Criminal profiling has become a popular concept in the present day; however, its use
dates back to the late 1800s. The first documented profile was done for the “Jack the Ripper”
murders in London, Costanzo & Krauss (2020, pg. 116). Criminal profiling is usually used in
murder investigations and more specifically serial murder. Profilers use the application of
psychological evaluation of an unknown subject based on the scene of the crime and details
of the murder in an attempt to determine the modus operandi or signature and a description of
the subject. The success of criminal profiling is very hit or miss when it comes to
investigators applying it in their investigations and making an arrest. Sometimes the profiler
makes a dead accurate prediction of the personality and behavior of the subject, but then
sometimes they are way off and investigators waste a lot of time looking for the wrong
suspect.
When the prostitutes of London were being decimated by “Jack the Ripper” a
criminal profile was developed. Still, the description fit so many people that investigators
were unable to solve the murders. In this case, criminal profiling benefited in some ways and
hindered others. “Jack the Ripper” was, an unidentified subject believed to be involved in 11
murders in Whitechapel, London from 1888-1891, Keppel, et. al. (2005, pg. 1). He was of
course, presumed to have been a man. He had a very specific method of killing his victims
and removing their organs. Unfortunately, this case remains unsolved to this day, the subject
was never found but the killings did end. This investigation is still a hot topic in academia
today. With new and improved methods of criminal profiling, specifically identifying
signatures of killers, they have determined that of the 11 he was suspected of committing
only 6 bore his true signature, Keppel, et. al. (2005, pg. 2). The evolution of criminal
profiling benefited this case in a way, they were able to narrow the number of killings related
to “Jack the Ripper.” Comparatively speaking, they may have had copycat killers or other
killers who got away with murder during the time. Based on the profile developed to help the
police it accidently misled the investigation of the other murders. Investigators thought they
were looking for the same killer, Keppel, et. al. (2005).
In this discussion please address whether criminal profiling is effective.
Please specify cases in which profiling was effective or when it misled an investigation.
Make sure to include a discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of criminal profiling.
Include identification of the attributes of a successful criminal profiler and whether mental
health professionals make good profilers.
WORD COUNT:702
References:
1. Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
3. Snook, B., Cullen, R. M., Bennell, C., Taylor, P. J., & Gendreau, P. (2008). The Criminal
Profiling Illusion: What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors? Criminal Justice and Behavior,
35(10), 1257-1276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854808321528
4. Kocsis, R. N., & Palermo, G. B. (2015). Disentangling Criminal Profiling: Accuracy,
Homology, and the Myth of Trait-Based Profiling. International Journal of Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, 59(3), 313-332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X13513429
There is no shortcut to seeking justice, criminal profiling is an exciting theory for
finding a suspect; however, it has limits in the viability and its practical use. Psalm
111:7–8 is a good verse from the Bible that explains diligence “The works of his hands are
faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, to
be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.” Criminal profiling has had its scientific
viability questioned in academia. Academics have attempted to conduct studies with
profilers to ascertain their credibility and accuracy which have proved difficult to
organize. Snook et. al. (2008), note that such attempts to gather 40 profilers to conduct
standardized tests to evaluate profiler accuracy returned with only 5 who would accept
testing of their abilities. Analyzing criminal profiling as a viable means has also proven
difficult in other studies. Kocsis & Palermo (2015) conclude, that there is an
incompatibility between research into profiler accuracy and offender similarity which may
be better applied to specific violent crimes.
As far as the attributes that make a successful criminal profiler and whether mental
health professionals make good profilers go, our text provides a good example. We’ll call
them investigative psychologists for this discussion post. Psychiatrist, Dr. James D.
Brussells was provided with the subject’s letters and other evidence collected by
investigators. He provided an astute profile of the offender, it was spot-on accurate with
the depiction of the “Mad Bomber’s” suit and living conditions, as described by Costanzo
& Krauss (2020 pg. 117). Kocsis (2006), conducted tests in a controlled area of 16
profilers who are mental health professionals, to test the validity of investigative
psychology. He determined only a few were able to develop an accurate profile in the
scenario. So it seems there are some very intuitive mental health professionals but it is
unlikely that the career as a whole is scientifically viable.
2. Keppel, R.D., Weis, J.G., Brown, K.M. and Welch, K. (2005), The Jack the Ripper
murders: a modus operandi and signature analysis of the 1888–1891 Whitechapel
murders. J. Investig. Psych. Offender Profil., 2: 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.22
5. Kocsis, R. N. (2006). Validities and Abilities in Criminal Profiling. International Journal
of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology., 50(4), 458–477.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X06289179
Jenna,
You did a great job of succinctly and accurately capturing this week’s main topics in
your post. It was a joy to read. It’s interesting to think that profiling has been a concept in
criminal justice since the late 1800s. The “Jack the Ripper” case in London was the first
known use of criminal profiling (Costanzo & Krauss 2020). “Jack the Ripper” was believed
to be involved in 11 murders in Whitechapel, London from 1888-1891, Keppel, et. al. (2005,
pg. 1). This case of course has had prolific attention in academia and studies into serial
killers and profiling. Today profilers have determined the killings at the time bore the same
signature as 6 instead of 11, which means 5 murders in that time frame were misled due to
the inaccuracy of the profile (Keppel, et. al. 2005, pg. 2). In this case, profiling was in its
infancy stage and largely unsuccessful in assisting investigators in capturing the serial killer.
When it comes to mental health professionals or investigative psychologists and their ability
to develop better criminal profiles some are better than others. It seems any profiler as long
as they have a strong background in psychology, is better suited than the average police
officer but still many of them fail to accurately develop criminal profiles of offenders (Kocsis
2006). Many profilers refuse to take part in controlled studies to test the validity of the
profiles they create. Kocsis et. al. (2015), have attempted controlled studies with profilers to
ascertain their rate of success. Based on this research they concluded the offender’s
homology or similarity with regards to type of crime is more important than “trait-based”
research to develop accurate data, an “apples to apples” approach, Kocsis et. al. (2015 pg. 5).
Word Count 292
References:
1. Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
2. Kocsis, R. N. (2006). Validities and Abilities in Criminal Profiling. International Journal
of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology., 50(4), 458–477.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X06289179
3. Kocsis, R. N., & Palermo, G. B. (2015). Disentangling Criminal Profiling: Accuracy,
Homology, and the Myth of Trait-Based Profiling. International Journal of Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, 59(3), 313-332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X13513429
4. Keppel, R.D., Weis, J.G., Brown, K.M. and Welch, K. (2005), The Jack the Ripper
murders: a modus operandi and signature analysis of the 1888–1891 Whitechapel murders. J.
Investig. Psych. Offender Profil., 2: 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.22
Jalen,
Profiling is when an investigator evaluates the circumstances of a crime scene to
include evidence found at the scene to try to determine the subject’s “personality, behavior,
motivation, and demographic characteristics” Costanzo & Krauss (2020 pg. 114). Usually,
the use of profiling is for severe serial crimes such as murder. Serial crime is defined as
when an offender commits a crime three times with a “cooling off” period between the
incidents. Profiling is a tool albeit not the most effective tool available to law enforcement to
solve a crime. The attempts to successfully profile a criminal and lead to an arrest have an
extremely low success rate of about 2.7% Costanzo & Krauss (2020 pg. 123).
WORD COUNT: 276
References:
1. Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
2. Snook, B., Cullen, R. M., Bennell, C., Taylor, P. J., & Gendreau, P. (2008). The Criminal
Profiling Illusion: What’s Behind the Smoke and Mirrors? Criminal Justice and Behavior,
35(10), 1257-1276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854808321528
3. Kocsis, R. N., & Palermo, G. B. (2015). Disentangling Criminal Profiling: Accuracy,
Homology, and the Myth of Trait-Based Profiling. International Journal of Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, 59(3), 313-332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X13513429
There is a schism in criminal profiling’s validity between law enforcement and
academia about its overall accuracy and practicality. Profilers of course want to
safeguard their positions as a valid “science” and continue with what can be considered
a “fun” position with little to no consequences if they are inaccurate. Academics have
attempted to conduct studies with profilers to ascertain their credibility and accuracy
which have proved difficult to organize. Snook et. al. (2008), note that such attempts
to gather 40 profilers to conduct standardized tests to evaluate profiler accuracy
returned with only 5 who would accept testing of their abilities. Kocsis & Palermo
(2015) conclude, that there is an incompatibility between research into profiler
accuracy and offender similarity which may be better applied to specific violent
crimes. Furthermore, of the studies that were conducted less than half of the studies
provided any statistical information and less than “22%” had statistics accompanying
the research Costanzo & Krauss (2020 pg. 126).
Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
Studies have consistently shown that unfavorable views towards the insanity defense
significantly impact the decisions of mock jurors (Costanzo & Krauss 2020 p. 161). Jurors
commonly use their personal interpretations of sanity and insanity, often ignoring legal
instructions and definitions, when deciding on a verdict (Costanzo & Krauss 2020). While
competence pertains to the mental condition of a defendant at the time of their trial, insanity
addresses the defendant's psychological state when the alleged crime took place. Although
both terms are used in the legal field as opposed to the field of psychology, they both stem
from evaluations made by clinical psychologists. Insanity is not primarily concerned with the
presence of a psychological disorder but rather focuses on whether the accused was aware
that their actions were wrong, known as the mens rea (Costanzo & Krauss 2020). If the
defendant does not understand the concept of right and wrong, then any form of punishment
will neither act as retribution nor as a means of deterrence since their mental faculties are not
sufficiently developed to be affected by such consequences. There is a wealth of evidence
that suggests the beliefs, biases, and preformed opinions of jurors can influence their
decision-making in cases involving claims of insanity.
Reference
The concept of Competence to stand trial or (CST) is a judicial term pertaining to an
individual's capability to comprehend and engage in functions relevant to the court.
This includes the accused's capacity to grasp the nature of their current legal
predicament. It also involves understanding the accusations against them, as well as
being knowledgeable about the available pleas. Moreover, an individual must be
cognizant of the potential consequences they might face. The contemporary
understanding of CST was established by the U.S. Supreme Court during the “1960
Dusky v. United States” case, as noted by Costanzo & Krauss (2020 p. 190). In this
case, Milton Dusky, who was mentally ill and 33 years old at the time, faced charges
for the abduction and illegal interstate transportation of Alison McQuery, a girl aged
15.Grasping the distinct roles and duties of the courtroom figures such as the judge,
the defense attorney, and the prosecutor is a vital part of being considered competent
in a court setting. It is essential for the accused to place confidence in and
communicate with their legal representation to construct an effective defense, which
encompasses assisting in the identification of witnesses and formulating tactics for
their cross-examination. Additionally, defendants are expected to comport
themselves suitably in court proceedings and make judicious decisions concerning
the defense strategy, thereby upholding their own dignity as well as that of the
judicial system.
Reference
Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
Malingering involves deliberately faking or significantly overstating mental or physical
symptoms for personal advantage, to circumvent undesirable consequences, to evade or delay
prosecution. A variant of this behavior includes a defendant alleging amnesia, claiming a
total memory loss regarding the offense they are charged with. A number of psychological
assessments incorporate items intended to reveal instances of malingering, and several tests
have been specifically created to assist clinicians in identifying such deceitful conduct. The
advantages of malingering are hardly beneficial since a determination of incompetence
results in the hospitalization of the defendant until such time as they are deemed fit to stand
trial (Costanzo and Krauss 2020).
Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
Young individuals, by the merit of their youth, are devoid of an adequate grasp of the legal
system. Brain scans through magnetic resonance imaging of young people indicate the
incomplete maturation of their frontal lobes, which are thought to govern behaviors related to
impulse control, strategic thinking, and recognizing the hazards of certain actions (Costanzo
& Krauss 2020 p. 207). Their limited life experience coupled with the ongoing maturation of
the frontal lobe likely plays a critical role in influencing the soundness of decision-making
and comprehension abilities of adolescents during legal proceedings. Assessing whether an
individual is fit to undergo trial includes determining both their comprehension of the trial's
proceedings and their capacity for logical decision-making. It is important that the legal
system incorporates distinct criteria for children and teens, prioritizing the evaluation of a
young person's potential for conceptual thinking and logical judgment, rather than rushing to
implement severe punishment that could exacerbate developmental damage to a young
person (Costanzo & Krauss 2020).
Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
ReferenceReference
Distinct from the ability to participate in trial proceedings, determining insanity takes a
retroactive view of the past of an individual's psychological state during the criminal act. This
demands the need for those who are evaluating tot reconstruct the defendant's mental
functioning at that time. This period under scrutiny could be from years ago, during which
significant changes in the person's mental health could have occurred via medication or
therapy post-offense (Costanzo, & Krauss 2020).
The legal criteria used to judge insanity are less clear-cut than those for trial competency.
Terms such as "lacks substantial capacity" (Costanzo, & Krauss 2020 p.189 ) are used in
insanity determinations. These behaviors are intrinsically harder to measure compared to
assessing someone's grasp of legal processes or their capacity to work with legal counsel on
their defense. Establishing assessments to evaluate core legal comprehension is considerably
less complex than devising ways to judge an individual's impulse control or understanding of
morality legality.
Although the Dusky standard for competency to stand trial is universally recognized, the
benchmarks for insanity differ across states. Some states adopt the definition of insanity
based on the American Law Institute (ALI) model, while others adhere to the M'Naghten
rule, with numerous terminological differences even among states that utilize the same
criteria (Costanzo, & Krauss 2020 p.246 ). These discrepancies pose significant challenges in
creating a standardized psychological tool for insanity evaluation.
Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2020).:Forensic and Legal Psychology:(4th ed.). Macmillan
Higher Education.:https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781319352172
Ultimately, he was found guilty and incarcerated. During his time in jail, he received a
schizophrenia diagnosis and tried to have his conviction overturned on the grounds of
insanity, but the attempt failed as it was established that he had an understanding of the legal
proceedings he was involved in.
Reference
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