Victimology

Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, David Berkowitz, John Wayne Gacy, just some of the most infamous serial killers of the 21st century and yet oddly enough, are household names as well. The world is terrified of these names and sometimes shutter at the sound of them, yet fascinated all at the same time. We like to watch their trials and listen to their victims side of the story on the news and even base shows, movies and books featuring their lives and deeds (Why do Americans idolize serial killers…

How are psychological profiling, psychological autopsies, and/or jury pool selection similar? Forensic psychologists perform numerous roles within the territory of criminal justice and the law; during consultation, these psychologists often rely on the crucial tool of drawing inferences in order to assist the legal system. Inferences are simply conclusions formulated through deductive and educated reasoning based off of evidence, meaning that these conclusions are tentative rather than definite.…

Psychological profiling has had a long history within the criminal justice field including the FBI. Many believe that this type of profiling has no usefulness in solving crimes, however the more that is learned about how a criminal thinks the better equipped to solve crimes sooner and prevent new crimes. Psychological profiling can be used to limit the amount of suspects for a given crime. While a psychological profile will help to solve a crime, having a solid crime scene examination is a…

Over time there has been many changes concerning stalking and intimate partner-violence laws. The first law regarding stalking was passed in California back in 1992, (U.S. Department of Justice, 1996). Before 1992 there were no legislations regarding stalking meaning one could stalk a victim and not face any charges. In addition, intimate partner-violence was a norm where men were legally allowed to beat or “discipline” their wives if they acted a certain way/dishonored their husband. Over the…

John Ramsey was the president and chief executive officer of Access Graphics (a company that grossed over $1 Billion) and it is estimated that his net worth was $6.4 million as of May 1, 1996 (pedophileophobia.com, n.d.). This would have made John Ramsey and his family very attractive targets. An attractive target can be defined as “how appealing a potential target is to a criminally inclined person” (Karmen, 2013, p.491). When the community knows how much a family could be worth because of the…

Prominent approaches I have used in child protection include: the developmental–ecological framework, situational crime prevention models, attachment theory, trauma theory, child development, gender theory, victimology, developmental–psychopathology, responsive regulation, community development, the public health model, and models of therapeutic engagement. These theories and models have helped me to frame my thinking and interpret findings when investigating…

‘Should hate crimes be punished more harshly than other crimes? Examine the arguments for and against.’ Crime is defined based on its extremity in nature. Provisions have been put in to place and disciplines are issued to individuals in society who are deemed to have committed any acts considered criminal. A hate crime can be defined as; “Any criminal offence that is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be impelled by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s: sexual orientation,…

Interview of David Smith, CID Special Agent On August 26, 2016 an interview was conducted with Special Agent David R. Smith, at his office located at the Redstone Criminal Investigations Command, Bldg. 3623, Gray Road, Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. Special Agent Smith provided the following information. David Smith joined the US Army in 1997 and spent his first 8 years in the military working Psychological Operations (PSYOP) as an Arabic linguist. He applied to and was selected to attend the…

to accelerate down the runway Eleanor looked out the window, and watched the buildings disappear as the jet gained altitude. Once the jet leveled out, Ella pulled out some of the case files. She studied them with a critical eye, analyzing MO’s, victimology, and possible motives. This case put her a little on edge due to the fact that is was about children’s disappearances in Philadelphia, which was all too familiar to her. She decided for herself that she was going to try not to think about her…

This essay looks at serial killer Aileen Wuornos and the bias shown toward her because she does not fit the profile of being a “feminine” woman; this meaning non-aggressive, compassionate and motherly, to name a few descriptive words applied to the patriarchal woman. Aileen has been deemed “evil” by American society, cultures worldwide and through the media because she behaved in “male” terms and as such could not be human because she does not fit any criteria known to our patriarchal society –…