Post on 25-Feb-2019
Forensic Psychology and Criminal Profiling
Forensic psychologist - no medical training but trained in topics like statistical analysis and psychological testing
Forensic psychiatrist - physician trained in mental disorders, their diagnosis and treatment, and training in recognizing criminal behavior
Forensic psychiatrist (continued)
- they can prescribe meds,provide psychotherapy, interview criminals and suspects, evaluate personal history and use these to establish an opinion of the mental state of the individual
Forensic psychiatrist and psychologist- both deal with the study of human
behavior- they can work with child custody
evaluations, assess the mental state of criminals, provide consultation of jury selection and assist police in creating a profile of possible suspects
Historical Background
1906 - Hans Gross - founding father of modern day criminal profiling
- suggested ways to profile the behavior of criminals, including murderers, arsonists and thieves
1953 - Dr. Paul Kirk - profiled criminal behavior in conjunction with evaluating evidence
1960 - Howard Teten - combined forensic science, death investigation and criminal behavior into profiling
- worked at the FBI where he taught agents how to improve their profiling skills
1972 - Jack Kirsh - opened the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (BSU)
BSU was so proficient in developing profiles of criminals they were receiving requests from around the country
BSU - now directed by the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes (NCAVC) located at FBI Academy in Quatico, Virginia
- Thomas Harris (the author of Silence of the Lambs consulted BSU when developing his characters
Stages of Profiling
1. Input - collecting information about the crime and the victim
- if there is a suspect, the profiler should NOT have any info about the suspect so as to not cloud their judgement
-crime scene photos - gives info on physical evidence
- victim history - gives info about their job, habits, family relationship, hobbies, fears, friends
- autopsy photos - gives info about control and emotional state of suspect
2. Classifying the Crime - type of crime, number of victims, number of locations, number of events, and time between the events
- determine spree vs serial
spree - takes place at more than one location but not a lot of time between events
serial - may wait months between events
3. Determining Motives - financial (burglery, insurance scam,etc), sexual (rape, sexual assault, dismemberment, mutilation), or emotional (family disputes, religious reasons, cults)
4. Risk level of victim - age, lifestyle, occupation, ability to resist, size, location (ex.; a lone woman getting in her car in a dark parking lot has higher risk than a group of women walking together)
5. Crime Assessment -profiler reconstructs the crime to yield clues to the suspect’s behavior
Well-organized crime-indicates a clever suspect capable of logical thinking and able to create and execute a plan
- possible premeditation
Disorganized crime
-indicates an impulsive suspect, possibly motivated by panic, stress, drugs, alcohol or mental illness
-usually a random victim
6. Method of Operation
-also called modus operandi (MO)
-a recognized pattern of behavior, including the use of tools, weapon of choice or preference of victims
- seen in the case of serial criminals
7. Signature- when a criminal commits the same
type of crime repeating habits- may include positioning bodies of
victims in a distinct fashion or leaving behind the same type of evidence at each scene
Signature Examples- Boston Strangler - strangled his
victims with an article of their own clothing, sexually assaulted them and posed them with a bow tied under their chin
- Zodiac Killer - used a symbol in messages to the news media
8. Criminal Profile
-develops a description of the suspect (race, sex, physical characteristics, habits, values, beliefs)
Examples of Profiles
arsonist - white male 18-27, loner, history of drug/alcohol abuse, criminal record, poor employment history
serial murderer - white male, 25-34, average intelligence, charming, victim of child abuse
9. Investigation
-profilers report is added to investigators information and suspects matching the description are evaluated
10. Apprehension
-ultimate goal is apprehension of person responsible for the crime
-investigators interview and interrogate suspect
Victimology
-study of victims affected by crime, accidents or natural disasters
-must assess the victims’ lifestyle, preferences, family, relationships, routines, risk assessment, etc.
-create a time-line prior to the crime