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Burglary continues to yield low detection rates, and although the characteristics of how burglaries are committed has been investigated in some detail, less is known about how burglars avoid detection generally and in particular the activities of non-apprehended burglars. To investigate this issue, one can at least in principle investigate the special case of burglars who claim to have avoided apprehension in spite of the fact that they have committed a large number of burglaries over time. The approach taken here was to thematically analyze the interview data from a previous study comparing the crime scene movements of a small group of non-apprehended burglars with experienced but apprehended burglars. The results here from a thematic analysis of that previous study revealed marked differences in the rationales between the experienced, apprehended burglars and the experienced non-apprehended burglars when implementing different crime scene behaviors. A series of techniques and strategies emerges, which appear to aid in avoiding detection around the burglary scene and are summarized with implications discussed.

The written autobiographical accounts of three life-course offenders, which were published following extended life-course offending, were analyzed using a theory-led thematic analysis. The protagonists were each responsible for a broad range of acquisitive and violent crimes, although different offense types are often studied as separate entities. The utility of narrative theory was explored as a life-course theory by contrasting its framework with these disparate areas of inquiry, along the developmental trajectory of the protagonist's account. Findings showed that onset began with trait-driven and versatile offending, which progressed toward specialization, incorporating modus operandi and rational choice making. Specialization was underpinned by themes of violence and control. The concluding themes dealt with the process of desistance, which was facilitated by a series of cognitive shifts, allowing these offenders to retain a core element of the "self." Results further showed that narrative-identity played an influential role in the development of specialization and eventual desistance, but less so with onset. Narrative theory has the potential to aid understanding of the criminal life-course trajectory, which in turn can assist in both detection and rehabilitation processes.

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