Unit 5.2

Question 1

Research on crime scene profiling :

Answer 1

1) There is no uniformity in the terminology, or the methods used.

2) Few limitations on who call themselves profilers.

Question 2

Case linkage analysis

Answer 2

1) It ties one individual to two or more similar crimes.

Question 3

Contemporary perspectives on crime scene or offender profiling

Answer 3

1) The primary goal of a professional profiler is to provide information to investigators and law enforcement that is based on solid behavioural science.

2) Profilers are expected to offer advice and information that is based on empirical research on criminal behaviour and up-to-date psychological principles.

Question 4

Psychological signature

Answer 4

1) Subtle but distinctive ways of speaking, thinking, behaving, and even problem solving beyond the person’s awareness

2) The psychological signature that potentially provides important keys to linking crimes and identifying aspects about the offending that may be helpful to investigators.

3) It is believed that an offender’s style of committing a crime reflects the offender’s general lifestyle, not some special, unusual aspects of it.

4) How the offender treats the victim provided critical clues for the profiling process

Question 5

Equivocal death analysis :

Answer 5

1) Also called reconstructive psychological evaluation

2) The reconstruction of the emotional life, behavioural patterns, and cognitive features of a deceased person

3) It is a post-mortem psychological analysis and is referred to psychological autopsy.

4) It is most often used to determine the cause of deaths was suicide, and if was suicide, the reason the person did it.

5) It tries to rely on both the clinical approach and actuarial approach

Question 6

Multiple murders

Answer 6

1) Mass murders and serial murders

2) Multiple murders are still rare compared to all criminal homicides, and when they do happen, they cannot escape attention, and they remain in the brain of the public

Question 7

Inductive Profiling

Answer 7

1) This approach derives generalizations about an offender based on statistical analyses of behaviors and characteristics observed in known offenders

Question 8

Data sources

Answer 8

1) Relies on aggregated data from previous cases, including offender interviews, criminal databases, and academic studies

Question 9

Assumptions

Answer 9

Operates on the premise that similar crimes are likely committed by individuals sharing common traits

Question 10

Advantages: of Assumptions

Answer 10

1) Efficient for analyzing large datasets.

2) Useful in identifying patterns across multiple cases

Question 11

Limitations of Assumptions:

Answer 11

1) May not account for unique aspects of individual cases.

2) Potential for inaccuracies due to overgeneralization.

Question 12

Deductive Profiling :

Answer 12

1) This method constructs a profile based on a detailed analysis of the specific crime scene, considering the unique behaviors and evidence present

Question 13

Data Sources functions

Answer 13

1) Utilizes forensic evidence, crime scene analysis, victimology, and other case-specific information

Question 14

Assumptions of data source functions:

Answer 14

Each crime is unique, and the offender’s characteristics can be deduced from the specific details of the crime

Question 15

Advantages of data source functions:

Answer 15

1) Provides a tailored profile for individual cases.

2) Can offer insights into the offender’s motivations and psychological state.

Question 16

Limitations of data source functions:

Answer 16

1) Time-consuming and requires specialized expertise.

2) Less effective if the crime scene lacks sufficient evidence.