Use of newspapers, news magazines, and similar periodicals must be kept to a minimum and will be acceptable only as sources for supplementary information.
References like “Wikipedia,” “Psychology Today,” and “Court TV” are not primary sources, are not peer-reviewed (reviewed for empirical integrity, accuracy, and authenticity), and are not appropriate references for scholarly writing (with the possible exception of use for anecdotal background information).
This assignment is a criminal profiling research paper. The student will pick a high-profile criminal listed on the assignment page and explain the biological, situational, and developmental factors that contributed to this criminal’s behavior to include geographic mobility, victimology, and M.O./signature.
Examples of Possible Criminal Profiles
David Berkowitz (son of sam)
Dennis Rader (BTK)
Ted Bundy
Jeffry Dahmer
Albert Fish
John Wayne Gacy
Aileen Wuornos
Make sure you provide the following:
1. Give a thorough description of the criminal’s background (life story).
2. Utilize course material to explain the criminal’s behavior to include geographical mobility, victimology, modus operandi, and signature
3. Discuss how psychological theories and research contributed to the apprehension, prosecution, understanding and/or treatment of this criminal.
