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Why do shows like Criminal Minds and Mindhunter exist when criminal profiling doesn’t appear to work at all?

posted 5 years ago by TMC-4 (19417)
7 replies | jump to latest

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/11/12/18044688/criminal-profilers-mindhunter-hannibal-criminal-minds

"The research literature is genuinely strange," says Dylan Matthews. "The consensus is that profiling isn’t very effective, and even profiling-sympathetic people are reduced to arguing that criminal profiles by the professionals are marginally more accurate than ones written by completely untrained people off the street."

[–] PaladinNJ (20310) 5 years ago

You should look at better sources. Profiling has proven to be extremely effective in real world investigations. Check the work of Robert Ressler & John E. Douglas.

[–] yvesyves (630) 4 years ago

''the suspect is a white male, between 25 and 40, he has a hard time maintaining a stable relationship with anyone therefore has very few if any friends, he works small odd jobs with low income''

how many times have you heard that profile hahaha

[–] TimMC (9143) 4 years ago

Only every time.

[–] [email protected] (5501) 6 months ago

Ha ha. That's not really profiling. It's a good guess based on statistics. MOST violent criminals are young men between 25 and 40.

I'd really be impressed if a profiler pinpointed a killer as an elderly Asian American granny who loves her family, bakes cookies and is independently wealthy!

[–] EvilPinata (1186) 4 years ago

Even if it doesn't work, it's because the shows are entertaining to certain people.

A lot of the technology they use in investigations on shows like CSI are unrealistic and beyond what real crime scene investigators actually have, so why do those shows exist? It exists for the exact same reason shows like Criminal Minds and Mindhunter do. Entertainment.

[–] snepts (11123) 4 years ago

I don't mind Entertainment when it might serve a good purpose, but I find CM feeds to the paranoia there are random predators who have no connection with decent people and will do horrible things. This isn't true, but it makes people afraid and suspicious to a degree we shouldn't be.
The show may be "entertaining" but it isn't healthy for people who don't understand it's complete fiction.

[–] EvilPinata (1186) 4 years ago

That goes with any show though. Is any show healthy for people who don't know that it's not reality?