Keywords
crime scene investigation
traces
digital forensics
psychology of criminal behaviour
behavioural analysis
crime reconstruction
crime prediction
investigation
crime
How to Cite
Abstract
The article provides a comprehensive scientific insight into the formation and implementation of professional profiler competencies in modern criminal investigations. The research problem is driven by the transformation of modern crime, its digitalization, and the increasing complexity of criminal mechanisms, which necessitate a shift from fragmentary analysis to a multimodal approach integrating the study of physical evidence, digital data, and behavioral characteristics. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical substantiation of the structure ofa profiler’s complex competencies as an analytical tool for forensic cognition and to develop conceptual approaches for their practical implementation in investigative activities. The methodological basis of the work includes general scientific and specialized methods, specifically the systems-structural approach for defining competency components, the reconstruction method for analyzing the logic of criminal behavior, and the analytical-prognostic method for modeling the actions of unidentified subjects. This allowed for the consideration of profiling not merely as a psychological method but as an interdisciplinary forensic technology. The scientific novelty lies in the proposed original structure of profiler competencies, which includes five interconnected components: forensic-reconstructive; digital-analytical; psycho-behavioral; version-prognostic; methodological-ethical. Particular attention is paid to the interpretation of digital traces as a reflection of the offender’s cognitive strategies. The conclusions emphasize that the formation of a holistic system of such competencies is a prerequisite for increasing the effectiveness of criminal investigations, as it reduces uncertaintyat the initial stages of pre-trial proceedings and provides scientifically sound support for investigative and operational-search activities in the face of modern challenges.
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