| CODE | CRM3010 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Offence and Criminal Profiling | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Criminology | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit provides a bridge between psychological profiling and criminal profiling as a method of identifying the perpetrator of a crime based on an intelligent analysis of the nature of the offence and its modus operandi. Whereas psychological profiling tends to use the expertise of a professional psychologist, criminal profiling tends to apply a new dimension to this embryonic science and evaluate the crime, the crime scene and the various aspects of circumstantial situations in order to profile each step of the investigation from an intelligent perspective. Consequently, this study-unit will enable students to understand how profiling has introduced a new line of enquiry into criminal investigations by suggesting that there may also be less visible clues at a crime scenes. Deductive reasoning is applied in real case scenarios and students will apply this knowledge in table top exercises in order to understand the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: • familiarise students with criminal profiling which is still a relatively new science; • describe intelligence driven profiling as opposed to inductive profiling techniques; • describe the traditional profiling techniques; • understand the models applied in the process of profiling the crime, the crime scene or the criminal; • provide students with the right skills to be able to evaluate and asses criminal matters from an intelligent perspective. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • comprehend the state of criminal profiling today by identifying the various models of criminal profiling; • describe the phases of criminal profiling, deductive nd inductive reasining; • identify the scientific and practical limits of existing approaches and the scientific and practice implications for the field of profiling; • analyse and discuss profiling as a means of improving crime detection practices.• Understand how information is combined and compared to physical evidence and characteristics of known personality types to develop a practical working description of the offender; • discuss critically current controversies surrounding criminal profiling. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • foster observation and analysis skills by relating the components of crime scene evidence, motive, personality and behavior to each other; • apply intelligence led profiling techniques to real case scenarios; • interpret aspects of criminal investigation from an intelligent profiling perspective; • access sources to support deductive reasoning processes. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Ainsworth, P. B. (2001). Offender profiling and crime analysis. UK: Willan. - Andrews, D. A., and Bonta, J. (2006). Psychology of criminal conduct. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson. - Hicks, S.J., and Sales, B. D. (2006). Criminal profiling: Developing an effective science and practice. (Law and Public Policy: Psychology and the Social Sciences). - Jackson, J.L., and Bekerian D.B. (1997)(eds.). Offender profiling: Theory, research, and practice. Chichester, UK: Wiley. - Turvey, B. (2008). Criminal profiling: An introduction to behavioral evidence analysis. California: Academic Press. - Webb, D., (2013). Criminal Profiling: An Introductory Guide, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Brian Zahra |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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