Abstract
Criminal profiling is a controversial method and has been among the major developments in criminal psychology. It has increasingly become prominent in criminal investigations and has been identified as among the most potent tool in criminal investigation if it used correctly. It used in the analysis of crimes analyzing the behavior of criminals, their personality and motives behind the crimes. The process involves a complex process, which calls for meticulous, intelligence and organization. Some of the dangerous criminals are competent in their actions creating difficulties for police and detectives to trace them. Therefore, this topic is an important aspect in understanding criminal behaviors, understanding its history, how it is used and various criticisms.
As a criminal psychology development, criminal profiling has been identified as an important process through which detectives can estimate the psychological and sociological features of criminals. Detectives use the evidence collected from crimes scenes, which enable them understand the nature of the crime and help them in the development of clues identifying offender’s profile. For example, in a case where detectives were searching Green River killer, who was later identified a Gary Ridgway in Washington State, there were suggestions that the offender was a white man who had dysfunctional relationships with women (Turvey, 2011). Later the profile of the criminal was proven correct.
The aim of criminal profiling is not the provision of an identity of the criminal, but aims at describing the type of the person, most likely to have been involved in the crime, having certain unique features. There are two main approaches in criminal profiling, which include crime scene analysis and investigative psychology. These approaches are made based on the possibility of paradigm and falsifiability in determining whether they can be justified as science. This subject has attracted the attention and public imagination referencing the subject from media presentations and appearances. For example, the film silence of the lambs is a popular media presenting criminal profiling. There have been various other television programs presenting criminal profiling such as Millennium Profiler and The X-files.
However, it is worth noting that these media presentation are not accurate, since they pose criminal profiling as a magical skill, which is analogous to precognitive psychic ability. There have been claims from people practicing criminal profiling that it is an art while other claims it is a science. However, the biggest challenge in the study of criminal profiling is lack of authoritative materials, which support the claims of these criminal profilers. In addition, numerous law enforcement agencies across the globe are still skeptical about criminal profiling (Winerman, 2004). It has been established that, in most cases, criminal profilers are engaged only when detectives have exhausted other leads of getting the offender.
History and Practicality of Criminal Profiling
Criminal profiling is dated back in the 1880’s in the UK when physicians used the crime scene clues to predict the personality of a serial killer. However, this was informal and continuously the practice has been done in various parts of the world in making predictions of the probable criminals. In most cases, the informal criminal profiling was based on intuition and other informal studies. However, the subject has developed to become a formal practice where criminal profilers are specifically trained for the work (Shone, 2008). In the US, criminal profiling gained popularity among detectives in the 1970’s when FBI formed a Behavioral Science Unit, which investigated serial rape and homicides.
Serial murderers were investigated, which facilitated the development of theories, about different types of offenders. For example, theories were developed on the ideas of organized and unorganized crimes. In organized crimes, they are premeditated and meticulously planned to make it difficult for detectives to retrieve evidence form crime scenes. Organized criminals have been described as antisocial, show no remorse and are able to differentiate right from wrong. On the other hand, unorganized criminals are not planned, and detectives easily find evidence from the crime scenes such as fingerprints and blood (Muller, 2000). In most cases, these unorganized criminals are mostly young people, who are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or mentally ill.
The profiling process has been developed by the Behavioral Science Unit, describing the profiling process. The basic premise in distinguishing between organized and unorganized crimes is that the behavior of the criminal reflects their personality. Four phases have been developed by the FBI into the creation of insights of the personality of the criminal. The first phase includes the antecedent phase, which describes the fantasy or plan the criminal had before the crime (Turvey, 2011). This describes the factors that triggered the murderer to act in some ways and not in others.
The second phase includes a description of the method and manner in which crime took place. For example, the identification of the type of victim the criminal selected, as well as the method of crime. For example, if it is a murder case the phase describes the manner in which the murderer committed the crime such as shooting, stabbing and strangling among others. In addition, the investigation should also establish whether the body was disposed the same place it was murdered or involved multiple scenes (Winerman, 2004). The detectives should also establish post-offense behaviors such as the murderer attempt to inject into the investigation, through reaction to media reports among others such as contacting investigators.
Criminal profiling has been found to be very useful when dealing with crimes such as serial sexual homicides. These classified crimes create a lot of fear due to their randomness in occurrence and as well as their motiveless nature. In addition, they create a great deal of public attention and hence the law enforcement officers are under pressure from the public to deliver and apprehend the perpetrator. Therefore, these crimes are among the most difficult to solve due to their random nature. Although the crimes may not be random or motiveless, the complication arises since it is only understood by the criminal.
It has been established that, even though serial murderers are not in knowledge of their next victim, there are various features based on perception and certain features that are significant to them. Analysis of different victims in terms of differences and similarities plays an imperative role in providing information concerning the motive behind crime when the crime seems motiveless. This information is imperative in providing clues on information about the perpetrator. However, when the crime is motiveless, the law enforcement agencies need to apply other methods such as the conventional, investigative techniques in identifying the identity of the criminal. Criminal profiling has been essential where the offender demonstrates a repeated pattern in crime scenes.
Criticism of Criminal Profiling
Although the practice of criminal profiling has been essential in criminal investigations enabling detectives find clues and information about the offender, it has also received criticism. The criticisms result from various disparate sources, within and externally from the law enforcement as well as within the psychological community and outside. Among the most prevalent and persuasive criticism is based on perception that, although it is rooted in established practices of psychology and sociology it has little empirical evidence in proposition that criminal profiling is applicable in reality.
For example, there have been numerous instances when criminal profiling fails to predict the nature and various features of the offender correctly. An example of the failure of criminal profiling can be described with the Beltway Sniper in DC metropolitan in 2002, which predicted that the offender was a white middle aged man. However, it turned out that the sniper was two young black males (Stefoff, 2010). Some of the elements in criminal profiling are not controversial in regard to correctly predicting the nature of an offender.
The second criticism is based on the perception that criminal profiling seems more accurate in retrospect rather than reality. For example, criminal profiles are always loaded with impressionistic and vague statements, which apply to a broad range of people. In addition, the profiles developed during investigations are compared with the real profile of the criminal and features which offender possesses are selectively identified. The third criticism is based on the perception that profiling reinforces the notion of a criminal mind. This is in regard to incidences with little evidences and hence little or no basis to suggest the profile of the criminal. In addition, most of the criminal profiles are based on a single crime or few crimes and hence the sample size is small to draw conclusions (Turvey, 2011). For example, if the criminal has only had one criminal incidence, the detectives will only have a snapshot of the criminal and might not reflect the normal state of the offender.
In conclusion, criminal profiling has been an important aspect in understanding criminal behavior. The development has played an imperative role in modern fight against crime especially in crimes involving serial homicides and rapists. The subject has developed from an informal subject to a modern formal study where detectives are trained on criminal profiling. However, the subject has lack materials, which can be used as reference for scientific inquiries. It has also faced criticisms from law enforcement, psychologists and sociologists.
References
Muller, D. (2000). Criminal Profiling Real Science or Just Wishful Thinking? HOMICIDE STUDIES, 234-264.
Shone, R. (2008). Solving Crimes Through Criminal Profiling. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.
Stefoff, R. (2010). Criminal Profiling. Tarrytown, New york: Marshall Cavendish.
Turvey, B. (2011). Criminal Profiling An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis (4 ed.). San Diego, California: Academic Press.
Winerman, L. (2004, July ). Criminal profiling: the reality behind the myth. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/criminal.aspx
