Marauder Offense Style

A serial offender can have two very distinct offense styles while committing their crimes. These offense styles can include being either a commuter, or a marauder. Specific types of offenders were more likely to maintain particular types of offense styles. Statistically speaking, estimating an offenders offense style based on the crimes committed were accurately predicted in 79% of offenders (Meaney, 2004). Additionally, the geographic location in which an offender committed their crimes largely depended on one’s offensive style that they possessed. A commuter is defined as an offender who leaves their home location to commit crimes in a new location (Carmody, 2017). This location can typically be isolated to a particular circular distance
The study revealed that burglaries were the most likely group of offenders to possess a commuter offense style (Meaney, 2004). Meanwhile, over 90% of arsonists and sexual offenders were more likely to maintain a marauder offense style (Meaney, 2004). Although marauders were expected to either be female, caucasian, juvenile, acquire a home base in the city, or were more likely to have used alcohol during the offense, this was not found to be statistically significant (Meaney, 2004). Therefore, these predicted findings could not be applied to the results of this study. Also, it is beneficial to note that various circumstances were considered as to why certain offenders committed in distinct areas. Sexual offending and arson were more closely linked to psychopathologic factors (Meaney, 2004). These offenders were more likely to commit these crimes due to cognitive abnormalities or psychological strains within themselves. However, burglars were more likely to commit their crimes due to social, economic, and environmental factors (Meaney,
In other words, the more crimes an offender committed, the more likely they were to commit their next crime further away from their home. This finding was found to be true for all types of offenders (sexual offenders, arsonists, and burglars) despite their style of being a commuter or a marauder. However, since burglars were typically commuters, these offenders retained the most traveled distance than the others. It was thought to be that the more confidence the offender demonstrated, the more likely this offender would be inclined to travel to commit their crimes (Meaney, 2004). This is quite contradictory of the Distance Decay Theory which states that offenders are more likely to commit crimes that appear to have the least amount of effort involved, thus there will be a decrease in frequency of offending the further away from the home (Carmody,