Serial Killer’s Psychological Profile Investigation From Fbi Point Of View As Seen In Thomas Harris’s Silence Of The Lambs

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2025): Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Scholastic pp. 215-224
2220 Views 263 Downloads
Fandri Irawan ID
Universitas Ekasakti
Andy Amirudin ID
Universitas Ekasakti
https://doi.org/10.36057/jips.v9i3.792
PDF – Full Text

Abstract

This study explores the FBI’s psychological profiling of serial killers as portrayed in Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs, focusing on the methods used to identify and understand psychopaths, especially through the interactions between Clarice Starling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Utilizing criminal psychology theory and a qualitative textual analysis of the novel, the research examines how offender behavior, motivations, and mental disorders inform profiling. Findings highlight the FBI’s detailed investigative process, the serial killer’s psychological manipulation to mislead investigators, and the critical role of the psychological profiler in penetrating the psychopath’s mindset to guide the investigation, revealing the complex interplay between profilers and criminals in solving difficult cases.

Keywords:
FBI Serial Killer Profiler

References

32 citations
  1. Babiak, P., & Hare, R. D. (2006). Snakes in suits: When psychopaths go to work. HarperCollins.
  2. Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027 DOI
  3. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI
  4. Canter, D. (2004). Mapping murder: The secrets of geographical profiling. Virgin Books.
  5. Canter, D. V. (2004). Offender profiling and investigative psychology. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 1(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.6 DOI
  6. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
  7. Douglas, J. E., & Olshaker, M. (1995). Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's elite serial crime unit. Scribner.
  8. Douglas, J. E., Burgess, A. W., Burgess, A. G., & Ressler, R. K. (2006). Crime classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
  9. Erlingsson, C., & Brysiewicz, P. (2017). A hands-on guide to doing content analysis. African Journal of Emergency Medicine, 7(3), 93–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afjem.2017.08.001 DOI
  10. Given, L. M. (Ed.). (2008). The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. SAGE Publications.
  11. Hare, R. D. (1999). Without conscience: The disturbing world of the psychopaths among us. Guilford Press.
  12. Harris, T. (1988). The silence of the lambs. St. Martin's Press.
  13. Hickey, E. W. (2016). Serial murderers and their victims (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
  14. Holmes, R. M., & Holmes, S. T. (2010). Serial murder (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  15. Homant, R. J., & Kennedy, D. B. (1998). Psychological aspects of crime scene profiling: Validity research. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 25(3), 319–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854898025003002 DOI
  16. Kerr, O. S. (2011). Cybercrime’s scope: Interpreting the federal computer fraud and abuse act. New York University Law Review, 84(5), 1145–1185.
  17. Kocsis, R. N. (2003). Criminal psychological profiling: Validities and abilities. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47(2), 126–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X03251247 DOI
  18. Lowenthal, M. M. (2019). Intelligence: From secrets to policy (8th ed.). CQ Press.
  19. Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  20. Mitchell, H., & Aamodt, M. G. (2005). The incidence of female sexual predators: A review of the literature. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 20(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02801967 DOI
  21. Phelps, M. W. (2016). Dangerous ground: My friendship with a serial killer. Pinnacle Books.
  22. Pinizzotto, A. J., & Finkel, N. J. (1990). Criminal personality profiling: An outcome and process study. Law and Human Behavior, 14(3), 215–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01068163 DOI
  23. Ramsland, K. (2010). The mind of a murderer: Privileged access to the demons that drive extreme violence. Praeger.
  24. Ressler, R. K., Burgess, A. W., & Douglas, J. E. (1988). Sexual homicide: Patterns and motives. Lexington Books.
  25. Roth, M. S. (2012). Serial killers and the evolution of storytelling in popular culture. Journal of Popular Culture, 45(3), 548–566. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2012.00942.x DOI
  26. Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
  27. Tally, R. T. (2011). The fictional minds of Hannibal Lecter: Storytelling and psychopathology. Narrative, 19(2), 179–200. https://doi.org/10.1353/nar.2011.0009 DOI
  28. Taylor, R. W., Fritsch, E. J., & Liederbach, J. (2019). Digital crime and digital terrorism (3rd ed.). Pearson.
  29. Theoharis, A. G. (2000). The FBI and American democracy: A brief critical history. University Press of Kansas.
  30. Turvey, B. E. (2011). Criminal profiling: An introduction to behavioral evidence analysis (4th ed.). Academic Press.
  31. Vronsky, P. (2004). Serial killers: The method and madness of monsters. Berkley Books.
  32. Walters, G. D. (2006). Psychopathy and crime: Testing the incremental validity of PCL-R-measured psychopathy. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33(2), 185–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854805284408 DOI

License & Copyright

Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Copyright © 2026 Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Scholastic

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike Open Access

How to Cite

Serial Killer’s Psychological Profile Investigation From Fbi Point Of View As Seen In Thomas Harris’s Silence Of The Lambs. (2025). Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Scholastic, 9(3), 215-224. https://doi.org/10.36057/jips.v9i3.792
Google Scholar
Metrics & Citations
Indexed
Track citations and scholarly impact of this article directly on Google Scholar.
Search on Google Scholar
Issue
Issue Cover

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2025): Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Scholastic

View Full Issue
Article Metrics
2220 Views
263 Downloads
Published 2025-12-16
DOI 10.36057/jips.v9i3.792
How to Cite
Fandri Irawan, F., Andy Amirudin, A. (2025). Serial Killer’s Psychological Profile Investigation From Fbi Point Of View As Seen In Thomas Harris’s Silence Of The Lambs. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Scholastic, 9(3), 215-224. https://doi.org/10.36057/jips.v9i3.792
Share Article
Indexed In

map

Sosmed

..:: FOLLOW US ::..

Latest publications