PSYC 321 : Criminal profiling

What is criminal profiling

A technique for identifying the personality, behaviour, motivation and demographic features of an offender based on an analysis of the crimes he/she committed

A biographical sketch of personality characteristics, behavioural patterns, trends, and tendencies

Goals of profiling

• Suspect prioritization

• New lines of enquiry

• Interview/interrogation strategies

• Predict dangerousness and evaluate threats

• Flush out offender

• Offer cross-examination strategies to prosection

Profiling a particular “perp”

Modus operandi

• Standard procedure

• Learned behaviour that is modified to ensure success

Signature aspect of the crime

• Unique, personal aspects of the crime

• Fulfills emotional needs

e.g., bank robbers that get victims to take clothes off

Profile construction

WHAT + WHY = WHO

What — Evidence, interviews, autopsy reports

Why — motive

Who — Contents of profile

Why do we want profiles?

• Serial crimes of obvious concern

• Often no relationship between victim and perp

• Motives difficult to discern

• Assist with quicker apprehension

Aims to predict..

Age

Sex

Race

Intelligence

Education

Hobbies

Family background

Location

History of profiling

15th century

Late 1800’s Jack the Ripper

1950’s : NY city Mad Bomber

1972 - Behavioural intelligence Agency

Training

International Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship

In Canada, 3 agencies have BSUs with profilers :

RCMP

Approaches to profiling

In general, two approaches to profiling :

• Inductive profiling

• Deductive profiling

Inductive profiling

Uses statistical data, past crime patterns, and general group trends to predict the characteristics of an unknown offender

pros

• Very easy tool to use

• General profiles assembled relatively quickly

cons

• Information generalized from limited samples - not related to any one case

• Does not fully, or accurately take into account current offenders at large

Deductive profiling

Draws specific conclusions about an offender by analyzing the direct physical forensic, and behavioural evidence of a single crime scene

pros :

• produces more specific profiles

• focus on motivation

• built on case evidence rather than hypothesis

• examines behaviours of individual offenders as they occur over time

cons :

• requires specialized education and training in forensic science, crime scene reconstruction, and wound pattern analysis

• Great effort and multi-disciplinary collaboration

• Potentially emotionally exhausting

Serial killers

Profilers are usually involved in serial crimes (i.e., homicide, SA)

Serial killers

• Many experience abuse as a child

• Typically white males; average intelligence

• Particular victim type

• Often sexualize their crimes

Organized-disorganized model

FBI developed the inductive approach to profiling

Crime scenes categorized as :

• organized (methodical, well-planned)

• disorganized (chaotic)

background characteristics categorized as :

• organized (high functioning, self-control)

• disorganized (low functioning, impulsive, disturbed)

crime scene behavioir is thought to reflect one’s background characteristics

offense behaviours

organized :

planning, use of restraints, ante-mortem sex acts, use of vehicle, control of victim, corpse not taken

disorganized :

spontaneous, no restraints, post-mortem sex, kill/dispose scene same, post-mortem mutilation, evidence present

offender characteristics

organized :

intelligent, skilled in job, decent car/mobile, relationship, follows media

disorganized :

low IQ, knows victim, lives alone, unskilled, lives close to the crime scene

best criminal typologies

organized :

murders are planned, target victims, show self-control, may act out violent fantasy

Ted Bundy — ruse of broken arm

Disorganized :

less planning, gets victims by chance, haphazard behaviour during crime

Alternative serial killer typologies

4 types

1. Visionary — Psychotic (e.g., hear voices from god)

2. Mission-oriented — motivated to kill those they believe to be evil

3. Hedonistic — Kills for pleasure

4. Power-oriented — Kills for the satisfaction of controlling

Rapists typologies

4 types :

1. Power-reassurance

• Most common, desire to resolve feelings of inadequacy and seek reassurances from the offence, very fantasy rich, least violent

2. Power-assertive

• Motivated by a need for control, feel entitled to sex and assures them of their own masculinity

3. Anger-retaliatory

• Sex is used as a way to express anger or get revenge for a real or perceived wrong; generally more violent

4. Anger-excitation

• “Sexual sadist” least common, pleasure is derived from inflicting pain and total domination over the victim, very fantasy rich

Homicide difference

Non-sexual homicide

• Death was intended, but there is no indication of a sexual element

Sexual homicide

• There were very clear signs of sexual contact/ interaction and death was intended

Violent sexual assault

• Results in death but not intended

• Clear sexual intent

Criticism of profiling

1. Theoretical underpinnings

2. Psychological assumptions

3. Ambiguous advice

4. Myth of expert

Theoretical underpinnings

Many forms of profiling are based on a classic trait model

• Infer traits from behaviours and use these traits to predict other behaviours BUT there is little empirical evidence to support this

Psychological assumptions

Two primary assumptions of profiling

1. Offenders behave in a stable fashion across the crimes they commit

2. Reliable relationships exist between the way in which offenders commit their crimes and their background characteristics

Ambiguous advice

End result of many profiles is ambiguous

Bamum effect

• People look for and find meaning in vague statements that could apply to many people

• Research has found that people rate bogus profile as accurate and useful as real ones

Myth of the expert

Self labeled profilers may slightly outperfrom others but not significantly

Overcoming challenges : false stereotypes

Profiles are not always intuitive

Value of profiling

Police believe it is useful

Benefits of profiles include :

• Greater understanding of the case (61%)

• Reinforce judgements about the offender (52%)

  • Confirmation bias?

Geographic profiling

Geographic profiling involves an analysis of crime scene locations in order to determine the most probable area of offender residence

• Assumes that offenders, do not travel long distances from home to commit the majority of their crimes

When is GP useful?

Useful for suspect prioritization

Patrol saturation and surveillance

Neighbourhood canvasses