sensitive, sociable, they seek social contact.
low - practical, toughminded, socially insensitive, they do not strife to please others

7. Research Sample 27 burglars At least once imprisoned for burglary
4 prisons of minimum and medium security
Age (mean = 31.3)
Questionnaire regarding family and criminal history
Semi-structured interview accompanied with drawing of sketches of mental maps
Cloninger test

8. Typology of burglars Content analysis of interviews Cloninger
Source of the decision
External
Internal
Flexible
Loner
Action
Mental
Physical
Explorer
Opportunist
Cloninger
4 types of offenders’ personalities

9. Flexible offenders 11 offenders
Middle values in all three temperament char.
Main theme - influence of external sources
Weak influence
a tip or specialisation in very specific items, such as garages or tools
puts quite an effort into looking for targets as well as preparation
Strong influence
of the situation, such as unlocked doors or open window
of friends, who needed help

10. Spatial behavior Shows journeys to different places Away from home
Large environment
Along familiar route or no preference in direction
Little or no planning is involved

11. Loners 8 offenders Low values in reward dependence
Main theme - fulfilment of practical needs.
Immediate fulfilment
least effort to gain what they aim for, for ex. money, food.
Sufficient fulfilment
for ex. enough of money for 6 months

12. Spatial behaviour
Specific place - burgle within their home area using opportunities presented by that environment
Large region - travel farther distances and place large emphasis on preparation and choice of target

13. Explorers 5 offenders High on novelty seeking
The main theme: occupation (mental) and maintaining standards
Like to overcome obstacles
Detailed process of choosing targets
Professionals

14. Spatial behaviour:
far distances from their homes as they prefer the uncertainties of unknown areas
can spend several days on the road or in one city

15. Opportunists 3 offenders The opposites of explorers
High on novelty seeking and low on reward dependence
Main theme: occupation (physical) and experience novelty
Burgle almost everyday

16. Spatial behaviour exploratory trips specific process of exploring
burgle everyday very often under the influence of alcohol
little or no planning is involved

17. Conclusion
The current research shows that the personality influences the spatial behaviour of burglars
The personality influences burglary with regards to sources of decision to burglar and action while burgling
4 types of burglars with specific spatial behaviors

18. This presentation was supported by Hlavka foundation
Thank you
This presentation was supported by Hlavka foundation