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Summary
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 28 - Issue: 3 - Dated: 2000 -Pages: 315 To 324
Michael G. McGrath M.D.
This article examines criminal profiling from the viewpoint of what it is, what it should be, and whether the forensic psychiatrist has a role to play in this field.
The psychiatric and psychological literature related to criminal profiling deals mostly with clinical descriptions of known offenders or theorizing on underlying fantasy issues and motivations, with little work specifically regarding the role of mental health professionals in the actual process of criminal profiling. This article briefly examines the history of criminal profiling, and presents the major models of criminal profiling: (1) Inductive versus Deductive; (2) FBI; (3) Investigative Psychology; and (4) Geographic. It discusses the role of the forensic psychiatrist in offender profiling and what is required for a psychiatrist to profile competently. The article argues that the deductive method is best suited to the training and expertise of the forensic psychiatrist. Further, offender profiling is a multidisciplinary specialty where each member of the investigative team has something to offer. The profile, when competently rendered, is but one of many investigative tools.
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