In the criminal justice system, there appears to have been a growing demand for professionals in the field of human behavior who can help law enforcement solve cases. Law enforcement often calls upon psychologists, criminologists, and other experts who specialize in human behavior when investigating a criminal case. Offender profiling is based on the belief that it is possible to determine the characteristics of an offender by examining the characteristics of their offenses. According to Ainsworth (2001, p.7), “profiling generally refers to the process of using all available information about a crime, a crime scene and a victim in order to create a profile of the (as yet) unknown perpetrator ". In this essay, we will first examine how criminal profiling works, then critically discuss this technique and identify the advantages and disadvantages of its use. First of all, criminal profiling and its process must be explained. Profiling has been used by many countries such as Sweden, Finland, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands (Clark, 2002) as well as the United Kingdom, since from 1981 to 1994, 29 profilers contributed their support 242 times in cases. Although it is more frequently used today, it can be traced back in the social sciences to the 1870s with the work of Cesare Lambroso (Keppel, 2006) and his theory of anthropological criminology which essentially asserted that crime was genetically inherited and that someone who was born a criminal could be identified by defects in physical appearance. One of the most high-profile early cases of profiling was Scotland Yard's attempt to trace the identity of Jack the Ripper. Dr Thomas Bond, who was one of the most renowned doctors of the Victorian era...... middle of paper ... incorrect in at least some respects, the police will quickly lose confidence in his worth. Additionally, serious criminal profiling may impact certain groups in society as they will be labeled by law enforcement such as the police. In conclusion, it seems that offender profiling has taken on a life of its own, as it is particularly popular. in the media, through programs involving police investigations. It has moved considerably since head size was measured. It is an unproven discipline and lacks academic foundation and scientific support, but has been shown to be beneficial in some cases, particularly where no evidence exists and that there are only psychological avenues to work on. But from the information provided above, he concluded that we need to approach criminal profiling with caution because it is not always as effective as people believe..