Criminal Forensics

What is the difference between Criminal and Forensic Psychology:

Criminal: (The how and why)

  1. Studying why people commit crimes

  2. Creates criminal profiles

  3. Evaluates the risk of reoffending

  4. Provided counseling and other services to inmates and offenders

  1. Consults with law enforcement

  2. Evaluates if defendants are competent to stand trail

  3. Makes sentencing recommendations

  4. Gives testimony as an expert

FBI Profiling Process

1. Data Assimilation:

Collect data from police reports, witness reports, and from crime scene

Signature - Something done to fulfill or satisfy the offender’s emotional state

(Not the same as Modus Operandi)

Modus Operandi

What is needed to complete the crime

State of the crime scene

Gives clues about the type of offender

  • Age
  • Race
  • Motive

2. Crime Classification

Profilers decide whether the crime scene is organized or disorganized (planned)

Organized crime scene:
  • Body is hidden
  • Weapon is removed from scene
  • Appears well-planned
  • The victim is specifically targeted
  • Restraint often used
  • Aggression takes place before death
    Organized crime scene suggests an offender
  • Average or above average IQ
  • Employed, usually quite skilled
  • Socially competent
  • Uses alcohol in commision of crime
  • Uses car to drive to crime scene/hunt for victim
  • Obsessed with media coverage of his crimes
Disorganized crime scene:
  • Body not hidden
  • Weapon is present
  • Appears to be spontaneous
  • Victim may be an acquaintance
  • Aggression post-mortem
    Disorganized crime scene suggests an offender:
  • Below average IQ
  • Unstable employment record, unskilled
  • Socially isolated
  • Lives close to crime scene
  • Strict discipline as a child
  • Extremely anxious

3. Crime Reconstruction:

Hypothesis about crime sequence, offender and victim behaviour

4. Profile Generation:

Offender’s physical demographic and behavioural characteristics