| In the field of criminology, real-world practitioners are | | | | when it comes to the fictionalization of killers. From |
| sometimes intrigued by the gullibility of human | | | | which, we sometimes forget the horror of real |
| perceptions. Of which, later on, we see the | | | | tragedies and complexities of police investigations. |
| development of alleged expertise, purporting some | | | | Instead of the seductive fascination with the so called |
| new invention. Gee whiz gadgets and gizmos of feel | | | | "serial killer", suffice it to say their essentially |
| good "psycho-babble" interfere with the realistic | | | | multi-murderers. Whether they're despots who commit |
| practical applications. These dreamlike conjectures | | | | genocide, demicide or ethnocide in the name of the |
| typically involve replacing fact with fiction. | | | | nation-state. Or, the lone gunman, who murders several |
| Pseudo-science that hasn't met the reliability of bone | | | | people at once. Each killer remains basically the same |
| fide experiential authenticity. Usually, this impulse to | | | | type of criminal, a murderer. Regardless of his or her |
| speculation derives from sensational news reports. | | | | motives, which may remain hidden. Killing another |
| Television dramas, talk show "experts" or creative | | | | human is still murder. Yet, with "serial killers" for |
| movie scripts fund the urban legends of criminal | | | | instance, these multi-murderers often get top billing. |
| behavior theory. Careers are established, books are | | | | Summon the most "expert opinion" you can find. In |
| sold and movies unfold. Sooner or later, cottage | | | | response to such, we seem to relish in our dark side. |
| industries are born. Instant "experts" invent themselves. | | | | News reports or television dramas provoke the |
| Set up websites. Write stories about "serial killers" | | | | fascination with these killers in repetitive depictions. The |
| they've known. This is legerdemain of cunning tactics. | | | | mental matrix of the audience becomes lured by the |
| Intellectual fortune telling at its finest. Because such | | | | darkly appealing enticements. As the tales spin, the |
| things are tied to the commercialization of product | | | | pseudo-sciences of sociology and psychology, |
| over principle. So, it is remotely conceivable we've | | | | equivocate theoretical constructs. The entertainment |
| been duped by the duplicity of "dangerous minds". And, | | | | continues. And, some intellectual potions strongly |
| that danger wears the black suited, dark sunglasses | | | | influence our criminal justice systems. Subsequently, |
| conformity of shadowy self-interests. They reside in | | | | social policy emanates from hasty generalizations, |
| the hallowed sanctity of ivory towers and high level | | | | unproven conjectures and spurious notions. |
| government offices. Places that produce the "serial" | | | | Chief among the pseudo-sciences, criminology |
| everything. From "serial" arsonist, to "serial" bank | | | | borrows from other fields of alleged scientific inquiry. |
| robbers, bombers and "serial" killers. Are the real "Men | | | | From which stem the theoretical conjecture of |
| in Black" those who capitalize on the fears and frets | | | | possibilities, along with infectious shortcomings. Nothing |
| of simple minded naiveté? | | | | within the field of the "social and behavioral" sciences |
| Sometimes, agencies of governmental systems | | | | should be considered as any scientific. Understanding, |
| fabricate academic theory into social policy. A process | | | | defining and investigating various modes of human |
| wherein the fallacy of inference leads to hasty | | | | behavior rests upon theoretical structures. Good |
| generalization. Then, at some point, pursued by the | | | | guesswork defines are comprehension of criminality. |
| entertainment industry, "scientific credibility" | | | | Speculations run the gamut of both bad and good |
| circumnavigates the factual reality. Transformation | | | | intentions. At the same time, practical applications call |
| occurs, and before you know it, the surreal has | | | | out for a degree of veracity in the certainty of a logical |
| become the real. Two dimensional duplicity infuses | | | | conclusion. The truth begs for realistic credible |
| thinking with fanciful enchantments. Some Politicians, | | | | ownership, reinforced by solidification of innovative |
| the press, college professors and priestly | | | | forensic evidence. By way of distraction, conjecture of |
| manifestations, are often very good at sleight of hand | | | | opinion does not bear witness to the reliability of proof. |
| tactics. Thrilling adventures manifest the spurious notion | | | | In the scheme of "criminal profiling", or "psychic profiling", |
| of figuring out the criminal "mind". Unfortunately, it is all | | | | linguistic sleight of hand often conceals the crystal ball |
| too frequent that assumptions become models for | | | | of sociological trickery. Commercial exploitation by |
| implementation. Supposition, disguised as truth, end up | | | | such "psychics" and other fortunetellers, interfere with |
| influencing our criminal justice systems. | | | | effective law enforcement tactical operations. |
| As if such things were so simple when dealing with | | | | Forsaking the sanctity of relevant facts, evidentiary |
| human thinking. Myth, legend and fable garner the | | | | necessities and forensic analysis compete with |
| headlines and excitement of "solving" real-life criminality. | | | | apparitions of easy solutions. This provokes a leap to |
| This comes in particular regard to the abundance of | | | | conclusions early in an investigation. Contradictions |
| media driven fascinations with alleged "criminal profiling". | | | | abound with the support of ambiguous assertions. |
| Not to forget either, the pleasured ecstasy of | | | | Illusions of fact, supported by believable fictions, have |
| becoming a "psychic profiler". And, the growth industry | | | | much in common with palm readings and other |
| that surrounds it. Or, the careers developed as "criminal | | | | divinations. |
| profilers". From academicians to non-practitioners of all | | | | Across the modern landscape of social conformity, |
| types, the enthrallment seems endless. Regardless of | | | | we have become so used to "legendary" postulations |
| attendant observations, perceptions clutch the grips of | | | | of "serial profilers". So much so, that we've accepted |
| fantastic assertions. Yet, human motives, intentions and | | | | the thrilling prospect of easy solutions. Instead of |
| libidinous proclivities go unresolved. People do not fit | | | | maximizing traditional detective processes, in which the |
| into clean cut categories affixed with clever labels. | | | | crime scene plays a key role. We now want the quick |
| Ideas, motives and emotions are complex and unique | | | | solution by looking for the criminal's "signature". Our |
| to each person. Integration of neural networks link | | | | own sensual nature participates in our flirtation with |
| mysteriously intricate connections. People are | | | | inventive movie madness. By audacious imaginative |
| extraordinary in the secrecy of their multifarious | | | | claims, today's detective genre now wants us to |
| inclinations. We alter actions, correct mistakes, set | | | | "read" motives, proclivities and intentions from the |
| priorities and evade detection. It is difficult to quantify a | | | | crime scene. Whereas, traditional investigative aspects |
| individual suspect in simplistic templates. Personal | | | | included careful crime scene analysis. Gathering the |
| curiosity, ambitious risk taking and immoral | | | | facts of the case. Conducting neighborhood canvases. |
| decision-making remain hidden in the secrets each of | | | | Analyzing forensic implications of physical evidence. |
| us harbors. | | | | Posting bulletins through the media outlets. Using |
| The "mind" is a potent Alice in Wonderland hallucination | | | | informants, witnesses and so on. All of these are time |
| of the brain. Its illusions are quick to seize, size up and | | | | consuming. |
| perceive essential data. At the same though, the | | | | By contrast, we like the short cuts. That gets us into |
| psychic realm also renovates a recreation of that | | | | troubled waters. However, consider this point. With all |
| which it receives. Subject to the vulnerably of | | | | the modern psycho-social aids to criminal investigations, |
| imagination, mental assessment are prone to power of | | | | over the last fifty years. Aside from the excellent |
| suggestion. We know better though. Why else would | | | | advances in the forensic sciences. How come our |
| we so readily think an unknown criminal could be | | | | solution rate is decreasing in the realm of violent |
| signaled out like a "psychological fingerprint"? | | | | crimes? Homicide is a good example. And, what about |
| Materializing some fanciful notion, like magic pulling a | | | | global homicide in general? After all, you'd think with |
| rabbit out of a hat. Misleading information, purportedly | | | | millions spent on "criminal profiling", violent crimes would |
| based on "scientific research", over time, compounds | | | | become non-existent. And, with the plethora of |
| the deception. Reporters quote official sources. | | | | "experts", "profiling" career builders on the internet, and |
| Academicians cite other academicians, including news | | | | "psychic profiling" abilities, we should be ahead of the |
| reports. Politicians use obfuscated phraseology to | | | | murder matrix. A lot of investment has gone into |
| double speak critical situations. From "leading questions", | | | | solving less than one percent of the crime index. Of |
| to "suggestive comments", the propaganda | | | | which, the gap between clearance and unsolved is |
| complicates the matters at hand. | | | | increasing. In addition, if you're rounding up the suspects, |
| The collusion of myth over authenticity confuses what | | | | following up clues, and assessing factual components. |
| might be true and what might be false. Deception lurks | | | | Then how effective is a "profile" anyway? Most of the |
| closer to edges of certainty more often than not. As | | | | time, information garnered from the public breaks the |
| opposed to what is actually credible scientific data, | | | | case. Solvability doesn't rest on just getting one or two |
| based on replicated proof. In police work, this is | | | | specifics correct after the fact. It's before the fact that |
| potentially disadvantageous to serious investigative | | | | we need the analytical logic of the gathering significant |
| processes, such as homicide. For the police officer, it's | | | | details. |
| all about the evidence trail. Not the rabbit hunt. | | | | Often, in these "psychic" excursions, we later discover |
| Scientifically verifiable confirmations of forensic | | | | the unknown suspect turns out very different than the |
| applications remain crucial. Instead of a magic wane | | | | "profile" offered as a guess. Some are older, when |
| waving an instant "profile", we should focus on crime | | | | thought to be younger. Others surprise us by being |
| scene analysis. What does the physical evidence tell | | | | African American instead of Caucasian. Still, some are |
| us? That cause-effect relationship between the crime | | | | professional as opposed to blue collar. For the police |
| scene, the victim, witness and probable perpetrator. | | | | officer, such things aren't helpful if they're half right, |
| Yet, the public's scope of entertainment has become | | | | sometimes right and most of the time highly |
| mesmerized by the alleged "scientific" approaches. | | | | speculative. If research suggests, as in one study, that |
| These are steeped in the pop culture of fad, fashion | | | | "profiling", at best, only aided in two percent (2%) of the |
| and flashy sexiness buff actors. In the long run, we | | | | cases. Then our resources, assets and personnel |
| confuse junk science with real police work. | | | | need to be channeled into more productive probabilities. |
| Criminalisitcs, in verifiable replications of credibility, take | | | | Also, in the proactive investigative process, we need |
| time. And, we're about immediate gratification. Usually, | | | | to realize good budgets bust bad guys. That translates |
| this has a political agenda attached. | | | | into officer training, education, experience, salaries, |
| The television exploitation of the heroic "criminal | | | | equipment and so forth. Not just clever typologies, |
| profilers" masks the reality of the hard working | | | | putting people, places and things into convenient |
| real-world police officers, lab techs and criminalists. | | | | categories. Human behavior, and its alter ego, criminal |
| Even though that's the entertainment business, the | | | | nature, are much more complex than we'd like to |
| public, the press, politicians and some professors, | | | | believe. By contrast though, make-believe makes |
| transform fables into real life scenarios. Conjure up | | | | better headlines. Especially if you can make your |
| studies, theories and myriad speculations. Such fallacies | | | | predictions so vague, general and superficial, the |
| of inference misguide us from the veracity of realistic | | | | inference will work no matter what the outcome. It's a |
| authenticities. More often than not, we find the | | | | kind of shotgun approach under the pretext of |
| communal imagination captivated by "getting inside the | | | | "forensic psychology". Whereby you suggest a whole |
| criminal mind". As if that were a place easily accessed. | | | | bunch of possibilities. If you're wrong, in time, the errors |
| Imagine climbing inside something that's an illusion | | | | will be forgotten. Media attention will focus on what |
| created by neural networks. How do you get inside | | | | you guessed correctly. So, is "criminal profiling" fact or |
| smoke and mirrors? You simply find a conduit, which | | | | fantasy? Fairy tales are wonderful entertainment. |
| appears to bridge imaginative notions between | | | | However, they're not amusing in the totality of the |
| scientific methods and magical psychic abilities. Like the | | | | real-world murder rate and subsequent body count. |
| grinning Cheshire cat, you here one minute and gone | | | | References: |
| the next. | | | | Blakeslee, S., Blakeslee, M., "Where the Mind and Body |
| Essentially, credible relevant data are woefully deficient | | | | Meet", Scientific American Mind Magazine, August |
| when it comes to the contentions of "criminal profilers". | | | | September 2007, Volume 18, Number 4, Scientific |
| Not only that, but also the weight of significant scientific | | | | American, Inc., New York, NY; pages 50-51; |
| studies to support such claims. So, the question is | | | | Wade, C., Tavris, C., Psychology - Eighth Edition, (Upper |
| asked, is criminal profiling fact or fantasy? Personal | | | | Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2006) pages |
| agenda or what? Our attraction to the crimes of | | | | 349; |
| murderers lures us to realm of homicidal | | | | Muller, D.A., "Criminal Profiling - Real Science or Just |
| misconceptions. Multi-murderers are very popular in all | | | | Wishful Thinking?, Homicide Studies, Vol.4 No. |
| kinds of genre. Non-practitioners are very creative | | | | |