BAU Sex-Crimes Model
Definition
The Hazelwood and Burgess operational profiling model developed at the FBI Behavioural Analysis Unit, building on Groth and integrating victimology, scene behaviour and offender communication.
- Developed at
- FBI Behavioural Analysis Unit
- Key developers
- Hazelwood and Burgess
- Builds on
- Groth's earlier typology
- Integrates
- Victimology, scene behaviour, offender communication
Common questions
How does the BAU sex-crimes model differ from Groth's earlier typology?+
It extends Groth's classification of offender motivation by incorporating a wider operational framework, including victim selection patterns and post-offence offender communication, giving investigators more behavioural dimensions to work from than typology alone provided.
What is a key limitation profilers acknowledge when applying this model?+
It generates investigative leads and behavioural hypotheses rather than proof, so its output should never be presented in court as identifying evidence; its proper role is narrowing an investigation, not establishing guilt.
Related terms
- BNS 2023
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Act 45 of 2023. India's substantive criminal code with effect from 1 July 2024. Contains 358 sections in...
- BNSS 2023
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, the statute that replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure. It introduced a mandatory forensic-scene-visit requirement for offences...
- Groth Typology
- A four-category classification of rapists by motive proposed by Nicholas Groth in 1979: power-reassurance, power-assertive, anger-retaliatory, and anger-excitation (sadistic).
- Modus Operandi (MO)
- The functional, learned behaviours the offender uses to commit the offence: how to gain entry, control the victim, complete the act, and...
- POCSO 2012
- The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 (India); establishes criminal liability for child sexual abuse but does not mandate sex-offender...