FBI Behavioral Science Unit

This post caught my eye after reading MINDHUNTER so I decided to check out the link. Initially coming to college I was set on going into CSI; however, after multiple psychology and criminology courses I have leaned in different directions although criminal investigation still interests me. I really enjoyed reading MINDHUNTER and the focus behind it on profiling criminals so I thought it would be interesting to see what a job in the FBI's behavioral science unit would entail.

After following the link and reading through the FBI's page about Behavioral Science, I discovered that the professionals in the unit not only investigate and develop criminal profiles, but they also teach their skill and expertise in an array of courses. There are several topics that they teach that wouldn't necessarily be the first thing that comes to my mind but they definitely make sense. Similar to what we have covered in class was the topic memory and perception. Other topics that I found interesting were conflict and crisis management/communication; spirituality, wellness, and vitality issues in law enforcement; stress management in law enforcement; and problem-solving and crisis intervention. As those titles imply, the FBI tries to incorporate learning about life skills and practices to deal with the work and scenes that criminal profiles might encounter. The classes would probably prove to be very useful, especially after picturing the depictions Douglas makes in his book MINDHUNTER.

I was also intrigued to find out that this unit offers unpaid internships for students. Althought it is unpaid I still thought it was very interesting that we are able to intern in this sort of field.