Forensic Psychology and Criminal Investigation - Essay Example

Misconceptions In Mass Media and Academic Community regarding BIAs In my review I chose to work on an article by three authors dubbed The Usefulness of criminal profiling. This is a critical review of the methods used by Behavioral Investigative Advisors in their work of profiling criminals. The article argues that no empirical evidence or scientific evidence exists to back claims of its ability to solve crimes. It dispels the notion that that Douglas and Dodd ‘delved into the swamp like the minds of the murderers (Douglas and Dodd, 2007).

The book cites lack of scientific evidence as an impediment in asserting BIAs method. The article raises concerns on two fronts. One is the lack of proof of cases whereby a criminal was successfully apprehended and tried based purely on criminal profiling. Indeed The BTK killer was not apprehended despite the overwhelming amount of evidence. The writers also cite the small sample size used by BIAs as being unable to yield concrete and conclusive results.The article is very critical of the method employed by BIAs and dispels Douglas’ attempt to draw parallels between CP and physician who learn skills through brainstorming, intuition and educated guesswork (Douglas and Dodd, 2007).

The article also cites prior misgivings and reservations of the method by academics and journalists. The acceptance of the practice was simply a profiling illusion (Snook et.al, 2007).The business of the approach is also faulted with the form of CP that uses “wet skills” and “street smarts” being put in question. In this regard the articles muse whether a nonprofessional without police background can successfully use the method and solve a case as there is no scientific or empirical formula employed.

Some early principles that came to be accepted as norms have been disapproved by research. For instance the binary notion that offenders belonged to certain subtypes with traits indicative of criminal behavior was disapproved. It is an outmoded concept of little predictive usefulness (Canter et, al, 2004).Sexual murders Power-assertive, power reassuring, retaliatory angered and excited –angered (Keppel and Walter, 1999). This notion quickly fell out when put to test statistic. This notion was tested and found to be grossly inaccurate.

CP relies on relies on being justified by common sense (Snook et.al 2008).Another cause of disagreement is the contradictory nature of the process. There lacks concrete criteria and basis for the conclusions that BIAs arrive at. There has to be a clear distinction between conventional wisdom which and statistical approach which is more proven.In my view, the scholarly article raises serious issues which cannot be wished away. With the advent of technology and science, fault proof methods have to be used for efficiency .

Use of anecdotal homothetic case studies lodged in the memory should not be used instead of large-scale idiographic research.ReferencesCanter, D.V., Alison, L.J., Alison, E. and Wentink, N. (2004), ‘The organized/ disorganized typology of serial murder: Myth or model?’, Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 10, pp. 293-320.Douglas, J. and Dodd, J. Douglas, J. and Dodd, J. The Mind of the BTK: The True Story behind the Thirty Year Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Keppel R.D.

And Walter, R. (1999) “Profiling killers: A revised classification model for understanding sexual murder,’ International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 43, pp. 417-434Snook, B., Cullen, R.M., Bennell, C., Taylor, P.J. and Gendreau, P. (2008), ‘The criminal profiling illusion: What’s behind the smoke and mirrors’, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, pp. 1257-1276.Snook, B., Eastwood, J., Gendreau, P., Coggin, C. and Cullen, R.M. (2007), ‘Taking stock of criminal profiling: A narrative review and metal-analysis’, Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34, pp. 437-453.Wilson, D.

, Jackson, C.A. and Rana, B. (2010), ‘Against the medical psychological tradition of understanding serial killing by studying the killers: The case of BTK’, Amicus Journal, 22, pp. 8-16.