What Methods Are Available for Offender Profiling? Is There Any Evidence That Profiling Is Effective?

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Offender profiling, otherwise known as “criminal profiling” or “psychological profiling” aims to predict characteristics a perpetrator is likely to possess. The idea of profiling is to allow psychologists to suggest and provide assistance to investigation teams. It involves utilising all information about a certain crime such as, the crime scene and the victims. With this information profiles are created about unknown perpetrators. Profiles are most likely to be used when the police fail to compile enough evidence to point to a suspect. Hence, profiling helps narrow down and prioritise particular suspects. It is important to understand offender profiling does not inform the police about exactly who committed the crime. (Ainsworth, 2001) Within offender profiling there are a number of different approaches/methods used. These include the FBI approach, clinical profiling, geographical profiling, and investigative psychology or (statistical profiling). However, there is disagreement present between profilers as to which are the best methods to carry out profiling. The FBI (typological) approach was developed in the USA in the behavioural science unit (Coolican, 2007). Investigators realised forensic evidence could provide a link between a perpetrator and a particular crime scene. However, this was only useful if a suspect had been identified. Nonetheless, it was found evidence never indicated or gave clues as to what type of person could have committed the crime. However, by interviewing offenders to see which characteristics they possessed lead the FBI to classify offender “types” and make predictions. (Ainsworth, 2001). Offenders could be classified as “organised” or “disorganised”. Muller, (2000) implies an organised offender is a smart person with good social skills, but has an underlying anti social personality. He believes such a person would show

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