<P> Criminal profiling is a process now known in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as criminal investigative analysis . Profilers, or criminal investigative analysts, are trained and experienced law enforcement officers who study every behavioral aspect and detail of an unsolved violent crime scene in which a certain amount of psychopathology has been left at the scene . The characteristics of a good profiler are discussed . Five behavioral characteristics that can be gleaned from the crime scene are described: 1) amount of planning that went into the crime, 2) degree of control used by the offender, 3) escalation of emotion at the scene, 4) risk level of both the offender and victim, and 5) appearance of the crime scene (disorganized versus organized). The process of interpreting the behavior observed at a crime scene is briefly discussed . </P> <P> The effect of psychological and social factors on the functioning of our brain is the central question forensic or criminal psychologists deal with, due to the fact it is the seed of all our actions . For forensic psychiatry, the main question is' Which patient becomes an offender?', or' Which offender becomes a patient?' . Another main question asked by these psychiatrists is,' What came first, the crime or the mental disorder?' . </P> <P> Criminal and forensic psychologists may also consider the following questions: </P> <Ol> <Li> Is a mental disorder present now? Was it present during the time of the crime? </Li> <Li> What is the level of responsibility of the offender for the crime? </Li> <Li> What is the risk of reoffending and which risk factors are involved? </Li> <Li> Is treatment possible to reduce the risk of reoffending? </Li> </Ol>

The role that the behavioral sciences plays in a criminal investigation