Handwriting Identification

CHAPTER 7:
HANDWRITING
IDENTIFICATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
AT THE END IF THIS CHAPTER,THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO:
• Define handwriting and handwriting identification

• Explain the process of handwriting identification
• Enumerate the intricacies or complexities of handwriting
• Define handwriting system
• Explain the individual characteristics in handwriting
• Explain the variations in handwriting;and
• Enumerate the factors that affect handwriting
WHAT IS HANDWRITING?
Handwriting is an acquired skill and clearly, one that is a complex perceptual-

motor task sometimes referred to as a neuromuscular task. Skilled writing movements are
so commonplace that one is inclined to overlook their complexity. Without exaggeration,
however, writing is one of the most advanced achievements of the human body.
WHAT IS HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION?
The examination of disputed handwriting may be the progenitor of forensic science.

• Handwriting identification is a discriminatory process that derives from the comparison
of writing habits, and evaluation of the significance of their similarities or differences.
What has been commonly and frequently referred to as characteristics of writing.
Writing characteristics (i.e., habits) have been commonly described as being of two types:
Class characteristics – the products of prescribed writing systems

• Individual characteristics – the particular idiosyncrasies of the individual.
THE PROCESS UNDERLYING HANDWRITING IDENTIFICATION
Analysis or Discriminating Element Determination – the unknown item and the known items must, by
analysis, examination, or study, be reduced to a matter of their discriminating elements. These are the habits
of behavior or performance (i.e., features or characteristics and, in another discipline, the properties) that
serve to differentiate between products or people, which may be discrimination observable, measurable, or
otherwise perceptible aspects of the item.
Comparison – the discriminating elements of the unknown, observed, or determined through analysis,
examination, or study be compared with those known, observed, or recorded of the standard items.
• Evaluation – similarities or dissimilarities in discriminating elements will each have a certain value for
discriminating purposes, determined by their cause, independence, or likelihood of occurrence. The
weight or significance of similarity or difference of each element must then be considered.
FIVE INTRICACIES OR COMPLEXITIES OF
HANDWRITING
The aggregate line length – generally speaking, the longer the line, the more complex the
design. There are, of course, some stylized signatures that contain lengths of strokes of no
purpose.
• The number of pronounced directional changes in the line- when directional changes
are angled in the vicinity of 180 degrees they constitute retraces, When less than 90
degrees, they may be departures in the straight-line movement of the commencement of
curves.
The number of overwriting – overwriting can be misleading as to the stroke direction, and
thus, confusing as to allograph construction. They may be one of two kinds, and for clarity, a
distinction should be made between a retracing and superimposition.
The continuity of the pen movement – the interruptions to continuity of the pen are pen lifts
that are usually an advantage to the simulator as they provide a legitimate place to pause and
consider the next move. However, a pen fit that reflects motion continuity, will have a tapered
ending and beginning to the pen stroke as the instrument rises from and returns to the paper
surface, without a distinct break in its travel (some call it a hiatus).
• The position of well-segregated, complex pen motions – fluent and complex pen motions
– fluent and complex pen motions can be executed with the case, but only when natural
and/or practiced. Flawless replication of them is even more dependent on nature and or
practice. Complex pen patterns of the same design that are superimposed upon one another
often conceal the evidence of spuriousness that would otherwise be available to consider.
WHAT IS HANDWRITING SYSTEM?
• Handwriting systems are a collection of letter formations, typically created by a teacher

or penman that generally contains some common features within similar letter formations.
It is a prescribed pattern for emulation and assimilation as a handwriting style and is
taught ad part of the educational process.
• Palmer handwriting system
• Spencerian handwriting system
• Zaner-bloser handwriting system
INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS IN
HANDWRITING
• Individual characteristics, unlike class characteristics, are thought of as unique to a
specific writer. This is not quite true; it requires a combination of individual
characteristics and frequency of occurrence to make an individual’s handwriting unique
to him. Just as one number to a safe combination lock can be found in numerous other
safes, a large enough series of numbers in a specific order will be unique to only one safe.
• High skill level
• Low skill level
• Skill level by itself may be one of the more important characteristics of identification of
non-identification
VARIATIONS IN HANDWRITING
• Consistency or natural variation is the imprecision with which the habits of the writer are executed
on repeated occasions. It has been said that any two objects larger than molecular size contain
variation. And so it is with handwriting. We never write anything the same. Every time we write, we
write slightly differently.
• Variations in handwriting can be due to:
• Lack of machine-like precision in the human hand.
• External factors such as the writing instrument and the writing instrument and the writing position.
• Influence of physical and mental conditions such as fatigue and intoxication
• Quantity of writings prepared with time.
FACTORS THAT AFFECTING HANDWRITING
Mechanical Factors
• Time span
• Health
• Blindness
• Mental Health
• Drugs and Medication
• Alcohol and Drug Abuse
• Accidental strokes
• Guided hand
• A tremor in handwriting

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CHAPTER 7:

• Define handwriting and handwriting identification

Handwriting is an acquired skill and clearly, one that is a complex perceptual-

The examination of disputed handwriting may be the progenitor of forensic science.

Class characteristics – the products of prescribed writing systems

• Handwriting systems are a collection of letter formations, typically created by a teacher

• Drugs and Medication

• Alcohol and Drug Abuse

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