Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Holistic Facial Composite Creation and Subsequent Video Line-up Eyewitness Identification Paradigm
Published on: December 24, 2015
The Relationship Between a Person's Criminal History, Immediate Situational Factors, and Lethal Versus Non-Lethal
Soenita Minakoemarie Ganpat1, Joanne van der Leun2, Paul Nieuwbeerta2
11 Loughborough University, UK.
Abstract:
When investigating serious violence, studies tend to look primarily at offenders and their background. This study investigates the influence of offenders' and victims' criminal history and immediate situational factors on the likelihood that violent events will end lethally. For this purpose, we compare lethal with non-lethal events, and combine Dutch criminal records with data from court files of those involved in lethal (i.e., homicide, n = 126) versus non-lethal events (i.e., attempted homicide, n = 141). Results reveal that both criminal history and immediate situational factors clearly matter for the outcome of violent events; however, immediate situational factors have the strongest effect on violent outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
Bystander Effect
Fundamental Attribution Error
Attribution Theory
Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Cause and Effect

