Perceptions of the validity and utility of criminal profiling among forensic psychologists and psychiatrists.

Torres, Angela N.; Boccaccini, Marcus T.; Miller, Holly A.

doi:10.1037/0735-7028.37.1.51

Cited by 30 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Bartol (1996) found that 70% of the surveyed police psychologists seriously questioned the validity of profiling as a discipline. This finding was almost perfectly mirrored in the subsequent study conducted by Torres, Boccaccini, and Miller (2006) into the perception of profiling among forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. Yet, despite the negative impressions harboured by the surveyed practitioners regarding the reliability of profiling, the vast majority admitted to its utility in the law enforcement context.…”

Section: Validity Measurement Dilemmasupporting

confidence: 52%

“…Yet, despite the negative impressions harboured by the surveyed practitioners regarding the reliability of profiling, the vast majority admitted to its utility in the law enforcement context. An explanation advanced by Torres et al (2006) for this apparent paradox is that the perception of utility of profiling may be strongly influenced by its ever-growing use. Woskett, Coyle, and Lincoln (2007) sought the opinions that lawyers held of profiling.…”

Section: Utility Investigative Relevance and Consumer Satisfactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Questioning the validity of criminal profiling: an evidence-based approach

Chifflet

2014

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology

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Criminal profiling is used in complex investigations, and, in a number of jurisdictions, as expert evidence in criminal trials. This article seeks to move beyond the many anecdotal accounts of success by profilers and examine the evidence available as to the discipline's validity. As it stands, profiling is based on theories that are uncertain at best, and little research has been undertaken to assess the actual accuracy of generated profiles. This absence of validation is in part due to genuine difficulties associated with designing appropriate testing models. It is exacerbated by the reluctance of profilers to engage in such a process, relying instead on the well-rehearsed, yet somewhat circular argument that the continuing demand for profiling advice is in itself reassuring evidence of the method's validity. It is the lack of objective evidence of validity in this area that will be critically considered in this article.

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Section: Validity Measurement Dilemmasupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Utility Investigative Relevance and Consumer Satisfactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Questioning the validity of criminal profiling: an evidence-based approach

Chifflet

2014

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology

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“…The older term offender profiling has developed an almost mythic status in popular literature and drama (Herndon, 2007), although, as this paper will demonstrate, in its best understood but narrow definition, it has failed to make much operational impact. Moreover, several studies have shown that the idea of psychologists being able to generate a coherent set of offender characteristics by inferring latent patterns or ‘styles’ of offending from crime scene information has proven empirically and theoretically problematic (see Snook, Cullen, Bennell, Taylor, & Gendreau, 2008), although they themselves recognize some recent and notable exceptions (e.g. Goodwill & Alison, 2007; Goodwill, Alison, & Beech, 2009; Mokros, 2007; Santtila, Pakkanen et al , 2008) as the field has developed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pragmatic solutions to offender profiling and behavioural investigative advice

Alison

Goodwill

Almond

et al. 2010

Legal Criminol Psychol

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This paper outlines a brief history of the evolutionary trajectory of offender profiling and illustrates the three broad strands (investigative, clinical, and statistical ) that emerged in the 1970s-1990s. We then indicate how a more pragmatic, interdisciplinary practitioner-academic model has emerged in recent years and go on to describe the range of contributions that are now made across the criminal justice field. More recently termed 'behavioural investigative advice' in the UK, the paper then argues that whilst a range of potential contributions exist (from linking crimes, risk assessment, provision of bad character evidence, investigative interviewing advice, to geoprofiling), the nature of the process by which that contribution occurs is not yet well understood. The review of these potential contributions concludes with several suggestions and recommendations for further research and relevant methodologies by which to conduct that research. This includes the requirement to combine conceptual and theory-driven models alongside empirically driven statistical approaches, as well as the requirement to more precisely delineate and describe how contributions are made by behavioural experts through cognitive task analyses and associated methods.Several countries' police services regularly employ the assistance of psychologists in relation to the prevention, management, and investigation of crime (Alison, 2005).Although some of what they are engaged in might be described as offender profiling, the support from psychologists over the last 10 years, in the UK at least, might be more accurately described as behavioural investigative advice (BIA; ACPO, 2006). The older term offender profiling has developed an almost mythic status in popular literature and drama (Herndon, 2007), although, as this paper will demonstrate, in its best understood but narrow definition, it has failed to make much operational impact.

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“…The two main study domains were originally identified in the published literature: knowledge (Ali et al, 2016, Bhakhri et al, 2017, Sahni et al, 2016) and perception (Astekar et al, 2011, Bhakhri et al, 2017, Stow and Higgins, 2018, Torres et al, 2006). The knowledge domain questioned the participants about the general benefits of forensic odontology and the significance of its use.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public awareness of forensic odontology and willingness to enroll in a prospective dental registry: A survey conducted in Saudi Arabia

Salam

Al-Rawashdeh

Almutairi

2020

The Saudi Dental Journal

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BackgroundThe establishment of a national dental registry provides a great opportunity for the healthcare and criminal investigation systems. Its feasibility would rely mainly upon public knowledge and a willingness to contribute dental profiles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness among the Saudi public of forensic odontology and to evaluate their willingness to participate in a prospective national dental registry.MethodsA cross-sectional survey based on a self-administered survey questionnaire was conducted in 2018 at the Al-Janadriyah National Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Visitors were questioned about their demographic data and responded to 20 knowledge statements using the alternatives “correct”, “incorrect”, or “don’t know”. Their perception towards registries was assessed using 15 statements and a 5-point Likert scale. The percentage mean score (PMS) of knowledge, the mean positive response rate (MPRR) of participant perception, and their willingness to participate in a prospective dental registry were assessed with respect to their demographic characteristics.ResultsComplete surveys were received from 812 study participants (85.5% response rate). The PMS ± standard deviation of knowledge was 39.8 ± 22.5 and the MPRR of perception was 64.7 ± 25.5. More than two-thirds of the responders (n = 548, 67.5%) indicated a willingness to register in a future national dental registry. Differences in knowledge were identified with regard to sex, marital status, education, and occupation, while differences in perception and willingness to enroll were influenced by sex. After adjustment for possible confounders, female participants and employed participants were 1.7 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2–2.4) and 1.6 times [95% CI = 1.1–2.5] more likely to enroll in the proposed registry (P = 0.004 and P = 0.03, respectively). Higher knowledge and perception scores were associated with more willingness to enroll in the national dental registry (adjusted [adj.] P = 0.03 and adj. P < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsA future national dental registry in Saudi Arabia is expected to be well-received by the public. An improvement in the public’s knowledge regarding the importance of forensic dentistry is expected to encourage their active enrollment in such a registry. Although women and employed participants were more willing to enroll, it is too early to predict the rates of participation, given the fact that nationwide marketing surveys have yet to be launched.

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Perceptions of the validity and utility of criminal profiling among forensic psychologists and psychiatrists.

Cited by 30 publications

References 29 publications

Questioning the validity of criminal profiling: an evidence-based approach

Questioning the validity of criminal profiling: an evidence-based approach

Pragmatic solutions to offender profiling and behavioural investigative advice

Public awareness of forensic odontology and willingness to enroll in a prospective dental registry: A survey conducted in Saudi Arabia

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