PSY 3173 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Boston Strangler, Offender Profiling, Serial Killer
18 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
An investigation technique for identifying the major personality and behavioural characteristics of an individual based upon an analysis of crimes he or she has committed. It is most commonly used in cases of serial homicide and rape (or other violent crimes) where the offender is unknown- it helps narrowing down a list of suspects and/or providing new lines or inquiry. However, it is also used in a variety of other situations: To help set traps to flush out an offender. To provide advice on how best to interrogate a suspect. To tell prosecutors how to break down defendants in cross-examination. To assist in the execution of search warrants. According to woodworth and porter (1999), the documented history of profiling dates back to the publication of the malleus maleficarum in the late 1400s. The idea of modern profiling has emerged from early literary works, most detective novels.
