Offender profiling

Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is an investigative strategy used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and has been used by investigators to link cases that may have been committed by the same perpetrator.^[2] There are multiple approaches to offender profiling, including the FBI’s typological method, geographic profiling, and investigative psychology, each utilizing different techniques to analyze offender behavior. Profiling is primarily applied in cases involving violent crimes such as serial murder, sexual offenses, and arson, where behavioral patterns may provide investigative leads. Despite its use in law enforcement, offender profiling remains controversial, with critics arguing that it often lacks empirical validation, relies heavily on subjective interpretation, and may contribute to cognitive biases in criminal investigations. Advances in forensic psychology and data-driven methodologies continue to shape the field, integrating psychological theories with statistical analysis to improve reliability and accuracy.^[3] The originator of modern profiling was FBI agent Robert Ressler. He defined profiling as the process of identifying all psychological characteristics of an individual and forming a general description of their personality based on an analysis of crimes they have committed.^[4]

^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Woodhams, Jessica; Toye, Kirsty (February 2007). "An empirical test of the assumptions of case linkage and offender profiling with serial commercial robberies". Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. 13 (1): 59–85. doi:10.1037/1076-8971.13.1.59.
^ Fox, Bryanna; Farrington, David P. (December 2018). "What have we learned from offender profiling? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 years of research". Psychological Bulletin. 144 (12): 1247–1274. doi:10.1037/bul0000170. ISSN 1939-1455.
^ Turvey, Brent E. (2003). Criminal profiling : An introd. to behavioral evidence analysis (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Acad. press. ISBN 0-12-705041-8.

[:4-1] Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Woodhams2007-2] Woodhams, Jessica; Toye, Kirsty (February 2007). "An empirical test of the assumptions of case linkage and offender profiling with serial commercial robberies". Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. 13 (1): 59–85. doi:10.1037/1076-8971.13.1.59.

[3] Fox, Bryanna; Farrington, David P. (December 2018). "What have we learned from offender profiling? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 years of research". Psychological Bulletin. 144 (12): 1247–1274. doi:10.1037/bul0000170. ISSN 1939-1455.

[4] Turvey, Brent E. (2003). Criminal profiling : An introd. to behavioral evidence analysis (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Acad. press. ISBN 0-12-705041-8.

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