Forensic Psychology and Criminal Profiling

Forensic Psychology and Criminal Profiling

Criminal investigations involve the application of various techniques to yield results. One of the techniques commonly applied in criminal investigations is criminal profiling. According to Torres, Boccaccini, and Miller (2006), “Criminal profiling is the process of using behavioral evidence left at a crime scene to make inferences about the offender, including inferences about personality characteristics and psychopathology.” Additionally, criminal profiling is also defined as the criminal investigative analysis, which illustrates that an offender’s behavior and character are analyzed based on pieces of evidence left behind at the scene of the crime, the state, and reports of victims and witnesses of the committed crime, to create an idea on the offender’s personality and traits (Winerman, 2004). Accordingly, various experts, especially psychiatrists and psychologists, conduct criminal profiling; an excellent example is forensic psychology. Forensic psychologists use psychology to analyze evidence gathered and present it in court; however, in most cases, criminal profiling is conducted by police forces trained specifically for that purpose (Torres, Boccaccini, and Miller, 2006).

Role of the Criminal Profiler

Criminal profilers conduct the profiling of an offender by analyzing evidence collected and the state of the crime scene, the offender’s victims, and witnesses’ reports on the crime to establish an ideology of the offender’s mental state, behavior, and traits. Once the ideology is created, the pool of suspects is reduced to those fitting the profile created by the profiler.

For successful profiling, experts in the field must conduct criminal investigative analysis. Subsequently, experts in mental health, such as psychiatrists or psychologists, are involved in criminal profiling. However, in certain cases, trained members of the police force conduct criminal profiling. Consequently, investigators must be best suited for the criminal profiling position when they have logical and critical thinking skills to prevent the wrongful profiling of criminals. In this light, criminal profilers are trained experts who have high accuracy potential to increase the chances of solving a criminal investigation.

Criminal profiling involves the analysis of various aspects of the crime, including evidence collected. Therefore, evidence collected from the crime scene and the crime scene are analyzed for effective profiling. Consequently, for all crimes, including serial crimes involving murder, sexual assaults, and rare arson types, profiling involves analysis of the scene of crime and evidence gathered. The state of the crime scene illustrates the nature and intensity of the crime committed (Lyman, 2011). Based on the state of the crime scene and evidence gathered, the profiler determines the motive for committing the crime, how the crime was committed, potential cover-up attempted by the offender, and the behavior of the offender once the crime is discovered as a guide to finding the offender (Winerman, 2004). Once the profiler determines these aspects of a crime, the investigation can narrow down the suspects.

Criminal Profiling and Understanding Crime

Offenders reflect different personalities depending on the type and nature of the crime. For repetitive offenders, patterns can be established that enable criminal profilers to predict the probability of the next crime and character traits of the offender. Various factors influence criminal profiling; they include evidence gathered from the crime scene, including pictures, complexity and neighborhood details, examiner’s medical report, types of victims, victims’ information, and finalized report on criminal investigation.

Accordingly, criminal profilers use these factors in their profiling. Further, various factors are used to determine different profiles of a crime. For instance, the crime type is determined by the state of the crime scene and victims, as well as other evidence gathered, thereby enabling the profiler to recreate the crime. An excellent example is Adolf Hitler’s profiling by William Langer during World War II to predict potential actions he would take (Schmalleger, 2016). Additionally, the way the crimes were committed is determined by the finalized report on the crime, including factors such as weapon of perpetration, examiner’s medical report on victims such as wounds, and other factors. For instance, in Jack the Ripper’s Crimes of 1888, autopsies were conducted on the victims’ bodies to determine the severity of the attack and other wounds on the victims’ bodies (Txstate.edu, n. d.).

Further, the crimes committed are determined by the victim’s information, complexity, and neighborhood details. An excellent example is George Metesky, also referred to as the “mad bomber,” whose first bombing reflected his dislike for Con Edison but later progressed to crowded places, leading to his arrest in 1957 (Winerman, 2004). Therefore, various factors contribute to criminal profiling aiding in solving criminal investigation and arrest of the offender.

Criminal Profiling: Crime Scene and Victimization

During criminal profiling, criminal profilers analyze the victims of the crime to aid in the criminal investigation analysis. The first aspect involves how the victim was chosen. Consistently, the victims’ information is essential in profiling, including gender, age, drug use, appearance, race, life choices, social status, employment status, place of residence, and area of disappearance. For instance, Jack the Ripper’s victims were single mothers with an alcoholic tendency. In most cases, he attacked women in their forties with missing teeth, except for 20-year-old Mary Kelly, who was still pregnant at the time of the murder bodies (Txstate.edu, n. d.). Based on his victims, patterns were created that enabled his profiling of his behavioral and mental state.

The time the crimes were committed is also essential in criminal profiling. The time of crime enables the establishment of the victims’ activities leading up to the time of death. In Jack the Ripper’s case, he committed the crimes during the weekend, just after the women had been at the pub drinking, indicating that the time and location aided in the ease of the bodies of his murder (Txstate.edu, n. d.). Also, when the time of death is established, it narrows down potential perpetrators of crimes who were within the vicinity of the crime scene.

The circumstances of the actual crime scene also aid in criminal profiling. These circumstances aid in the profiling with aspects such as area of residence, marital status, date, location, and time of the offense. Jack the Ripper’s victims all lived in the same neighborhood, in areas surrounding Whitechapel Road. The murders were mostly committed in passageways on weekends. The nature of the crime was specific, with the cutting open of victims’ bodies and stab wounds (Txstate.edu, n. d.). Accordingly, the circumstances of the crime illustrated the traits of Jack the Ripper, including his dislike for single mothers based on the brutality of his killings.

Criminal Profiling and Offender Communication Behaviors

After an offense, offenders depict varying behaviors. Criminal profilers can determine this behavior through “proactive profiling,” which influences the offender to expose themselves (U.S. Department of Justice, 1967). Consequently, once the offenders’ mental state is manipulated, the offender will expose previous actions, such as false reports to the police or press.

Some may tend to revisit the crime scene to relive the crime, while others might immerse themselves in the investigation. In most cases, offenders tend to get involved in the investigations once an investigation is public knowledge. Their involvement in the investigation illustrates their differing characteristics; in some cases, offenders get involved in investigations due to anxiety, as a game, or fear, causing the revelation of the offender, illustrating uncertainty and fear (U.S. Department of Justice, 1967). In Jack the Ripper’s case, the police profiled that they had once interviewed the offender but did not realize it (Txstate.edu, n. d.).

Conclusion

In conclusion, criminal profiling is a process that aids in the arrest of criminal offenders. In certain instances, mental health experts conduct criminal profiling, while trained agencies of police enforcement conduct the profiling in most cases. In addition, various factors are essential in profiling to establish the behavior and mental state of the crime perpetrator. The behaviors leading up to, during, and after the crime are all essential in successful criminal investigation analysis.

References

Lyman, M., 2011. Criminal investigation. 6th ed. Pearson.Schmalleger, F., 2016. Criminal justice: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century. Pearson.

Torres, A., Boccaccini, M. and Miller, H., 2006. Perceptions of the validity and utility of criminal profiling among forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37(1), pp.51-58.

Txstate.edu. Jack The Ripper. Txstate.edu. Retrieved from https://www.txstate.edu/gii/projects/jack-the-ripper.html.

U.S. Department of Justice. (1967). Managing Death Investigation. Ojp.gov. Retrieved from https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/196709NCJRS.pdf#page=583.

Winerman, L., 2004. Criminal profiling: the reality behind the myth. [online] Faculty.fortlewis.edu. Available at: <http://faculty.fortlewis.edu/burke_b/Forensic/Class%20Readings/APA%20MONITOR%20-%20Profiling.pdf>

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We’ll write everything from scratch

Scenario: You are an intern assigned to a special agent for your state’s investigative bureau with a specialty in criminal intelligence. A representative for the Governor’s Office would like you to write a paper explaining how someone who is not a forensic psychologist is able to fill the position of criminal profiler in the State Investigation Bureau (SIB).

Forensic Psychology

To meet this request, you will prepare a 3–5-page white paper (in APA format) for the Governor and her staff so that they understand your training and why law enforcement personnel are used for this position rather than forensic psychologists.

You will start by explaining what a forensic criminal profiler does and how investigators may be best suited for this position. Relate how the criminal profiler targets serial crimes involving murder, sexual assaults, and rare arson types. Explain the appropriate background for a criminal profiler.

Create a 3–5-page paper including such issues as the following:

The way the crimes were committed
Where the crimes were committed
How the victims were chosen
The crime type
The times the crimes were committed
If the offender was/is communicating with the police or other individuals (press, victim’s family, and so on)
The circumstances and condition of the actual crime scene(s)