https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j Abby Cook, Keeleigh Devitt, Griffin Knarr, & Sabrina Watson en-us 2023-02-22 15:05:34 UTC 2025-11-02 00:45:24 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f9e0.png saw00017 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527194773 One important aspect of assigning offenders to a particular typology is to clearly define and operationalize its components. Researchers Mokros and Alison note that, “The pragmatic approach of assuming a homology of actions and characteristics is likely to fail if there is no clarification of why such a homology should exist. A theoretical framework has to be devised that is empirically testable and that explains why certain aspects of an individual's circumstances of living should correspond with the way in which the individual commits a crime if he or she should do so” (Mokros and Alison, 2002, as cited in Chifflet, 2015). This connects to the basic tenets of scientific research, which stress the importance of using methodology to put theories into practice. It is necessary for researchers not only to show that their theories are applicable to the case in question, but also to explain how/why the classification exists in the first place. ]]> 2023-03-22 13:48:18 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527194773 saw00017 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527195354 The background of the profilers themselves should also be considered. Pascale Chifflet, a researcher in criminal justice, explains that, “The fragmentation of the discipline is such that profilers may come from entirely different professional backgrounds, including law enforcement, psychology or forensic sciences. This diversity resonates through the ongoing debate among the proponents of the competing profiling methodologies” (Chifflet, 2015). As these differences create increased variability in the field, many proponents of criminal profiling have suggested a combination of qualifications in forensic science as well as police training. There is no evidence to support that either type is better or worse at analyzing the behavior of criminals. However, by ensuring that those in the field have received the same level of specialized education on a multi-dimensional level, the findings of criminal profilers may potentially improve in accuracy. ]]> 2023-03-22 13:48:41 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527195354 saw00017 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527196053 Criminal profiling has been monopolized by well-funded, top organizations such as the FBI,  who generally keep their methods and information on specific typologies private. Consequently, the lack of public information regarding the accuracy of said profiles creates a false pretense of reliability instilled into the general population, who may be under the impression that their own local police department uses such techniques to help solve crimes. This can affect the integrity of local police investigations. Senior researcher Damon Muller of the University of Melbourne emphasizes that, “By having profiling data and theories readily available and open to peer review, police forces that do not have the resources or knowledge to develop profiling techniques of their own will have access to information that may help them” (Muller 2000). Access to profiling information used by the FBI can assist smaller departments in identifying potential suspects during their investigations. ]]> 2023-03-22 13:49:06 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527196053 saw00017 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527201925 The issues surrounding criminal profiling are complex, and as such, there is no one ideal solution that will completely resolve its shortcomings. However, awareness of its strengths/weaknesses, as well as combining it with other investigative methods, are essential in maintaining its validity. In general, scholars note that more research is needed on the effectiveness of behavioral profiling as a tool in criminal investigations.]]> 2023-03-22 13:52:39 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527201925 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527205200 Using the body language, speech patterns, livelihood, or crime scenes of an individual in order to understand their process of thought (Rossi & Vorpagel, pg 153).]]> 2023-03-22 13:54:23 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527205200 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527205436 Defined by Donald Rossi as “[outlining] one’s psychological attributes and characteristics of behavior” (Rossi & Vorpagel, pg 152-153).]]> 2023-03-22 13:54:31 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527205436 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527212003 Stressed the idea of its use as “a tool, not a solution” (Vorpagel & Harrington pg 62).]]> 2023-03-22 13:58:21 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527212003 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527228648 Social science vs hard science

“When a fingerprint technician [works] with a trainee… We accept his or her interpretations of tiny, almost invisible lines, loops, and whorls as the ultimate correct answers. When an analyst, or alienist, or psychologically trained person does the same thing, using training to interpret the almost invisible clues seen at a crime scene we regard him or her with disdain and disbelief. Things not visible to the naked eye, but things that he or she knows are there we decline to accept or heed and by this suspicion, often overlook excellent opportunities to resolve unresolved questions at a crime scene” (Vorpagel, pg 2). ]]> 2023-03-22 14:07:37 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2527228648 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539899227 Psychological profiling is used to narrow down likely suspects for (usually violent) crimes when the perpetrator is unknown. Members of law enforcement, usually profilers, are able to look at a crime scene and determine likely characteristics of the offender or perpetrator(s) without ever having seen or interacted with them, based on what was done or left behind at the scene as well as what was not, as well as victimology if applicable: “in profiling we try to determine what goes on in the mind of a criminal” (Vorpagel & Harrington, 2001, p. 23).]]> 2023-03-31 13:40:34 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539899227 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539903124 “Profiling may eventually become a science, but it is more of an art” (Vorpagel & Harrington, 2001, p. 59).]]> 2023-03-31 13:43:27 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539903124 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539904230 Profiling “is based upon reviewing, analyzing, and researching criminal cases similar to the case submitted by the requesting agency. The final analysis is based upon the probabilities, noting, however, that no two criminal acts or criminal personalities are exactly alike, and therefore the offender at times may not always fit the profile in every category” (Vorpagel & Harrington, 2001, p. 62).]]> 2023-03-31 13:44:21 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539904230 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539905406 The validity of the science of behavioral analysis has been a topic of debate in the United States since roughly the 1790s when it began to be used more widely in American law enforcement. “Science” is often a term that people associate with hard facts, data, and consistent results, but when applied to behavioral, one has to understand that every person is different. Social sciences tend to be more fluid than “hard” sciences because there are so many different impacting factors. Because of this, the usage of behavioral analysis and criminal profiling has been constantly scrutinized and deemed unreliable, even with its multitudes of successes in more well-known institutions such as the FBI.]]> 2023-03-31 13:45:19 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539905406 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539906067 History has proven that criminal profiling is, in fact, a reliable method. The creation of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, or the BAU, in 1972 has shown that the FBI has deemed profiling dependent enough to formally rely on within American law enforcement and other government agencies. Behavioral analysis has been used at every level of law enforcement to help identify, track down, and capture major violent offenders since the 1790s, and is a practice that continues to adapt and be successfully implemented even today (Schiff & Vecchi, 2009).]]> 2023-03-31 13:45:52 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539906067 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539907314 Behavioral analysis at the state and local levels of law enforcement is much less official than the federal level. Most behavior training is actually based on guides written by FBI profilers, such as Rossi and Vorpagel’s chapter in Police Chief or Vorpagel’s bit on Investigative Services in Police Managerial Use of Psychology and Psychologists, which both give officers a basic overview of what behavioral and psychological analysis is, how it is helpful, and how to implement it effectively (Navarro & Karlins, 2009). There are also small task forces within at least state level law enforcement that are focused on psychology and behavior, though not, of course, to the same degree that the BAU is. Behavioral analysis is also used in interrogations, questioning, or really any sort of interaction between the police and non-police in which officers can gauge behavior based on body language and speech patterns. While body language alone is not enough cause for an arrest, it can give the officer clues as to what they should look for or what kinds of questions they should ask that would lead to physical evidence (Brzenchek, 2018).]]> 2023-03-31 13:46:52 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539907314 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539908626 The use of behavioral analysis and psychological profiling in law enforcement varies based on time and level of jurisdiction. The federal level receives more funding and has more authority and therefore has a more permanent, official unit specifically for profiling and behavioral analysis, whereas at the state and local levels, psychological profiling and behavioral analysis are implemented more generally through training, often based on guidelines written by the FBI profilers or special agents. As time goes on, the science of criminal profiling has been deemed more and more credible and reliable as its use and success continues to grow on every level of law enforcement in the United States.]]> 2023-03-31 13:47:54 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539908626 alc00038 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539911237 The federal level of behavioral analysis is more widely known, made famous by shows such as Criminal Minds, NCIS, or The Blacklist. While the media portrayal is overdramatized for television, the FBI and the BAU are real units that implement both psychological profiling and behavioral analysis in their work to hunt killers and other violent offenders with only what was left (or was not left) at the various crime scenes.]]> 2023-03-31 13:50:02 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2539911237 kad00015 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540285854 Behavioral analysis of criminals has always been a subject in criminology and psychology. These two fields are important because they incorporate the study of the human mind, behaviors, and criminal justice processes. It was even common in the 1930s-1940s. It didn't become extremely popular until FBI agent with a background in psychology, Howard Tennent, was recruited by the FBI's Training Division. He then taught a workshop/lecture to the New York police department about applied criminology in 1970. It picked up traction from other departments, which caused the heavy emergence of this study. In 1972, the FBI officially established the Behavioral Science Unit. A few years later, behavioral analysis was used to catch the infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy (FBI News, 2013, p.1).]]> 2023-03-31 20:10:52 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540285854 kad00015 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540316952 One behavioral analyst who made a huge impact on this department was Russell Vorpagel. He helped establish the FBI Behavioral Science Profiling Unit. He was a special agent in many large cities, including New York and Quantico. Vorpagel is the author of Profiles in Murder: An FBI Legend Dissects Killers and Their Crimes. Along with Howard Tennent and several others, he helped construct the way law enforcement conducts their work (Holmes, 2008, pg.1).]]> 2023-03-31 21:09:10 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540316952 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540327521 Criminal profiling as defined by the FBI “as a technique used to identify the perpetrator of a violent crime by identifying the personality and behavioral characteristics of the offender based upon an analysis of the crime committed.” (Douglas; Burgess pg 256). ]]> 2023-03-31 21:31:37 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540327521 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540341583 "The study of the victims of crime and the psychological effects on them of their experience" (Hagan, pg 91).]]> 2023-03-31 22:07:13 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540341583 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540352871 The term Victimology derives from the Latin word “Victima” which was generally used to describe an animal or person who was sacrificed to please a higher entity. In 1949 the term “Victimology” was first seen as it was written in a book by forensic scientist Fredric Wertham when he was talking about the the study of the individuals who were affected by criminals or crime. An Egyptian criminologist, Ezzat Fattah, later stated that “the study of victims and victimization has the potential of reshaping the entire discipline of criminology” (Fattah 2000, pg 24). The new emergence of the field of Victimology would soon be developed into more of a solidified research that would provide a new outlook on cause and effect of crime on certain groups of people. It opened up opportunities to expand the criminology field and allowed for more in-depth research for forensic scientists and criminologists. ]]> 2023-03-31 22:39:29 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540352871 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540355304 "The action of singling someone out for cruel or unjust treatment" (Hagan, pg 93).]]> 2023-03-31 22:46:35 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2540355304 kad00015 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2541411565 Below are some examples of how behavioral analysis has been used to solve major infamous crime cases.

Richard Trenton Chase:
Chase was a serial killer known by the name of "The Vampire Killer of Sacramento" during the 1970s. His main marking as a killer was the amount of blood left at the scenes. From a young age, he was describe as antisocial, with no strong relationships. He also lacked basic social skills. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Chase was also hospitalized for blood poisoning from draining blood from a rabbit. He tended to drink his victims' blood, killing both humans and animals. Behavioral analysts used his known obsession with blood to link him to these gruesome murders. They also investigated his medical diagnosis and antisocial behaviors from his childhood. By using his past behaviors while looking at his current ones, behavioral analysts were able to identify him as the killer (Crime Museum, 2022, p.1)

David Berkowitz:
Berkowitz was a disorganized serial killer known as "Son of Sam." He showed signs of paranoia and personality disorders from a very young age. He also struggled sexually, which sparked his fascination in revenge arson (Reporting Officer: 820190727, 2012, p.3). He then moved on to killing mostly women, targeting young women with short, dark hair. As a child, he was put up for adoption and was known as the neighborhood bully. Berkowitz also displayed a lack of social skills, such as laughing in inappropriate situations, disorganized emotions, and behaviors (Reporting Officer: 820190727, 2012, p.9). He also describes himself as an "outsider" and that he feels different from everyone else in the world, feeding into his own hallucinations (Reporting Officer: 820190727, 2012, p. 10). Behavioral analysts looked into his childhood history, behaviors, and medical diagnosis to characterize him as a disorganized serial killer. This helped agents identify him as the killer.]]> 2023-04-02 23:16:42 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2541411565 saw00017 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2571920958 2023-04-28 15:05:17 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2571920958 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572241744 The Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI was founded in 1972 with only ten members, originally named the Behavioral Science Unit (Schiff & Vecchi, 2009). The FBI had previously had smaller groups who were informally tasked as profilers, but they were not considered to be a separate unit, nor did they receive any special training; it was simply whoever was available.. Since 1972, however, the BAU has expanded to roughly fifteen to twenty full-time profilers (Williams, 2016). Some, such as retired FBI Special Agent Joe Navarro, were recruited by the FBI out of high school (Navarro, 2018) whereas others like Russel Vorpagel had years of field experience and a few psychology degrees under their belts already (Vorpagel & Harrington, 2001, p. 148). The BAU is still a relatively small agency, albeit an important one, used to assist ongoing federal investigations and help narrow down potential suspects through behavioral analysis, psychological profiling, and victimology.]]> 2023-04-28 21:10:34 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572241744 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572248670 Past usage of behavioral analysis and criminal profiling in the FBI, and application through well-known cases.]]> 2023-04-28 21:26:41 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572248670 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572248899 Definitions of terms important to understanding behavioral analysis and psychological profiling.]]> 2023-04-28 21:27:20 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572248899 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572249008 Aspects of behavioral analysis and psychological profiling that are positively impactful to both law enforcement and public safety.]]> 2023-04-28 21:27:32 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572249008 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572249218 Aspects of behavioral analysis and psychological profiling that are negatively impactful or inaccurate.]]> 2023-04-28 21:28:03 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572249218 gpk00004 https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572249292 Suggested responses to negative aspects or inaccuracies of behavioral analysis and psychological profiling.]]> 2023-04-28 21:28:15 UTC https://padlet.com/saw00017/8702pa8tmb6cee2j/wish/2572249292