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- All Subjects: psychology
- All Subjects: Dehumanization
Since the inception of what is now known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1970s, criminal profiling has become an increasingly prevalent entity in both forensic science and the popular imagination. The fundamental idea of which profiling is premised – behavior as a reflection of personality – has been the subject of a great deal of misunderstanding, with professionals and nonprofessionals alike questioning whether profiling represents an art or a science and what its function in forensic science should be. To provide a more thorough understanding of criminal profiling’s capabilities and its efficacy as a law enforcement tool, this thesis will examine the application of criminal profiling to investigations, various court rulings concerning profiling’s admissibility, and the role that popular media plays in the perception and function of the practice. It will also discuss how future research and regulatory advancements may strengthen criminal profiling’s scientific merit and legitimacy.
The portrayal of those with mental health disorders in film and television, particularly those with disorders that label them as psychopaths, have often been overlooked. It is all too common for mental health disorders to be romanticized, dramatized, or simply depicted incorrectly. The historical fiction films Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and My Friend Dahmer depict serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer respectively, and while depict historical events to a degree of accuracy, still take creative liberties. The proper definition of psychopathy must be analyzed more and the reason why films about psychopaths are popular with audiences must be as well.
The juvenile justice system was established over a century ago with “the goal of diverting youthful offenders from the destructive punishments of criminal courts and encouraging rehabilitation based on the individual juvenile’s needs” (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2001, p. 154). Although significant progress has been made in maintaining the goals set out when the juvenile justice system was established, there is still a lack of awareness about the dehumanization of juvenile offenders who have been incarcerated. Individual failures of juvenile offenders can occur for a variety of reasons, including a lack of support from their communities and the juvenile justice system as a whole. Throughout the years, there have been several reformations made to the juvenile justice system as there seems to have been a prime focus on punishment rather than rehabilitation. Reformations were made through a few court cases regarding sentences such as capital punishment and life imprisonment without parole. The cases that have brought reform to the juvenile justice system have also brought awareness to the immaturity and cognitive development of juvenile offenders. There are numerous risk and mitigating factors that children face as they grow up, which is exacerbated for those who are incarcerated. The fact that juveniles come out of incarceration with more problems than they did when they entered juvenile facilities is an indication of the need to focus on restorative justice rather than punishment.