The History and Evolution of Criminal Profiling



The History and Evolution of Criminal Profiling

Introduction

Criminal profiling based on behavior analysis is a method for investigators to determine the profile psychologically a criminal. Profiling may be defined as a technique that helps identify key personality characteristics and behavior of a suspect based on the elements of the crime he committed. This technique structures its analysis to address three main questions: (1) What has happened to the crime scene? (2) Why these events are produced? (3) What kind of person could commit such acts? Profiling has been leveraged in several investigations into violent crimes, going back to their infamous Jack the Ripper. Moreover, this investigative tool would have several goals for police officers, including the prediction of personality characteristics and the status of the perpetrator (age, sex, race, employment, marital status, religion, level of education ) and help identify the type of individual likely to have committed the crime. Also, the established profile can be used during questioning. Since individuals do not all react the same way the police interrogation, a good profile can guide investigators in the style of interrogation of use and the attitude to adopt towards a suspect. Finally, other authors indicate that the profiling technique used primarily to limit or restrict the number of potential suspects in an investigation, to suggest proactive strategies for the investigation and prevention of other violent crimes.

History of Criminal Profiling

Following Garrido (2006), criminological profile can be defined as an estimate about the biographical characteristics and lifestyle responsible for a number of serious crimes and have not yet been identified. The purpose of this profile is to define the characteristics of the suspect to reduce the range of possible culprits and help the police focusing and restricting research opportunities by empowering them to focus on realistic targets. This point is very important because when dealing with violent crimes or serial, the alarm and the likelihood of recidivism of facts make it necessary to act quickly and promptly stop the murderer (Holmes & Holmes, 2008).

However, the profile has its limitations, is not an exact science, and is based on the analysis of psychological that the murderer left his crimes and other statistical data collected from cases and theoretical data provided by psychology and criminology. We are therefore talking about probabilities. In the words of Ressler (2005), people who make a profile look for patterns and try to find the characteristics of the suspected perpetrator, using the analytical and logical reasoning, "what" more "why" as to "who." In the late 70's, FBI agents Robert K. Ressler, John Douglas and Roy Hazelwood begin to analyze the behavior of murderers and serial rapists, a study conducted interviews with more than 36 sexual murderers (25 of which were serial), trying to find the keys to their modus operandi, their motivations and circumstances of their lives that could have facilitated their violent criminal careers. Criminal profiling is a technique derived from criminological research analysis done at the different behavioral patterns known ...