How Does Criminal Profiling Work?

Criminal profiling is the process of using psychological and criminal principles to create profiles of offenders. These profiles can then be used to find the person responsible for the crime. Criminal profiling has been used for over a hundred years, but it was made famous by the FBI during the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, top FBI profilers developed a step-by-step method to use profiling to apprehend criminals. This process also explains how criminal profiling works.

How Criminal Profiling Begins

To begin profiling, a criminal profiler needs to examine all of the evidence from the crime scene, including pictures, sketches, witness testimony, autopsy results and any other relevant information. The only thing that profilers do not want to know about is possible suspects to prevent any influence on the profiling process. After the information has been gathered and examined, the profiler begins to ask questions. Some questions that may be asked include was the crime premeditated? What was the motivation for the crime? How was the victim killed, and was any damage afflicted to the body after death?

Putting Together a Profile

After the profiler has come up with questions, the next step is to begin answering the questions based on the evidence and other available information. The answers will allow the profiler to begin putting together a criminal profile based on how, where and when the crime was committed. After studying hundreds of crimes and criminals, researchers were able to determine personality traits associated to certain types of crimes. Criminals are divided into two types, organized and disorganized, based on the way the crime was committed. An organized criminal, someone who planned ahead, brought his own supplies and kept to his plan, is someone who probably has his life together. A disorganized criminal, who acted without a real plan, is probably someone who lives a more chaotic lifestyle.

A criminal profile is developed based on the facts of the case. For example, a victim who is found with a lot of wounds to her face was probably attacked by someone who she knew well. A criminal profile will usually contain an approximate age, geographic location and possible job (or suggest that the perpetrator is unemployed), and even who the criminal is living with, such as a wife or sister, if he is not living alone.

Solving the Crime

The criminal profile is then matched up to any current suspects to narrow down the list. It may also be used to locate new suspects. Just because someone fits the profile, it does not mean that she is guilty. A profile just gives investigators more information to work with. Once investigators have found a likely suspect, she can be brought into the police station for questioning. In this way, criminal profiling helps to solve crimes that may have been otherwise unsolvable. By following this process, criminal profilers have helped investigators to find some of the worst serial killers over the last 50 years, including Son of Sam, the Green River killer, Ted Bundy and the Unabomber.

References

• The Profiling Method
• Criminal Profiling