Criminal profiling was introduced as an investigative strategy in the United States in 1969. Profiling as a whole is a “set of behavioral indicators forming a very characteristic pattern of actions or emotions that tend to point to a particular condition” (Gil-Patricia et al., n. d). This practice is widely used to identify potential risks of criminal behavior and prevent crime. There are two types of the profiling that are used by professionals: deductive and inductive. Using inductive profiling involves analyzing the available data and identifying patterns of criminal behavior. In particular, professionals investigate the features of similar crimes and identify the characteristics common to the criminals who commit them. For example, using inductive profiling, you can find that serial killers tend to be prone to arson and animal abuse at a young age. Based on this information, professionals can conclude that it is a common characteristic for these criminals and can reveal a predisposition. Thus, inactive profiling is based on the generalization of statistical data and not on the forensic uniqueness of each criminal episode.
Inductive profilers rely on the analysis of statistics and finding correlations, which bases their activities on identifying probabilities. With regard to its application to the investigation of criminal cases and their prevention, this method is the easiest to implement. The main approach is to look at the details of similar previous cases and generalize the characteristics of the offender. The absence of the need for extensive knowledge, the focus on data analysis, and research skills make this method the most popular in the practice of profiling. The main challenge in applying this method is to ignore the unique conditions of the cases, which can complicate generalization and lead to erroneous conclusions.
Reference
Gil-Patricia, F., Nelson, J. R., & Roberts, M. L. (n.d). The perils of profiling. AASA. Web.