Research Paper on Criminal Profiling Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

On Criminal Profiling - Research Paper Example This approach is used by professionals in the criminal justice system in identifying and capturing criminals. Often, criminal profiling is conducted by the forensic psychologists who provide criminal profile to the police departments to help in apprehending of the criminals (Kocsis, 2010). Statistical evidence, psychology, and crime scene analysis are combined in developing a personality type that fits well with the committed crime. Criminal profiling is in most cases used in helping investigators to apprehend serial killers and psychopaths who may otherwise go free (Canter, 2004). In addition, it helps in catching other types of offenders such as rapists and arsonists. The approach helps to label the offenders or perpetrators as disorganized, organized, or mixed. Criminal profiling is not only essential in finding potential offenders, but also in narrowing down the offenders’ list already compiled by the police (Devery, 2010). This paper will discuss criminal profiling by cri tiquing the foundations of criminal profiling and by comparing and contrasting inductive versus deductive profiling. 1) Critique the Foundations of Criminal Profiling Criminal profiling has proved to be an important tool in controlling of crime in recent years. Prior to the inception of criminal profiling, criminal investigators mainly relied on the physical evidence to identify and apprehend criminals (Holmes and Holmes, 2009). However, this changed after the inception of criminal profiling that provided advanced techniques in developing theories and compiling evidence based on the of patterns of criminal behavior, crime scene evidence, criminal’s socioeconomic background, motives of crime, and psychological aspects of violent crime (Alison et al, 2010). The foundations of criminal foundations since its inception aimed at detecting and classifying the major behavioral and personality characteristics of a person based on the crime analysis or the crimes that have been committ ed (Holmes and Holmes, 2009). The first foundation of criminal profiling is determining offender characteristics by using the process of assimilation phase where all the available information relating to crime scene, witnesses, and victim is examined. Police reports, autopsy reports, witness statements, victim profiles, and photographs of the crime scene are important aspects of this process (Kocsis, 2010). Criminal profiling is also founded on the principle of classification which involves integration of collected information into a framework that classifies the offender as organized, disorganized, or mixed. Organized offenders are those that plan their crimes, leave little forensic clues or evidence, exhibit advanced social skills, and display some element of control over the victim through the use of social skills (Canter, 2004). On the other hand, disorganized offender is the one that exhibit few social skills, has haphazard behavior, attempts to avoid detection, lack planning, impulsive, and the offenses committed are deemed opportunistic. Additionally, integration of information would classify the offender as mixed offender who exhibits some elements of organized and disorganized offenders (Alison et al, 2010). In addition to classification, criminal profiling is also founded on the notion that there is need for the reconstruction of the crime behavioral sequence. Following classification