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Write the questions you want to investigate in each of the boxes across the top of the chart. (
Write the source information in the boxes down the side of the chart.( )
When you find information, write the main points in notes in the corresponding boxes.
Questions
What is Criminal
Profiling?
Sources
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ml
yount/MySites/ForensicPsycho
logy/CriminalProfiling.html
Notes From Behavioral
Psychology 2009. Teacher: Mrs.
McClusky
)
How is DNA used What are some of
the issues involved
in the process of
Criminal Profiling? with Criminal
profiling?
Criminal profiling consists of analyzing
a crime scene and using the
information to determine the identity of
the perpetrator. While this doesn't
directly give you the perpetrator's
name, it is very helpful in narrowing
down suspects. For example, a profile
based on a crime scene provides
information that may include the
perpetrator's personality, sex, age,
ethnic background, and possible
physical features such as
disfigurements or height and weight.
This information can then be used to
identify possible suspects, depending
on who fits the profile. Personality is
one of the most important parts of a
criminal profile. A Forensic Science
website puts it precisely: "Behavior
reflects personality. And that is what
profiling is all about"
Criminal profiling is a technique used to
assist in the identification and
apprehension of a likely criminal offender
for a particular crime or series of crimes.
It involves working out a possible
description of the type of person likely to
be responsible for the crime. Once
finished it gives an overall portrait or
picture of a likely offender, which usually
includes;

Physiological characteristics:
age, sex, race, body build, left or
right handed etc.

Psychological characteristics:
intelligence level, personality,
aggressiveness

General information:
employment status,
socioeconomic status, marital
status, vehicle.
There are two approaches to criminal
profiling; inductive and deductive.
Inductive involves comparing known
information about the crime under
investigation with that of other similar
crimes to decide on the type of offender
who is most likely responsible. This also
includes criminals on the database.
Deductive involves using known
information about the crime to draw
specific conclusions about the type of
offender likely to be responsible. This
takes into account all the physical
evidence left behind at the crime scene,
the offender’s behaviour and the victim’s
characteristics.
What are the
What effect does
advantages of
Criminal Profiling
Criminal Profiling? have on humans?
Personality profiles of criminals are
based on the way in which a crime is
committed, also known as the
'method of operations' or m.o. The
m.o. includes the identity of the
victim(s), what the victims (in the case
of a serial offender) have in common,
the weapon(s) used, the degree of
hostility, the existence (or lack) of any
torture and/or sexual molestation, and
so on. Analyzing these aspects of the
crime scene, an investigator (usually a
trained forensic psychologist) can
determine the motives of the
perpetrator, which leads to a
description of the perpetrator's
personality, or the personality profile.
In deductive profiling, forensic
psychologists analyze the forensic
evidence (DNA, fingerprints etc),
analyze the victim’s characteristics
(sex, injuries, cause of death etc),
analyze the crime scene
(environments, number of scenes
etc).
A previous offenders DNA,
fingerprints etc are stored on a
database. This is done so that when u
are analyzing a crime scene you can
compare evidence to the database.
Some advantages of criminal profiling
are;
 The personality profile will
narrow down suspects
 You can assess how
dangerous the offender is
 The profile is entered into a
database which can help to
investigate other similar
crimes.
 The database is also used to
investigate other crimes that
the person has committed.
These crimes are solved
relatively quickly.
 Creating a criminal profile
saves time
Criminal profiling doesn’t really have a
physical effect on the human however
it may effect aspects of their life such
as their job, marriage or relationships,
punishment, school, friendships etc.
Investigating a certain crime may also
have a mental effect on the forensic
psychologists.
The victim and the victim’s family and
friends are also affected.
Thinking Tool
Data grid
http://www.stephpalmer.co.uk/Cri
minal/inductive%20and%20dedu
ctive%20profiling.doc
The advantages of the Inductive
Criminal Profiling model are readily
apparent. Foremost is that Inductive
Profiling is a very easy tool to use, for
which no specialized forensic
knowledge, education, or training in
the study of criminal behaviour or
criminal investigation is required.
Additionally, general profiles can be
assembled in a relatively short period
of time without any great effort or
ability on the part of the profiler. The
result is often a one or two page list of
unqualified characteristics. These
generalizations can accurately predict
some of the non-distinguishing
elements of individual criminal
behaviour, but not with a great deal of
consistency or reliability.
Deductive Criminal Profiling is also
useful for thoroughly establishing
Modus Operandi behaviour, as well as
offender signature behaviour, which
assists in the linkage of seemingly
unrelated crimes. According to
Geberth, the Modus Operandi, or MO
behaviour, or method of operation, is
a dynamic, learned behaviour,
changing over time, as the offender
becomes more experienced. It
involves only those actions that are
necessary to commit the offense.
Another very tangible advantage of
the Deductive Criminal Profiling
method is that, because it so
thoroughly explores victimology, and
the nature of the interaction between
the victim(s), the crime scene(s), and
the offender, it can very pointedly
demonstrate an individual offender's
motivations in even the most bizarre
or seemingly senseless offenses. The
final major advantage of the
Deductive Criminal Profiling method is
that it examines behaviours of
individual offenders as they occur
over time. Change and growth are
allowed for, analyzed, and recompiled
back into the criminal profile. As
something like offender MO behaviour
or motivations change or evolve over
the course of multiple offences in an
offender's career, it is noticed and it
used to better understand the
offender.
Thinking Tool
Data grid
http://www.crimtrac.gov.au/pri
vacy/index.html
As a Commonwealth agency,
CrimTrac must operate in accordance
with the Commonwealth Privacy Act
1988. Section 14 of the Privacy Act
specifies eleven Information Privacy
Principles (IPPs) that govern how
agencies may collect, store, use and
disclose personal information
What is personal information?
The Privacy Act defines personal
information as: "information or an
opinion (including information or an
opinion forming part of a database),
whether true or not, and whether
recorded in a material form or not,
about an individual whose identity is
apparent, or can reasonably be
ascertained, from the information or
opinion". CrimTrac operational
systems contain personal information
(e.g. fingerprints, criminal histories,
firearms registrations etc).
The role of CrimTrac
The primary role of CrimTrac is to
provide Australia's police services with
enhanced access to high quality
operational information, much of
which is personal information. In
performing this role, CrimTrac acts as
an information clearing house for the
police services. The CrimTrac Agency
does not collect personal information
from individuals. Rather, it undertakes
what are referred to as 'third party
collections' from police services,
which may in turn have collected the
information directly from the
individuals concerned. When
information is provided through the
CrimTrac Agency to the police it is for
the purpose of criminal investigation
and law enforcement.
The privacy regime for personal
information
The CrimTrac Agency is required to
ensure that personal information
within its possession or control is
handled in accordance with the IPPs.
Amongst other things, the agency is
required, along with its contractors to:

ensure the safe storage and
security of information within
CrimTrac (IPP 4);

provide details of the nature
of personal information held
within CrimTrac in an annual
report to the Commonwealth
Privacy Commissioner (IPP 5)
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Data grid

where relevant, provide
individuals with access to
their personal information
held within CrimTrac (IPP 6);

where relevant, allow for the
updating of personal
information held within
CrimTrac (IPP 7);

limit use and disclosure of
personal information (IPPs 10
& 11); and

generally assist in the
promotion and
implementation of privacy
safeguards.
To meet its privacy obligations,
CrimTrac:

is actively involving the
Commonwealth Privacy
Commissioner in the
development of its information
privacy policies and
procedures, including the role
of the Commissioner in
auditing its activities;

has put in place stringent
security measures to protect
the security of the personal
information in its systems and
to guard against unauthorised
access, use, modification or
disclosure. CrimTrac's
systems use sophisticated
hardware, software and
communications technology
to combat attempted
unauthorised access or
interference with data. Access
to operational data is on a
need to know basis, and audit
logs are maintained of who
has accessed what
information;

includes privacy requirements
in its contracts with
outsourced service providers;

provides privacy training to its
staff and contractors so that
they are aware of their
obligations;

is working with police services
to reinforce best practice in
how information on
operational systems is
accessed; and

is developing policies for
Thinking Tool
Data grid
handling requests to access
personal information and
complaints.
Good privacy is good policing
There is a convergence between the
interests of Australian police services
and adherence to the IPPs. Police
services need to be confident that:
SUMMARY
Criminal profiling is used to narrow
down suspects. Creating a criminal
profile will give you certain
characteristics to look for in a
suspects for example physical,
psychological, social characteristics.
There are two approaches to criminal
profiling’ inductive and deductive.
Inductive criminal profiling involves
comparing known information about
the crime under investigation with that
of similar crimes, to decide on the
type of offender who is most likely to
be responsible. Deductive criminal
profiling involves using known
information about the crime its self to
draw specific conclusions about the
type of offender who is likely to be
responsible.
Whilst investigating a crime, forensic
psychologists and scientists will
collect evidence from the crime
scene. This evidence helps to check
the profile after apprehension. This
evidence is then entered onto a
database where it can be used in
analyzing other crimes.

the information held on
CrimTrac systems is secure
and not open to unauthorised
access, use or tampering;

the information that they are
accessing is accurate and up
to date;

their officers are using the
information provided through
the CrimTrac Agency for the
purpose of law enforcement;
and

the systems, policies and
procedures that the CrimTrac
Agency is implementing will
assist in achieving the twin
goals of personal information
privacy and good policing.
Obviously privacy is one of the biggest issues
in criminal profiling and databases. This issue
has been solved by introducing the
Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and in
particular the Information Privacy Principles
more commonly known as the IPP’s. The 1988
Privacy Act defines personal information as
"information or an opinion (including
information or an opinion forming part of a
database), whether true or not, and whether
recorded in a material form or not, about an
individual whose identity is apparent, or can
reasonably be ascertained, from the
information or opinion." Commonwealth
agencies are required to ensure that personal
information within its possession or control is
handled in accordance with the IPPs. Amongst
other things, the agency is required, along with
its contractors to:




ensure the safe storage and security
of information within CrimTrac (IPP
4);
provide details of the nature of
personal information held within
CrimTrac in an annual report to the
Commonwealth Privacy
Commissioner (IPP 5)
where relevant, provide individuals
with access to their personal
information held within CrimTrac
(IPP 6);
where relevant, allow for the updating
of personal information held within
CrimTrac (IPP 7);









Saves time
Easy to use (inductive)
Gives an accurate prediction
to who is responsible for the
crime
Examines behaviours of
criminals that change over
time
Helps to understand
victimology.
The personality profile will
narrow down suspects
You can assess how
dangerous the offender is
The profile is entered into a
database which can help to
investigate other similar
crimes.
The database is also used to
investigate other crimes that
the person has committed.
These crimes are solved
relatively quickly.
Criminal profiling doesn’t really have a
physical effect on the human however
it may effect aspects of their life such
as their job, marriage or relationships,
punishment, school, friendships etc.
Investigating a certain crime may also
have a mental effect on the forensic
psychologists.
The victim and the victim’s family and
friends are also affected.
Thinking Tool
Data grid


limit use and disclosure of personal
information (IPPs 10 & 11); and
generally assist in the promotion and
implementation of privacy
safeguards.
Agencies must also need to be confident that:



the information held on CrimTrac
systems is secure and not open to
unauthorised access, use or
tampering;
the information that they are
accessing is accurate and up to date;
their officers are using the
information provided through the
CrimTrac Agency for the purpose of
law enforcement; and
the systems, policies and procedures that
the CrimTrac Agency is implementing will
assist in achieving the twin goals of
personal information privacy and good
policing.