Module 5 - Criminal Profiling

In 1980, Roy Hazelwood and John Douglas made a distinction between organized and disorganized criminal behaviour. Both Hazelwood and Douglas were criminal profilers working in the FBI’s Behavioral Science unit.

Organized Offenders: As the name implies, organized offenders plan and execute their crimes in organized ways because they are scheming, deliberate, and methodical individuals. The organized offender is a self-absorbed psychopath lacking empathy and remorse. Most organized offenders are well spoken, outgoing, and pleasant. Because of this, they appear non-threatening at first. Organized offenders target their victims, choosing primarily strangers whom they often capture by conning them, perhaps by offering money or asking for assistance. Offenders usually bring their own weapons and take them from the crime scenes. Organized offenders are careful; they often take time to clean up or remove evidence such as fingerprints, blood, bullet cartridges, or knives from the crime scenes. Often this type of offender will move or conceal the body.

Disorganized Offenders: In contrast, disorganized offenders are loners with poor social skills. They often feel inadequate and have difficulties maintaining friendships and loving relationships. Disorganized offenders tend to appear unkempt and often will live in messy homes. Their crimes are usually committed impulsively sparked by a mental disorder, drugs, alcohol, youth, or inexperience. The disorganized offender tends to attack people they know, such as family, friends, neighbours, or acquaintances. Their victims are incapacitated quickly without much warning and usually left badly mutilated. They often kill their victims with items at the crime scene and make no effort to hide the weapons or the bodies afterwards. This type of offender leaves a chaotic mess.

The following two lists outline some of the potential behavioural and personality traits often exhibited by organized and disorganized offenders.