Research methodology is the umbrella term for the ways in which individuals will use to gather data and information about others, such as interviews, case studies, experiments and surveys. In this critical review, I will focus on how case studies are used in terms of psychopathology; specifically in regards to offender profiling and the abuse of children. I will demonstrate by describing some case studies that have been used in regards to this, the strengths and weaknesses of case studies along with the limitations it may bring. I will attempt to explain how beneficial case studies are in terms of gathering data and information about participants.
Case studies are the process in which in-depth, rich, qualitative information is gained about …show more content…
There are three goals as suggested by Holmes and Holmes (2002) of criminal profiling. These are to provide law enforcement officers with an assessment of the offender and to give help when interviewing the criminal once caught. As identified by Ainsworth (2001), there are four major approaches to offender profiling; the geographical approach, the typological approach, the clinical approach and the idea of investigative psychology, which turns its attention to the characteristics and style of the behavior used by the offender. In regards to the geographical approach; this looks at the timing and location of the crime to give the police an idea of where the criminal may live or work. The typological approach, as suggested by the name, focuses on the 'typical' characteristics of an offender and tries to put the criminal in to categories. Lastly, the clinical approach is used to determine whether the criminal is suffering from any mental illnesses. A criminal profile may include physical attributes such as: sex, age, ethnic background, height, and weight or personality attributes such as: psychological diseases, self-esteem, remorse or guilt, and aggressiveness. Criminal profiling is used in a variety of crimes including homicide, sexual assault, extortion, kidnapping, and obscene telephone calls. There are certain types of crimes that make use of offender/criminal profiling more than others, including rape crimes, mutilation murders and occult crimes. (Geberth, 1996; Holmes & Holmes,
Case studies are the process in which in-depth, rich, qualitative information is gained about …show more content…
There are three goals as suggested by Holmes and Holmes (2002) of criminal profiling. These are to provide law enforcement officers with an assessment of the offender and to give help when interviewing the criminal once caught. As identified by Ainsworth (2001), there are four major approaches to offender profiling; the geographical approach, the typological approach, the clinical approach and the idea of investigative psychology, which turns its attention to the characteristics and style of the behavior used by the offender. In regards to the geographical approach; this looks at the timing and location of the crime to give the police an idea of where the criminal may live or work. The typological approach, as suggested by the name, focuses on the 'typical' characteristics of an offender and tries to put the criminal in to categories. Lastly, the clinical approach is used to determine whether the criminal is suffering from any mental illnesses. A criminal profile may include physical attributes such as: sex, age, ethnic background, height, and weight or personality attributes such as: psychological diseases, self-esteem, remorse or guilt, and aggressiveness. Criminal profiling is used in a variety of crimes including homicide, sexual assault, extortion, kidnapping, and obscene telephone calls. There are certain types of crimes that make use of offender/criminal profiling more than others, including rape crimes, mutilation murders and occult crimes. (Geberth, 1996; Holmes & Holmes,