As part of this year’s Summer School of Forensic Psychology at the Faculty of Organizational Studies “Eduka”, a highly attended and dynamic lecture titled “Criminal Profiling – From Practice to Science” was held.
The lecture was delivered by Nemanja Popović, Master of Psychology and specialist in criminalistics, who presented one of the most intriguing areas of modern forensic psychology to the participants in a systematic, clear, and practically applicable way — the creation of profiles of unknown perpetrators of criminal offenses.
The main goal of the lecture was to present criminal profiling beyond popular media and film stereotypes, as a serious professional and scientific discipline based on psychological principles, empirical data, behavioral analysis, and investigative practice. Participants had the opportunity to understand how profiling has evolved from intuitive police assessment to a modern evidence-based approach grounded in interdisciplinary analysis and cooperation between psychology, criminalistics, and the judiciary.
During the theoretical part of the lecture, Nemanja Popović presented the evolution of profiling throughout history, highlighting key differences between Hollywood portrayals of the profession and the real work of experts in the field. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of forensic psychology in crime scene analysis, assessing offender behavior, understanding motives, and distinguishing modus operandi from the so-called “signature” of the offender.
Participants were also introduced to the ways in which psychological theories of personality, motivation, and behavior are applied in operational police work. The lecture demonstrated that criminal profiling is not mere guesswork, but a structured process of analyzing behavioral traces, the relationship between offender and victim, circumstances of the crime, and patterns that can help guide investigations.
The lecture’s strong interactivity added particular value. Participants of the Summer School were not just listeners, but active contributors to the professional process. Through practical exercises based on real, anonymized scenarios, they had the opportunity to analyze crime scenes, identify behavioral traces, consider possible motives, and take part in simulating the development of a psycho-social profile of an unknown offender.
Teamwork enabled participants to connect theoretical knowledge with practical tasks, apply the basics of victimological analysis, and understand how crucial precision, critical thinking, and caution are in forensic decision-making.
The lecture by Nemanja Popović further confirmed the importance of the Summer School of Forensic Psychology as a program that provides participants not only with contemporary theoretical knowledge, but also with direct insight into the practical challenges of forensic and criminalistic professions. Through the integration of science, practice, and interactive work, participants gained valuable experience that makes this field one of the most exciting and responsible branches of applied psychology.