Before this class, I thought a criminal profiler always had a partner and was usually employed by a law enforcement agency. I thought they drove around in a big SUV, had an endless expense account, always went to the crime scene, had more knowledge of computers and science than psychology. I also thought they went more on their gut feeling, and spent a lot of time investigating the criminal by actively hunting them down by visiting places they may have been at. Yes, I do believe terms such as psychopath were used, even if it was used incorrectly. I also assumed they took a more active role in the arrest, and then once they were arrested, they were finished with the case. Most movies and television showed that finding the criminal was a fast process and that the profiler was usually perfect in their assessment. …show more content…
First they try to find out the criminal’s motive, the reason why they would need to commit the crime. Then they work their way to the characteristics of the criminal and look at their distinct personalities (Costanzo & Krauss, 2015). Profiling is not a science, and it can create more problems than solutions if the information that is put out to the public is too general. I also believe that considering how much the results depend on the profilers thought process, this could be hampered by their own prejudices and life