FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit

Lore & Background

The BAU is part of the Investigations & Operations Support Section, a branch of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group. This section provides personnel and training to assist investigations throughout the country and at US embassies worldwide, and supports other Critical Incident Response Groups, FBI headquarters and field offices, FBI legal attaches, and all US law enforcement agencies. The section is divided into the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime and the Operations Support Branch. The National Center consists of five Behavioral Analysis Units: BAU-1 handles counterterrorism, arson, and bombing; BAU-2 handles threats, cyber crime, and public corruption; BAU-3 focuses on crimes against children and supports other law enforcement through criminal investigative analysis; BAU-4 handles crimes against adults and operates the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP), established in 1984 to help solve and identify serial murders; and BAU-5 focuses on research, strategy, and instruction, developing and applying behavioral profiles through extensive training and law enforcement experience. The Operations Support Branch contains the Crisis Management Unit, Special Events Management Unit, and Rapid Deployment & Technology Unit.

In Their Own Story

The BAU receives requests for services from federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies. Responses are facilitated through the network of field coordinators of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. BAU services can consist of on-site case consultations, telephone conference calls, and/or consultations held at the BAU with case investigators. Assistance is provided through 'criminal investigative analysis,' a process of reviewing crimes from both a behavioral and investigative perspective. This involves reviewing and assessing the facts of a criminal act, interpreting offender behavior and interaction with the victim as exhibited during the crime or displayed at the crime scene. BAU staff conduct detailed analyses to provide services including crime analysis, investigative suggestions, profiles of unknown offenders, threat analysis, critical incident analysis, interview strategies, major case management, search warrant assistance, prosecution and trial strategies, and expert testimony. The BAU also produced the Child Abduction Response Plan and released 'The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective' report to guide school administrators, teachers, parents, and law enforcement in identifying and evaluating threats in schools. The BAU maintains a reference file for experts in various forensic disciplines such as odontology, anthropology, psychiatry, entomology, or pathology.

Reader's Guide

The BAU uses a concept known as psychological profiling to generate profiles of offenders. Belief in psychological profiling has often been supported by anecdotal evidence, such as a homeless man in North Carolina who was apprehended after a BAU profile was issued for a case local police could not solve. However, the concept of psychological profiling has not been empirically proven. In studies comparing professional criminal profilers to other groups—students, police officers, and clinical psychologists—participants were presented with details of a previously solved crime and asked to write a profile. In no study did the profilers outperform the other groups, and in some studies they were clearly outperformed by both police officers and chemistry students. Despite these findings, members of the BAU continue to use psychological profiling. Public confidence in psychological profiling remains high, greatly promoted by TV shows such as Criminal Minds. Some forensic psychologists, such as Robert Homant, have also dismissed the criticisms.

Did You Know?

• The BAU was originally called the Behavioral Science Unit and was launched in 1972.
• The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) was established in 1984 and uses a 15-page format to request information about crimes.
• BAU-3 focuses specifically on crimes against children and supports the Violent Crimes Against Children program (VCAC).
• The BAU released 'The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective' report to help identify and evaluate threats in schools.
• In studies, professional criminal profilers did not outperform other groups—including chemistry students—when writing profiles of solved crimes.