1. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Focus: Criminal Profiling

2. Introduction
Forensic psychology, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is the application of clinical specialties to the legal arena.
The practice of forensic psychology is the psychological assessment of individuals who are involved, in some way, with the legal system.

3. Introduction
Criminal profiling, or criminal investigative analysis, involves the investigation of a crime with the hope of identifying the responsible party, based on crime scene analysis, investigative psychology, and behavioral science.

4. Introduction
Criminal profilers study evidence collected and analyzed by crime-scene investigators to formulate a hypothesis about a perpetrator’s
Age
Personality
Lifestyle
Social environment

5. Historical Profiling Lobroso, 1876 Gross, 1906
Suggested that criminals shared certain physical characteristics
Three general types: genetically predisposed, insane, non-specific characteristics
Gross, 1906
Suggested behavior of criminal types (murder/arson/thievery)

6. Historical Profiling Wulffen, 1935 Kirk, 1953
Examined female criminal behavior
Kirk, 1953
Expressed the importance of profiling in criminalistics
Worked on the Sam Sheppard case

7. Historical Profiling
One of the earliest recorded criminal profiles was assembled by Metropolitan Police in Whitechapel, London, during the Jack the Ripper case in 1888.

8. Modern Day Profiling Forensic psychiatrist/psychologist
Interviews criminals and suspects
Evaluates personal history
Administers personality tests
Presents an opinion as testimony in court
James Brussel, 1950s
Viewed profiling as a diagnostic tool, bridging the gap between criminal investigators and forensic psychiatrists

9. Modern Day Profiling
1972 – FBI Behavioral Science Unit established by Teten and Mullany
1976 – John Douglas and Robert Ressler begin compiling a centralized database on serial offenders for BSU
1984 – BSU splits into BSU (trains cadets at Quantico) and Behavioral Science Investigative Support Unit (in-field investigation and consultations)
1985 – National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) replaces the

10. Modern Day Profiling
1985 – National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) replaces the BSISU; Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) is formed as a system of collected records from serial offenders that can be used to create profiles

11. Modern Day Profiling
The first known successful (though only semi-accurate) criminal profile concerned New York City’s “Mad Bomber” in 1956

12. Assumptions of the Profiling Process
The crime scene reflects the personality
MOs remain similar
Signature will remain the same
Criminal’s core personality will not change

13. Stages of the Profiling Process
Input
Decision process models
Crime assessment
Criminal profile
Investigation
Apprehension
The logic is that the way a person thinks guides his or her behavior.

14. Profilers should only use evidence directly related to the crime!
1 – Input
Collecting evidence (for example)
Placement of the victim and weapon(s)
Body position
Blood spatter
Condition of surroundings
History of the victim
Employment and reputation
Social habits
Hobbies and interests
Autopsy report
Profilers should only use evidence directly related to the crime!

15. 2 – Decision Process Models
Classifying the crime

16. 2 – Decision Process Models
Determining motives (7 Key Theories)
Rational Choice – people act in self-interest after weighing risk vs reward
Social Disorganization – physical/social environments are responsible for behavioral choices
Strain – failure to achieve society’s expectations through approved means encourages success via crime
Social Learning – motivation and skills to commit crime are developed through people they associate with

17. 2 – Decision Process Models
Determining motives (7 Key Theories)
Social Control – if not for the controls that society places on individuals, most people would commit crime
Labeling – people in power decide what acts are crimes; labeling someone as a criminal encourages further criminal behavior
Biology/Genetics/Evolution – poor diet, mental illness, bad brain chemistry, evolutionary rewards for aggressive criminal conduct cause criminal behavior

18. 2 – Decision Process Models
Risk level of the victim
Criminals often seek out victims who are the most vulnerable
Clues about sequence of events, pattern of escalation, time taken to complete acts, and locations of crimes

19. 3 – Crime Assessment Motivation behind the crime ORGANIZED
Premeditated and planned
Body hidden/weapon removed
Staged crime scene
Externalizes anger, confident, articulate
Targeted victim(s) (wives/girlfriends usually safe)
Geographically mobile
Pre-mortem aggression
Shows interest in media attention

20. 3 – Crime Assessment Motivation behind the crime DISORGANIZED
Impulsive and no plan
Body/weapon not hidden or removed
Crime scene not staged
Internalizes anger, low self-esteem, not very articulate
No particular targets although poor relations with women
Geographically stable
Post-mortem aggression

21. 3 – Crime Assessment
Modus operandi “method of working” – actions used by the individual to execute the crime, prevent its detection, and facilitate escape
The type of restraints used on the victim, wound patterns, and type of fiber of the restraints.
Type of weapon used, such as knife, blunt object, etc.
Tools used to gain entry to victim’s home.
Attack could be from when the victim exits their vehicle or walks through a dark parking garage.
Time of day that the offender chooses to commit the crime, such as nighttime or early morning. 

22. 3 – Crime Assessment
Signature—the distinctive behaviors that help to serve the criminal’s psychological and emotional needs
Level of injury to the victim, minimal or excessive.
Specific location or sequence to the criminal act.
Ejaculation, urination, and/or defecation at the crime scene.
Personal items taken from victim.
Specific type of victim targeted that refers to age, race, occupation, or other physical characteristics. 
Anything specifically left at the crime scene, such as a note or object.

23. 4 – Criminal Profile A typical profile includes estimates of:
Race
Sex
Physical characteristics
Habits
Values and beliefs
Compare the profile with the decision process models (stage 2) and reconstruction of the crime scene

24. 5 – Investigation Begins after profiler submits written report
Seek and evaluate suspects that match the profile

25. 6 – Apprehension Interview and interrogate the suspect
Arrest the suspect (if confession or evidence links to crime)

26. Victimology
A victim is a person who has experienced harm, injuries, loss, or death.
Victimology is the study victims who have been affected by crime, accidents, or natural disasters.

27. Victim Risk
Assessment is very subjective

28. Victim Risk Characteristics
All risks are considered from the perspective of the victim’s age, job, and criminal background.
Aggressive nature
Impulsive
Anxious
Passive
Thrives on attention
Self-inflicted injuries
Poor self-image
Negative
Exhibits addictive behaviors

29. Victimology Assessment
At the crime scene
Did the victim know the perpetrator?
Does the victim suspect anyone in particular and why?
Has the victim reported similar or other crimes in which he or she was the victim?
Is the victim carrying a weapon? Does the victim own a weapon?
Has the victim been in any other police reports in the past?

30. Victimology Assessment
Forensics and profiling working together:
What are some of the victim’s general physical characteristics, including eye color, hair color, weight, and ethnicity?
Where does the victim work and what is his or her work schedule?
Does the victim have a criminal history? If so, investigators will ask the victim to explain.
What is the victim’s daily routine?

31. Victimology Assessment
Working together (cont’d):
What is the contact information of the victim’s family members, friends, and coworkers?
What is the victim’s medical history, including mental health records?
What medications is the victim taking?
What is the victim’s education level?
Where does the victim live and with whom?
Create a timeline of events

32. Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Criminal Behavior
It is important to note that individuals with these illnesses are not criminals merely because they have the disorder.
It is more accurate to say that these disorders are more closely linked to criminality because these disorders include symptoms that tend to violate the rights of others.

33. Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Criminal Behavior
Schizophrenia – the mind is split from reality (psychosis) so that one’s own thoughts appear as hallucinations
Problems in thinking and speaking
Disturbed perceptions
Inappropriate emotions/actions/behaviors
David Berkowitz, Ed Gein, James Holmes

34. Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Criminal Behavior
Personality Disorders – enduring patterns of social and other behavior that impair social functioning
Borderline Personality Disorder
Extreme emotions, mood swings, and an inability to regulate emotions
Disinhibition, antagonism
More common in female criminals
Aileen Wuornos, Jeffrey Dahmer, Kristen Gilbert

35. Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Criminal Behavior
Personality Disorders – enduring patterns of social and other behavior that impair social functioning
Antisocial Personality Disorder
“Psychopath” or “Sociopath”
Emotional detachment, lack empathy
Disinhibition, antagonism
Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, Dennis Rader

36. Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Criminal Behavior
Personality Disorders – enduring patterns of social and other behavior that impair social functioning
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Grandiosity, need for admiration
Emotional detachment, lack of empathy
Disinhibition, antagonism
Ted Bundy, Casey Anthony, OJ Simpson