Criminal Profiling

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Criminal Profiling

• LECTURE/DISCUSSION 10-11
• Psychopathy Sadism

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What is a Psychopathy?

• PSYCHOPATHY
• A personality disorder characterized by inability
  to form human attachment comprised of a
  constellation of affective, interpersonal,
  behavioral, and lifestyle characteristics with
  two essential features Aggressive Narcissism and
  Antisocial Lifestyle.

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Psychopathy

• Psychopathy has been referred to as the single
  most important clinical construct in the
  criminal justice system (Hare, 1998, p. 189).
• The DSM-IV TR APD is the official classification
  that most resembles the traditional concept of
  psychopathy. However
• Most who fit this criteria are not psychopaths
• Many psychopaths do not fit the criteria
• Some research suggests that psychopaths meet the
  criteria for all Axis II Cluster B personality
  disorders.
• The PCL-R is considered the first reliable and
  valid measure of psychopathy.
• Psychopathy is a pejorative construct that has
  been linked to violent recidivism and
  dangerousness.

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Antisocial Personality Disorder Criteria

• A.A PERVASIVE PATTERN OF, DISREGARD FOR, AND
  VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS OCCURRING SINCE
  AGE 15 YEARS, AS INDICATED BY THREE (OR MORE) OF
  THE FOLLOWING
• (1) failure to conform to social norms with
  respect to lawful behaviors
• (2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated
  lying, use of aliases, or conning
• (3) impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
• (4) irritability and aggressiveness, an indicated
  by physical fights or assaults
• (5) reckless disregard for safety of self or
  others
• (6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by
  repeated failure to sustain consistent work
  behavior or honor financial obligations
• (7) lack of remorse, as indicated by indifference
  or rationalization
• B. THE INDIVIDUAL IS AT LEAST AGE 18 YEARS.
• C. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF CONDUCT DISORDER WITH
  ONSET BEFORE AGE 15 YEARS.
• D. THE OCCURRENCE OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IS NOT
  EXCLUSIVELY DURING THE COURSE OF SCHIZOPHRENIA OR
  A MANIC EPISODE.

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Changes in DSM

• 1952/DSM Sociopathic Personality
• 1968/DSM II Antisocial Personality
• 1980/DSM III Antisocial Personality Disorder
• 1987/DSM-III-R Antisocial Personality
  Disorder
• 1994/DSM-IV Antisocial Personality Disorder
• 2000/DSM-IV-TR Antisocial Personality
  Disorder
• Classifications have become more behavioral
  overtime and less trait/personality based.
  Criticism that APD classification represents only
  the antisocial lifestyle factor and not
  aggressive narcissism.

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The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised(Note. 1Factor
1. 2Factor 2. Items 11, 17, and 20 not
included as factors)

• Glibness/Superficial charm1
• Grandiose sense of self-worth1
• Need for stimulation/Proneness to boredom2
• Pathological lying1
• Conning/manipulative1
• Lack of remorse or guilt1
• Shallow affect1
• Callous/lack of empathy1
• Parasitic lifestyle2
• Poor behavioral controls2
• Promiscuous sexual behavior

• Early behavioral problems2
• Lack of realistic, long-term goals2
• Impulsivity2
• Irresponsibility2
• Failure to accept responsibility for actions1
• Many short-term marital relationships
• Juvenile delinquency2
• Revocation of conditional release2
• Criminal versatility

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Fundamental Feature of Psychopathy

• Defect in affect (Cleckley, 1988), absence of
  conscience (Hare, 1996), fundamental
  disidentification with humanity (Meloy, 1988,
  1992).
• In The Psychopathic Mind, J.R. Meloy (1988)
  defines psychopathy as
• a deviant developmental disturbance
  characterized by an inordinate amount of
  instinctual aggression and the absence of the
  object relational capacity to bond. Psychopathy
  is a process a continuous interplay of factors
  and operations that are implicitly progressing or
  regressing toward a particular end point ... a
  fundamental disidentification with humanity (p.
  5).

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The Psychopaths Experience of Emotion

• Primary psychopaths are not capable of
  experience emotion in the same way that
  non-psychopaths do (.
• Some researchers suggest that psychopaths are
  unconsciously motivated by the need to connect
  with others and are at some level aware that they
  are missing something.

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Example Jeffrey Dahmer

• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid-761988215
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid-686711553
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid8218236246
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  0so0typesearchplindex6

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Psychopathy and Gender

• Antisocial behavior and psychopathy are shaped by
  sociocultural forces such as gender, social
  class, and subculture.
• Sex-role socialization shapes the ways aggression
  and psychopathy manifests across gender.
• Sex-typed classification and stereotypes
  contribute to differential diagnoses of
  psychopathy across gender.
• Males diagnosed with APD (or NPD)
• Females diagnosed with HPD (or BPD)

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Aileen Wuornos
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What is a Sadism?

• SADISM
• Arousal/pleasure through the intentional
  infliction of pain and suffering.

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Sadism

• The term SADISM is rooted in the writings of the
  Marquis de Sade.
• SADISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER appeared in Axis
  II of the DSM-III-R but was removed in the DSM-IV
  because of concern that it would be used as a
  mitigating factor in criminal cases.
• SEXUAL SADISM is an Axis I paraphilia in the
  DSM-IV-TR
• Sadism is of interest to profilers to the extent
  that sadistic motivation can be inferred from
  behaviors (and evidence of behaviors) left at
  crime scenes.

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DSM-IV TR Criteria for Sexual Sadism

• A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent,
  intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual
  urges, or behaviors involving acts (real, not
  simulated) in which the psychological or physical
  suffering (including humiliation) of the victim
  is sexually exciting to the person. 
• B. The person has acted on these urges with a
  nonconsenting person, or the sexual urges or
  fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal
  difficulty.

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Sadistic Personality Disorder

• SPD is characterized by cruel, aggressive,
  manipulative, and demeaning behavior directed
  towards others. The sadist
• Lacks concern for people, engages in abuse and
  violence, and derives pleasure from harming or
  humiliating others.
• Is amused by, or takes pleasure in, the
  psychological or physical suffering of others
  (including animals).
• Lies for the purpose of harming or inflicting
  pain on others.
• Intimidates, frightens, or terrorizes others to
  do what he/she wants
• Restricts autonomy of people with whom he or she
  has a close relationship
• Is fascinated by violence, weapons, martial arts,
  injury, or torture.
• There are overlaps between sadistic PD, APD, and
  sexual sadism but they are not the same clinical
  entity.
• Even though SPD is no longer in the DSM, studies
  show that most clinicians note that SPD is not a
  rare disorder and that SPD has descriptive and
  construct validity.

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Traits v. Behaviors

• Its important to distinguish between TRAITS and
  BEHAVIORS traits are universal and behavior
  symptoms are not.
• Psychopathy is a personality disorder and Sexual
  Sadism is a paraphilia. Individuals possessing
  either or both conditions may exhibit behaviors
  through which underlying conditions can be
  inferred.
• However, psychopathy and sadism may manifest in a
  spectrum of behaviors, many of which may also be
  committed by individuals who do not fit the
  criteria for either condition.

Remember the two most important axioms of
profiling?
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The Relationship Between Sexual Sadism,
Psychopathy, and Serial Murder

• In general, research suggests
• All serial killers are not sexual sadists.
• All serial killers are not psychopaths.
• All serial killers may not meet the criteria for
  APD
• Most sexual murderers are not psychotic.
• Serial killers may meet criteria for a range of
  Axis I II DSM classifications.
• All sexual murderers evidence narcissistic and
  psychopathic personality traits.
• Sexual murderers are less adaptive, more
  dysfunctional, more schizoid, and use more
  primitive defenses than other psychopaths.

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Why is understanding psychopathy and sadism
important in profiling/understanding serial
murder?

• Both conditions give insight into offender
  motivation -- specific behaviors and evidence
  found at crime scenes may tell something about
  offender motivation.
• According to Turvey, PCL-R items can be inferred
  through specific behaviors and evidence of
  sadistic acts is indicative of a the fantasy
  life, level of risk, experience, etc. of the
  offender.
• Elements of psychopathy, sadism, and other
  conditions are reflected in the different serial
  killer (and other offender types)

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Sexual Homicide Typologies (See Keppel Walter
(1999) and See Holmes Deburger (1988)

• POWER ASSERTIVE power/control driven.
• POWER REASSURANCE -- power driven, fantasy acted
  out while seeking reassurance from victim.
• ANGER RETALIATORY --anger/revenge driven often
  displaced aggression
• ANGER EXCITATION --anger driven, prolonged
  torture, exploitation, mutilation that energizes
  killers fantasy life.

• POWER/CONTROL -- Power and control driven.
• VISIONARY Motivated by psychosis response to
  hearing voices/commands.
• MISSION-ORIENTED Motivated by beliefs/ mission
  to rid the world of a particular group of people.
• HEDONISTIC Motivated by need to kill for
  pleasure or satisfaction such as sex or money.

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Meloys (1999)Typology of Sexual Serial Killers
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Example Dennis Rader the BTK Killer

• Rader Confession June 27, 2005
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid8946541349
  607716879qDENNISRADERtotal26start0num10s
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• Rader Sentencing
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid9153521218
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid5052362965
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid7319022093
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid4355897485
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid3918765520
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• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid6261955070
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• Rader Fox News
• http//www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166072,00.html
  
• http//www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161145,00.html
  

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Terms to Know

• Psychopathy
• Sexual Sadism
• Marquis de Sade
• PCL-R
• Factor 1 and Factor 2 of PCL-R
• Traits v. Behaviors

• Empathy-Sympathy-Intimacy
• Hard v. Soft offender characteristics
• DSMIV-TR
• Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Axis II, Cluster B Personality Disorders

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Recommended Reading

• Cleckley, H. (1941, 1988). The Mask of Sanity.
• Keppel Walter (1999). Profiling Killers A
  Revised classification model for understanding
  sexual murder. International Journal of Offender
  Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 43, 417-437
• Meloy, JR (1988) The Psychopathic Mind
  Origins, Dynamics, and Treatment.
• Hare, R.D. (1993). Without conscience.
• Meloy JR (1992). Violent Attachments.
• Meloy, J.R. (1999). The nature and dynamics of
  sexual homicide An integrative review.
  Aggression and Violent Behavior, 5(1), 1-22.
• Marquis de Sades Justine and Juliette.
• Psychopathy and Sadism (Online paper written by a
  former SU CJ/Psych student) http//forensicpsychr
  esearch.freewebsitehosting.com/OnPsychopathyAndSad
  ism/PsychopathySadism2.htm
• Spitzer, R.L., Feister, S., Gay, M., Pfohl, B.
  (1991). Results of a survey of forensic
  psychiatrists on the validity of the sadistic
  personality disorder diagnosis. American Journal
  of Psychiatry, 148, 875-879.