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Does facial width-to-height ratio predict male offender aggression?

Does facial width-to-height ratio predict male offender aggression? Based on the previously observed link between greater facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and interpersonal aggression in men (see Haselhuhn et al., 2015), the purpose of this paper is to test whether fWHR could differentiate among male offenders as a function of the relative aggressiveness of the crime for which they had been convicted.Design/methodology/approachfWHR measurements (n=550) were computed based on a large subset of male offenders available on a public domain database. Each offender’s index offense and possible confounding variables such as age, ethnicity, and body mass index were also recorded.FindingsMultiple analyses yielded no evidence of a relationship between male fWHR and the comparative level of violence of their conviction offense.Originality/valueEstablishing an empirical basis for probable parameters of an unknown offender’s facial structure could have a considerable practical value for criminal profiling purposes. fWHR – at least as it has been most frequently assessed – does not appear to be a facial parameter that is useful for this purpose, however. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Criminal Psychology Emerald Publishing

Does facial width-to-height ratio predict male offender aggression?

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
2009-3829
DOI
10.1108/jcp-03-2017-0013
Publisher site
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Abstract

Based on the previously observed link between greater facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and interpersonal aggression in men (see Haselhuhn et al., 2015), the purpose of this paper is to test whether fWHR could differentiate among male offenders as a function of the relative aggressiveness of the crime for which they had been convicted.Design/methodology/approachfWHR measurements (n=550) were computed based on a large subset of male offenders available on a public domain database. Each offender’s index offense and possible confounding variables such as age, ethnicity, and body mass index were also recorded.FindingsMultiple analyses yielded no evidence of a relationship between male fWHR and the comparative level of violence of their conviction offense.Originality/valueEstablishing an empirical basis for probable parameters of an unknown offender’s facial structure could have a considerable practical value for criminal profiling purposes. fWHR – at least as it has been most frequently assessed – does not appear to be a facial parameter that is useful for this purpose, however.

Journal

Journal of Criminal Psychology – Emerald Publishing

Published: Oct 19, 2017

Keywords: Aggression; Violence; Profiling; Facial structure; Facial width-to-height ratio; Offender sample

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