COURSE SYLLABUS

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COURSE TITLE: | Offender Profiling: Psychology Contributions to Behavioral Crime Scene Analysis
TYPE OF COURSE: | On demand presentation
COURSE LENGTH: | Approximately 60 minutes
INSTRUCTOR: | C. Gabrielle Salfati, MSc, PhD, F.IA-IP
INSTRUCTOR E-MAIL: | gsalfati@jjay.cuny.edu

COURSE INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION
Offender profiling is a crime analysis technique that aims to aid investigators to generate new leads and narrow down a pool
of suspects to identify the most likely offender. This course will outline the history of offender profiling and the latest scientific
research on how specific patterns in an offender’s behavior at a crime scene can be reliably used to identify the
characteristics of the offender. The format of the module will be a live, interactive classroom, allowing participants to discuss
questions with the presenter and other participants.

PRE-REQUISITES, CO-REQUISITES, AND/OR OTHER RESTRICTIONS

None.

INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS:
C. Gabrielle Salfati is currently Full Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice where she directs the
Investigative Psychology Research Unit (IPRU). She is part of the first group of people who emerged within the new
international field of Investigative Psychology, and was instrumental in its development as an international research field on
the empirical analysis of violent criminal behavior, in particular the advancement of the science of offender profiling. Her
main areas of expertise relate to major violent crimes such as homicide and sexual crimes, with a specific emphasis on
offender profiling and linking serial crimes. In particular, this work is being developed within an international framework
through collaboration with law enforcement agencies internationally. She has presented and published widely both nationally
and internationally on her work. Dr. Salfati also trains crime analysts, investigators, detectives, and police commanders at
state and federal levels in the US, including the NYPD and the FBI, and police forces internationally. She is the Vice-
President of the Homicide Research Working Group (HRWG), a Fellow of the International Association of Investigative
Psychology, and Associate Editor on a number of academic journals including the Journal of Investigative Psychology and
Offender Profiling, Homicide Studies and the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. For
more information see web.jjay.cuny.edu/~gsalfati

________________________________________________________________________________________

RTI INTERNATIONAL | CENTER FOR FORENSIC SCIENCES | 866.252.8415 | cfs-forensic-ed@rti.org

COURSE SYLLABUS
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES
This course builds on the first Ethics course by instructing forensic laboratory personnel on applying ethical decision-making
in the laboratory setting. Particular attention is paid to case studies examples applicable to the laboratory setting.

OUTLINE
1. What is Offender Profiling
1.1. The narborough inquiry
1.2. DNA vs. behavioral profiling
1.3. Definition
2. Crime Scene Analysis
2.1. Physical evidence
2.2. Behavioral evidence
2.3. Profiling process
3. History of Offender Profiling
4. The Utility of Profiling
4.1. How useful are profiles
4.2. Evaluating a profile
4.3. Offender profiling requirements
5. Psychological Principles of Profiling
5.1. Experience
5.2. Behavioral consistency
6. Conclusion
6.1. Current status
6.2. Current needs

SUGGESTED READINGS/TEXTS

Alison, L., Smith, M. D., Eastman, O., & Rainbow, L. (2003). Toulmin's Philosophy Of Argument And Its Relevance To
Offender Profiling. Psychology, Crime & Law, 9 173-183.

Canter, D. (1994). Criminal Shadows. London: Harper Collins.

Salfati, C. G. (2008) Profiling. In B. L. Cutler (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law. Sage Publications.

Salfati, C. G. & Canter, D. V. (1999). Differentiating stranger murders: Profiling offender characteristics from behavioral
styles. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, Volume 17, 391-40
Salfati, C. G. and Kucharski, T. (2005). The Psychology of criminal Conduct. In J. Trevino and S. Guarino (Eds.) The
Common Subject of Crime: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Anderson Publishing.

For more information, and to be kept up to date on publications, training & talks in offender profiling, and to sign up for
regular email updates, please see the Investigative Psychology Research Unit website on web.jjay.cuny.edu/~gsalfati.

________________________________________________________________________________________

RTI INTERNATIONAL | CENTER FOR FORENSIC SCIENCES | 866.252.8415 | cfs-forensic-ed@rti.org

COURSE SYLLABUS
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GRADING
This course is not graded; however, polling questions will be used to ensure that participants understand the material.

COURSE EVALUATION
An online instructional assessment form will be made available for your confidential use at the end of the module. This
information will inform RTI and NIJ of methods to improve the program.

FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM POLICIES

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
This Adobe Connect course has built-in communication tools which will be used for interaction and communication. Some
external communication tools such as regular email and a web conferencing tools may also be used.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
The learning modules contain audio, video, animation, graphics, and file sharing which are best experienced over a high
speed Internet connection. In addition to a confident level of computer and Internet literacy, certain minimum technical
requirements must be met to enable a successful learning experience. Please review the important technical requirements,
web browser configuration information available here:
https://admin.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
Note that this linked page contains a utility to test your computer for the minimum system requirements. Considerable beta
testing of each module is implemented as a quality assurance measure in this program. While technical difficulties may still
occur; there are several technical practices that should be followed to prevent problems:

DO NOT USE THE “BACK BUTTON” ON YOUR BROWSER

The “back button” should disappear when you enter virtual meeting rooms and on-demand modules. However, some
browser configurations will continue to display this control. If you see this button, do not use it. Virtual meeting room
navigation is controlled by the meeting host. When viewing an on-demand module use the navigation pane. Use of the
navigation pane is explained in each module.

SERVER UNAVAILABILITY/OTHER TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

RTI International is committed to providing a reliable online course system to all users. However, appropriate
accommodations can be made in the event of any unexpected server outage or any unusual technical difficulty which
prevents a student from attending a registered course.
Students should report any problems to the email cfs-forensic-ed@rti.org or call the Center for Forensic Sciences at
1-866-252-8415.

Customer Service will respond to participants request at the earliest possible time during the next working day. CFS staff
will be available during all live sessions and from 8:15 AM – 5:00 PM ET Monday through Friday.

________________________________________________________________________________________

RTI INTERNATIONAL | CENTER FOR FORENSIC SCIENCES | 866.252.8415 | cfs-forensic-ed@rti.org