The Evolution of Criminal Profiling: From Whitechapel to Quantico and Beyond

This chapter provides a history of profiling that contains all the major landmarks of profiling in its most recent history, from the work of medical men during the Jack the Ripper inquiry in England, circa 1888, through the development of the first serious attempts by mental health professionals to provide a "profile" of unknown offenders for crimes still under investigation. This would also include the psychological profile done of Adolf Hitler for a US intelligence agency during World War II. From here, Norris chronicles the development of each of the major schools of thought, starting with the Criminal Investigative Analysis (CIA) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Far from being just a history, this chapter also briefly discusses the state of flux of the field, and suggests future directions.