Contemporary and Critical Analyses of the Approaches to Offender Profiling

Offender profiling is an investigative technique that analyses a crime so as to gain information about an offender. The ‘profile’ that is created on the offender incorporates many factors such as personality and behaviour. There a several major approaches to this technique that have formed from many different disciplines.

These approaches are the North American Approaches, Actuarial Approaches, Clinical Approaches, and the Dutch Approach, and are all critically analysed within this dissertation. Along with individual analyses of these approaches, this discussion also focuses on comparing each with one another and attempts are made to single out the most successful and accurate approach. Concluding comments find this extremely difficult to achieve because of the broad distinctions that offender profiling incorporates.

Many different aspects of each approach are considered so as to aid the discussions progress and suggestions are made for the requirement of an increase in future scientific research. Offender profiling is a term that has a connection with many different disciplines and each provide their own definition for the methodology and application of the technique. Criminologists, psychologists, behaviourists,
sociologists and investigators alike all hold opinions as to the most effective use of profiling and, if asked, will more than likely all describe contrasting approaches and practices, all the while disputing the descriptions from their peers.

Even the odd adventurous crime writer will offer an attempt at recounting the fascinating life of a profiler, if some what a little fictional. But which opinion, if any, holds the most validity? Surely all the approaches to offender profiling can’t have equal and shared qualities, which mould a balanced multi-disciplinary technique? The lack of reliable scientific research into these questions and the subject of offender profiling as a whole makes it necessary to conduct more research. Profiling as a scientific body is still very much in its infancy and requires the consistent evolvement of the existing research and theories to develop into a reliable source of information.

Without analysis of its own methods, no technique can advance into a valid science. This fact has made it necessary to conduct this research into the approaches of offender profiling and hopefully encourage others to be more analytical when considering the technique.

• 13,000 words – 62 pages in length
• Excellent use of literature
• Expertly written throughout
• Outstanding piece of work
• Ideal for law and psychology students

1. Introduction

2. North American Approaches
The FBI’s Crime Scene Analysis
Behavioural Evidence Analysis

3. Actuarial Approaches
Investigative Psychology
Critique of IP
Geographic Profiling

4. Other Approaches
Clinical and Diagnostic Evaluation
Paul Britton
The Dutch Approach

5. Discussion
Measuring Accuracy and Success
Compatibility and Practicality
A Prominent Approach?

6. Conclusion

7. Reference