Criminal profiling begins with the basic premise that people behave according to what they think. The body follows the mind. What we think is reflected in how we behave. In the words of Hyrum W. Smith, “your behavior is a reflection of what you truly believe.” It is difficult, if not impossible, for people to behave contrary to their beliefs or fundamental values. Our behavior, therefore, reveals our fundamental thoughts through the actions or tasks we perform. Criminal profiling is the analysis of human behavior which has been analyzed and refined to help law enforcement evaluate past behaviors in an effort to predict future actions.
Criminal profiling and personality assessment are ways law enforcement has sought to combine the results of studies in other disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and forensics, in an effort to combat violent criminal behavior. It has been particularly helpful in investigating sexual homicide because “many of these crimes appear without motive and, thus, offer few obvious clues about the killer’s identity,” according to Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives by authors Robert K. Ressler, Ann W. Burgess and John E. Douglas. Through profiling, investigators use behavioral characteristics of the offender to gather information about the killer’s behavior. Through this analysis, investigators are able to develop a working hypothesis in which to compare or contradict the information or data received from the crime scene, witness interviews, or physical evidence.
The process of criminal profiling began in the 1970s at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Science Unit. The accumulation of experience, education, and educated guesswork has helped investigators to refine the profiling process to help law enforcement investigators to evaluate past behaviors in an effort to predict future actions that may help in the apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders. Traditionally, investigators have learned profiling through “brainstorming, intuition, and educated guesswork,” according to Ressler, Burgess and Douglas.
The process of profiling has since been refined, reexamined and routinely validated to help law enforcement narrow the field of potential suspects as they pertain to individual cases. Through years of experience, investigators developed expertise through on-the-job experience, accumulated wisdom, and involvement in a large number of cases, explains Ressler, Burgess and Douglas.
The Premise of Profiling
The basic premise of criminal profiling is that the way a person thinks directs the person’s behavior. How they think is how they behave. The thoughts patterns, motives, reasons, justifications, or validations of behavior reflect the way an individual thinks which can be used to reveal past behavior or predict future actions. Philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is frequently quoted as saying, “I think; therefore I am.” More importantly to psychologists and profilers, however, is one of Descartes less famous quotes in which he states; “It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.” A profiler’s expertise is judged on the ability to assess a personality type based on systematic analysis of a crime scene.
“Criminal personality assessment helps investigators identify those patterns of behavior and personality,” explains Ressler. Burgess and Douglas. Investigators must evaluate through assessment of the crime scene to determine what it may reveal about the type of person who committed the crime. Criminal profiling helps law enforcement focus its efforts in a particular area through the collection of leads, personal interviews, crime scene analysis and educated assessment based on previous experience.
Process of Profiling
The criminal profiling process has matured during the past twenty years. It has since been divided into five main stages:
- profiling inputs
- decision process models
- crime assessment
- the criminal profile
- the investigation (and, potentially, the apprehension)
Profiling Inputs
The first stage, profiling inputs, begins the profile generating process. During this stage investigators gather data from the crime scene and any other related information or evidence. Gathering background information on the victim is particularly important and should include information relating to the victim’s domestic setting, employment, reputation, habits, friends, relatives, criminal history, hobbies and social conduct, explains Ressler.
Decision Process Models
The second stage, decision process models, refers to the process of organizing and arranging inputs into patterns to differentiate the information. During this stage, investigators classify the crime by type and style. “It is important to classify homicides correctly,” explains Ressler, Burgess and Douglas. A correct classification assists in profiling and the direction of the investigation.
Crime Assessment
The third stage, crime assessment, “involves the reconstruction of the sequence of events and the behavior of both the offender and the victim,” writes Ressler, Burgess and Douglas. Through this assessment process investigators determine whether the crime was organized or disorganized by considering factors involving victim selection, strategies to control the victim, and the sequence of the crime. This is the Who, What, Where, and Why portion of the investigation.
The Criminal Profile
The fourth stage, the criminal profile, focuses on the type of person who committed the crime. The resulting analysis serves as the basis to formulate the strategy to conduct the investigation. It serves as the starting point to further validate or refute the information or evidence gathered with the intent of focusing the investigation to assure maximum coverage with minimal resources.
The Investigation
The fifth stage, the investigation, refers to the process of investigating the crime based upon the “congruence” of the criminal profile developed in stage four. The congruence refers to the cohesiveness of the profile. Throughout the investigative process the information is reexamined and the profile revalidated,” explains Ressler, Burgess and Douglas. The goal of a good profile effort is to aid in identification and apprehension of the criminal.
Apprehension
The final stage, the apprehension, occurs when and if a suspect has been apprehended. If an apprehended suspect admits guilt, “it is important to conduct a detailed interview to check the total profiling process for validity,” explains Ressler, Burgess and Douglas. The process of checking and rechecking the information and evidence gathered is critical to the entire criminal profiling process from the first stage through the final analysis and, ultimately, apprehension of the offender.
Conclusion
Criminal profiling begins with the basic premise that people behave according to what they think. The body follows the mind. Bad thoughts lead to bad behavior. Good thoughts lead to good behavior. Through the behavior of others, therefore, criminal investigators are able to analyze what a person thinks which helps them predict how they will behave in the future. This analysis helps law enforcement focus an investigation and, potentially, apprehend the criminal.
