Forensic Psychology is used to Study the Criminals. Criminal
profiling is an important part of the forensic psychology field. Criminal
profilers are responsible for developing psychological profiles of offenders
based on the crime scene. This work is typically performed by a forensic
psychologist; an individual who has extensively studied the state of the
criminal mind. The resulting criminal profile can be utilized by law
enforcement to assist in the apprehension of the offender.
Criminal profiles are essentially psychological sketches
of the offender. Crime scenes can offer a tremendous amount of information to
forensic psychologists regarding the individual who perpetrated the crime. This
is particularly true in regards to homicides. Criminal profiling is frequently
utilized to assist investigators in apprehending serial killers and
psychopaths. It can also be beneficial in catching many other types of
criminals, including rapists and arsonists.
The crime scene assists in labeling the criminal as
disorganized, organized or a combination of the two. Forensic psychology has
shown that organized offenders tend to plan ahead and select their victim
before initiating the crime. The offender will bring all necessary tools with
them. This type of offender is often meticulous regarding details. They in
essence premeditate the crime.
Offenders who are organized are often high within the
birth order of their family. Frequently, they are the oldest child. They tend
to be extremely intelligent and often seem to have their life together.
Stressful situations can act as triggers. Most such offenders live with a
partner and appear to be completely socially adept. They will usually follow
the media coverage of their crimes extensively.
Disorganized offenders tend to perpetrate spontaneous
offenses. This type of offender will usually depersonalize their victims. This
helps to make the crime less vivid and therefore allows them to remain detached
from the situation. In most cases, there is not much conversation between the
victim and the offender. The crime typically seems sloppy and random. Through
forensic psychology and criminal profiling, numerous conclusions can be drawn
about this type of offender.
For instance, disorganized offers frequently have an
intelligence level that is average or just below-average. They usually live
alone and are a younger member of their family. These individuals are not
usually very socially adept. They may work or live near the scene of their
crimes.
The above is just a general outline of certain criminal
behavior; there are no steadfast definitions in criminal profiling. Forensic
psychology and criminal profiling can be used not only for locating potential
offenders, but also for narrowing down a list of possible offenders that has
been created by law enforcement. While criminal profiling is not successful in
every case, it has assisted investigators in apprehending numerous criminals
around the country.
By assessing and evaluating the motives and patterns of
prior criminals, criminal profiling makes it possible to predict the
characteristics of both current as well as future offenders with a fair degree
of accuracy. As a result, criminals can be apprehended much sooner, before they
can continue committing further crimes.
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