Psychological profiling is used in criminal investigations to understand why certain criminals commit certain crimes and to make inferences about their behavior and background. It can be deductive or inductive, and previous research is often used to understand the offender’s motives.
Psychological profiling is a type of criminal science that is used in investigations to find out the reasons why some criminals commit certain types of crimes. Another reason to use the psychological profile in investigations is to make inferences regarding an offender’s behavior and the offender’s possible background. This type of profiling is done alongside other aspects of the criminal investigation in order to move the investigation in the right direction.
The psychological profiling process can be deductive or inductive. The inductive method of psychological profiling is done by drawing hypotheses based on the belief that people who commit certain types of crimes have somewhat similar backgrounds. For example, when a serial killer targets only a certain class of people, some assumptions can be made regarding the possible background of the type of person who is likely to commit such an offence. This assumption could increase if the killer exhibits certain characteristics, such as removing something that belongs to the victim or leaving something at the crime scene. Such attributes of a crime might allow some inferences to be made as to which group the offender probably belongs to.
Deductive psychology profiling is a more focused method that involves a more in-depth study of the offender as a person, including a crime scene study to uncover any telltale signs that will reveal the motives behind the crime. For example, if a criminal leaves some belongings at a crime scene, it can be assumed that the crime may have been unforeseen in some way and that the criminal was in a hurry. Such details make a huge difference in the cut of an investigation and the subsequent trial and conviction of a criminal. A well-planned crime is indicative of premeditation, and a messy crime scene could indicate a lack of premeditation.
When studying the background of offenders during psychological profiling, much emphasis is placed on the outcome of previous research in relation to the crime in question. For example, in some cases, sadistic criminals may be driven by abuse they may have experienced in the past. The abuse could be psychological, sexual or physical, such as severe beatings and torture. Others may have exhibited sadistic behaviors since their childhood, such as torturing small animals and exhibiting other forms of deviant behavior towards people.
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