Why Early Separation Is Crucial in Relational Crimes... Why 'SAM' Is the Key to Prevention [News Seolcham]

Establishing Assessment Criteria with the Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM) Tool
Evaluating Risk Through Psychological Analysis of Perpetrators and Victims
"Perpetrators' Obsession Can Lead to Hostile Behavior"

Editor's Note'Seolcham' is a newly coined term meaning "please refer to the explanation for more details." In [News Seolcham], we pinpoint sections of news articles that require fact-checking or further explanation and provide more detailed context.

The Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM) tool, recently adopted by the police, is emerging as a key to preventing relational crimes such as stalking, domestic violence, and dating violence. Relational crimes often escalate into serious offenses like murder. This is because the perpetrator and the victim are usually well-acquainted, making initial separation measures difficult to implement.

Victims Reluctant to Report... High Risk of Escalation to Serious Crimes

According to the National Police Agency, among the 388 murder cases (including completed, attempted, and preparatory cases) that occurred from January to July of this year, 70 had a prior history of relational crime victimization. Due to the nature of relational crimes, victims are often hesitant to report, which increases the risk of delayed police response. Of all murder cases, 40 cases (57.1%) had no prior reports or investigation records before the incident.

The "192 Paired Stopped Shoes" performance conducted by Korea Women's Hotline last November to mark the International Week for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Photo by Yonhap News

Under the current Domestic Violence Punishment Act, the police can request temporary measures against the perpetrator after receiving a report of a relational crime, but the separation period is limited to one to two months, with a maximum of two extensions allowed. To prevent recidivism during the initial investigation and implement more proactive actions such as detention, clear evidence regarding the risk of the incident is required.

This is why SAM has emerged as a crucial tool for preventing relational crime victimization. On July 31, the National Police Agency announced, "At the stage of requesting a warrant, we will evaluate the risk of recidivism using scientific assessment tools such as SAM, so that detention can be actively pursued."

Assessing Present and Future Crime Risk

SAM is a risk assessment indicator for stalking crimes developed under the leadership of Dr. Randall Kropp of the University of British Columbia in Canada. It is mainly used by investigative agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries. In South Korea, the Korean version of SAM completed its validity test last June, and it has recently begun to be used as investigative material, such as for requesting arrest warrants in certain relational crime cases.

The "Stalking Assessment and Management" (SAM) tool, a profiling instrument used to evaluate the risk of relational crimes such as stalking, completed its validation in South Korea last June. Insight Psychological Testing Institute

SAM comprehensively analyzes three areas: the characteristics of the crime, the perpetrator's risk factors, and the victim's vulnerability, to assess the overall risk of the crime. During this process, a crime analyst (profiler) interviews both the perpetrator and the victim, analyzes their psychological states, and determines whether there is a risk of stalking in the present or future.

Particularly dangerous perpetrators in relational crimes are those with strong characteristics of obsession and delusion. Seo Jonghan, a former profiler and now a professor at Yeungnam University who oversaw the validity test of the Korean SAM, explained, "These traits are related to narcissistic and psychopathic personalities. Perpetrators with strong obsession try to restore their self-esteem by dominating and controlling the victim. When these desires are frustrated, they become unable to restrain themselves and act out in a hostile manner."

Profilers interview not only the perpetrator but also the victim, as the victim's psychological vulnerability can increase the risk of crime. Professor Seo added, "For example, if the victim's excessive fear leads to a sense of helplessness, lowering their ability to respond or defend themselves, it can provide an opportunity for the perpetrator to commit a crime."

He continued, "In South Korea, it is common for victims of relational crimes to have ambivalent feelings. Since they were once in a romantic relationship, they want to resolve things amicably. Sometimes, victims blame themselves for the perpetrator's actions or believe the perpetrator's behavior is justified. Such beliefs can lead to stalking or dating violence," he warned.

"Objective Indicators Are Helpful When Accurate Judgment Is Difficult"

The police plan to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system to assess and detect the risk of recidivism in the future, and to strengthen measures to separate perpetrators, such as electronic monitoring, detention, and arrest.

Professor Seo emphasized, "There are cases where relational crimes occur even when a restraining order is in effect. Victims may be lured by phrases like 'Let's talk one last time' or 'I just want to end things properly,' and end up meeting the perpetrator, which leads to incidents. Any form of interaction between the perpetrator and the victim can escalate into violence."

Kim Jandi, head of the Department of Police Administration at Woosuk University, also explained, "From the perspective of investigative agencies, the main difficulty with relational crimes has stemmed more from the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim than from institutional issues. Because the two parties are close, it is difficult for the victim to make clear decisions. Objective assessment tools like SAM that investigative agencies can refer to will be of great help."