Overview of the Study
The planned quantitative study is devoted to assessing the effectiveness of assistance to offender profilers by the police forces as a practice designed to identify prerequisites for deviant behavior and prevent re-offending. The involved academic sources confirm the relevance and value of this collaboration. The role of investigative psychologists can be high if sufficient resources and practical opportunities are offered to assist law enforcement. As the core of the study, relevant research questions and hypotheses are posed. By working together over a specific period, correlations between the declared variables can be revealed. Any ethical issues that arise in the process of collaboration can be eliminated through individual interaction with participants and the provision of conditions for convenient work on the same tasks.
Introduction and Literature Review
Investigative psychology is a field that studies the prerequisites and drivers for specific behavioral factors that are manifested as a result of mental stimuli or other psychological aspects. This area of psychology uses offender profiling as a mechanism aimed at identifying criminal motives and highlighting appropriate links between several crimes committed by one person or group. Determining the value and effectiveness of this practice can be performed by analyzing the approach in the context of interaction with the police forces involved in the investigation of criminal offenses. Through the use of credible academic sources, relevant findings will be assessed with regard to the topic through specific research questions utilized as the primary methodological tools. The proposal aims to build a solid research background, demonstrate the links between psychological factors and offending behaviors, and identify the value of applying investigative psychology.
Research on offender profiling as a technique used in investigative psychology has been going on for a long time. Fox and Farrington (2018) synthesize findings from various articles published over the past half-century. According to the authors, despite a great deal of research interest in the procedure, including in pop culture, to date, slightly more critical findings have been observed in recent studies compared to earlier ones (Fox & Farrington, 2018). This criticism suggests that the practices used in offender profiling by criminologists and psychologists have been slow to develop. In addition, as Yokota et al. (2017) argue, the problem of finding experienced and highly qualified profilers remains. The researchers note a high interest in this work and the interaction of law enforcement agencies with investigative psychologists, but, as practice shows, not all specialists can demonstrate consistently high operating results (Yokota et al., 2017). These findings speak not only to the importance of effectively measuring the success of profiling but also to the significance of carrying out procedures in accordance with the professional requirements for this activity. Otherwise, the risks of errors and incorrect data interpretation arise.
The interaction of offender profilers with the police forces can be productive if a number of conventions are observed. For instance, according to Jiang (2021), in the case of social barriers, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for cooperation are reduced. In addition, the researchers note a deterioration in the quality of interaction due to the emotional exhaustion and stress experienced by the employees involved (Jiang, 2021). As a result, the efficiency of work on identifying the prerequisites for deviant behavior of criminals and comparing the corresponding factors slows down, which inevitably affects performance outcomes. Additional social factors to take into account may relate to demographic characteristics. Ashton et al. (2020) analyze algorithms for determining criminal profiles among adolescents and note correlations that can be utilized in practice. Violence, antisocial conduct, and other manifestations of deviant behavior during adolescence are the clear determinants of exacerbation in later life (Ashton et al., 2020). Therefore, when evaluating the effectiveness and quality of profiling activities, it is essential to evaluate various factors that may affect the specifics of both psychologists’ and police forces’ work to get the most out of interaction.
Faced with the need for regular interaction with individuals having mental disorders that lead to criminal acts, law enforcement officers can benefit from communication with investigative psychologists. As Farrugia and Gabbert (2020) remark, traditional methods of communication, such as interviews, may be ineffective due to the distorted perception of reality by criminals and their violated representations of behavioral norms. In this regard, the authors suggest resorting to the help of qualified psychologists who are able to build reliable psychological constructs that allow foreseeing certain violations timely, thereby performing a preventive function (Farrugia & Gabbert, 2020). Moreover, depending on the qualifications and experience of the psychologists involved, different approaches to profiling may be applied. Petherick and Brooks (2020) assess the types of methodologies available and identify the most relevant criteria to consider when establishing productive collaboration between profilers and the police forces. They offer an optimal framework “consisting of crime scene evaluations, relevancy of research, investigative or clinical opinions, methods of investigation, and evaluation” and insist on the need to introduce it into regular practice (Petherick & Brooks, 2020, p. 694). All these nuances speak of the benefits of such interaction.
Research Questions
Research questions will be used as the main methodological tool to identify the scope and objectives of the forthcoming work. In addition, on their basis, hypotheses will be made, which will subsequently need to be proven or disproved. Given the fact that the study will be quantitative, the questions should be asked to statistically compare the given criteria and numerically evaluate the results obtained. As the main goal, it is planned to prove the usefulness of using offender profiling to a police force. Therefore, the following list of research questions will be the core of the work ahead:
- How effective is offender profiler assistance to the police force as part of a collaborative effort?
- Is there a difference between the police forces’ independent work and their interaction with offender profilers?
- What is the average probability of improving the preventive work of the police if offender profilers are involved?
Since a quantitative study is planned to be carried out, from the available types of hypotheses, comparative ones should be chosen since they allow evaluating the interaction between the variables involved. Based on the aforementioned questions, two hypotheses may be offered (an alternative and null):
- H1: Involving offender profilers as assistants to the police forces allows for better results in preventive work.
- H0: There are no positive outcomes of involving forces offender profilers in cooperation with the police forces.
Proposed Methods
The forthcoming quantitative study will use a correlation design as a core of research activities. This theoretical framework allows for comparing relevant variables to reveal the relationships between them, as well as the impact of specific parameters on the stated prospects. As an independent variable, the involvement of offender profilers is suggested, while the performance of a police force is the dependent variable. The selected sample will include from three to five offender profilers interacting with one police unit without being tied to a specific profile.
The procedure of the research process will be based on the selection of precedent criminal cases falling within the scope of interest of investigative psychologists. Earlier cases with similar scenarios will be utilized as a background for comparison. After one month of collaborative work, the results will be summed up regarding the success of applying offender profilers’ skills. The data collection method will be based on the comparison of the police’s work without the participation of psychologists on earlier criminal cases and with the involvement of relevant specialists. After that, appropriate correlations will be compiled to answer the given research questions and confirm the specific hypothesis.
Ethical Considerations
In the process of collaborative practice, some potential ethical issues may arise. For instance, in an attempt to hide the secrecy of an investigation, police officers may be reluctant to interact with offender profilers. However, this barrier can be resolved by obtaining official permission from the leadership of the police unit with a rationale for the goals and prospects of the study. Possible disagreements on educational grounds, namely the lack of specialized training for psychologists, can be a deterrent to communication. The professionals involved should be briefed on the range of work and duties they should perform. Finally, any ethical conflicts related to professional interests, for instance, the unwillingness of officers to share the nuances of the work process with offender profilers, require individual intervention. If all participants in the study are aware of the prospects for implementation, this will be an additional incentive to strengthen collaboration.
References
Ashton, S. A., Ioannou, M., Hammond, L., & Synnott, J. (2020). The relationship of offending style to psychological and social risk factors in a sample of adolescent males. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 17(2), 76-92.
Farrugia, L., & Gabbert, F. (2020). Vulnerable suspects in police interviews: Exploring current practice in England and Wales. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 17(1), 17-30.
Fox, B., & Farrington, D. P. (2018). What have we learned from offender profiling? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 years of research. Psychological Bulletin, 144(12), 1247-1274.
Jiang, Q. (2021). Stress response of police officers during COVID‐19: A moderated mediation model. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 18(2), 116-128.
Petherick, W., & Brooks, N. (2020). Reframing criminal profiling: A guide for integrated practice. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 28(5), 694-710.
Yokota, K., Kuraishi, H., Wachi, T., Otsuka, Y., Hirama, K., & Watanabe, K. (2017). Practice of offender profiling in Japan. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 19(3), 187-194.