Implications for Practice

This chapter synthesises the findings of the previous chapters and constructs the beginnings of a guide to good practice, in lieu of official, national guidance. This chapter is by no means a definitive guide, but rather a starting point, to be expanded with further research and collaborative work with the police. It covers, among others, the issues of: target audience, medium of dissemination, the literary ‘hook’, characterisation designed to minimise harm, the pacing of information delivery, implications for closure, and the choice of spokesperson for an appeal. While these factors are already likely considered by appeal writers, this guide provides further literary and linguistic research to help inform the choices that appeal writers make.