Analyzing Criminal Profiling

Choose a character form either TV Show: Criminal Minds or Lie to Me

In this assignment, you will attempt to separate fact from fiction and reality from fantasy. There are some media portrayals of criminal profiling that are quite realistic, whereas others are pure fantasy.

Popular television shows and movies often have characters who use criminal profiling to assist investigators with identifying the perpetrator of a crime. In this assignment, you will evaluate the effectiveness of criminal profiling as portrayed in the media.

Using the module readings and the Argosy University online library resources, research techniques of criminal profiling.

For this assignment, you need to complete the following:

Select a character from a television show who conducts offender profiling. Explain the background context and reasons why the character was consulted, the information that the character provides to law enforcement, and how this information can be used to assist with the investigation.

On the basis of your review of the required course readings, analyze how effective criminal profiling is.

Explain this character's portrayal of profiling and whether it is reflective of actual profiling techniques that you have found in the literature or whether the character's profiling is unrealistic and not based on commonly accepted and practiced profiling techniques.

Support your responses giving reasons and examples from two to four scholarly resources.

Write a 4- to 5-page paper in a Microsoft Word document. Apply APA standards to cite sources.

Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.