Behavioral Analysis
Using in-house, cutting-edge psychological research and operational experience to better understand criminal behavior and assist in solving cases
Experts in the Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs) work a variety of cases across the country, including terrorism, cybercrime, and violent crimes against children and adults. They consult on new, active, and cold cases—working in tandem with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners.
Their work includes:
Criminal investigative analysis
Analyzing an offender’s motivation, victim selection, sophistication level, actions, and relationship to that particular crime, along with the sequence of events
Interview strategy
Combining behavioral principles, psychological concepts, and science-based methods to prepare for, conduct, and analyze an interview
Investigative strategy
Providing behaviorally-based recommendations to amplify an investigation’s effectiveness and prioritize resources.
Threat assessments
Analyzing an individual's pattern of thinking and behavior to determine whether they are moving toward an attack on an identified target, and to what extent.
The FBI prioritizes its investigative support to local law enforcement through programs like the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program and the Threat Assessment Threat Management Initiative.
Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC)
The FBI’s BTAC is the only national-level, multiagency, multidisciplinary task force focused on the prevention of terrorism and targeted violence through the application of behaviorally based operational support, training, and research.
BTAC is staffed by agents, analysts, and mental health practitioners who provide threat assessment and threat management support to federal, state, local, Tribal, and campus law enforcement partners, as well as to community stakeholders working diligently across the United States on targeted violence prevention.
Threat Assessment and Threat Management (TATM) Initiative
The TATM initiative fosters information sharing and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of FBI, law enforcement, and community partners aiming to prevent terrorism attacks and acts of targeted violence. TATM teams are scalable to work for an individual school, school district, county, region, or state.
Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) National Crime Database
Established by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1985, the FBI’s ViCAP maintains the nation’s only centralized repository of violent crimes cases that is designed to enable the analysis of offender behavior. Managed by BAU, ViCAP serves federal, state, local, tribal, campus, and foreign law enforcement.
ViCAP focuses on violent crimes that may be serial in nature, including:
- homicides or attempted homicides that may be part of a series and/or appear random or sexually motivated (excluding gang or drug-related cases)
- sexual assaults—including rape, statutory rape, sodomy, incest, or sexual assault with an object—that may be part of a series
- missing persons where foul play is suspected and the individual remains missing
- unidentified human remains where homicide is suspected or confirmed
ViCAP’s National Crime Database enables agencies to collect, analyze, and compare violent crime cases, helping identify potential links on local, regional, state, and national (or sometimes international) levels.
Law enforcement personnel can access ViCAP through the FBI’s Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP), allowing them to enter data, search the database, and uncover similarities among thousands of other cases.
A national team of FBI crime analysts provides a wide range of investigative services, including:
- case linkage analysis
- timelines and mapping
- crime series matrices
- case consultations and investigative recommendations
- alerts and information dissemination
- multi-agency liaison and task force support
- analysts continually monitor new case submissions for potential connections and share leads and resources with participating agencies
Analysts continually monitor new case submissions for potential connections and share leads and resources with participating agencies.
Timeline
1972: The FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit was created to consult with criminal justice professionals worldwide on different, unusual, or bizarre cases. Originally called profiling, this is now commonly known as behavioral analysis.
1985: The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) was established at the FBI Academy to provide instruction, research, and investigative support.
1985: The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) was created to link seemingly unrelated crime investigations and share investigative data from violent crimes across the country.
1996: The Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit (CASKU) was established to focus on child abductions/ disappearances and serial or mass murder cases.
2010: The Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC) was created to support the prevention of terrorism and targeted violence.
2012: Increases in cybercrime led the FBI to develop behavioral assessments of cyber criminals and proactive countermeasures.
2018: BTAC established the nationwide Threat Assessment and Threat Management (TATM) Initiative in response to tragedies in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Parkland, Florida.
Have you noticed someone behaving in a way that concerns you?
Parents, family, friends, and loved ones often observe concerning behaviors that – if reported to authorities – may result in preventing violent attacks.
What to know
No single behavior means a person is on a path to committing targeted violence, but multiple concerning behaviors may indicate cause for concern.
Common concerning behaviors include:
- significantly reduced ability to cope with stress or setbacks
- seeing violence as the only way to solve their problems
- disclosure of violent plans or upcoming alarming events (verbal, written, or online)
- repeated or detailed fantasies about violence
- increasingly troublesome or concerning interactions with others
- angry outbursts or physical aggression
- behavior that makes other people worried that the person may become violent
- reduced interest in hobbies and other activities
- worsening performance at school and/or work
- obsessive or troubling interest in prior attackers or attacks
- obsessive or troubling interest in obtaining firearms, other weapons, tactical gear, clothing, and/or military paraphernalia
- creation of a manifesto, video, suicide note, or other item meant to explain or claim credit for an act of violence
- asking questions about or testing security at a possible target
Prevent Mass Violence
Mass shooters spend time thinking about violence and they plan, prepare, and often share indicators before their attacks. Educating yourself on what to look for can be the key to preventing an attack of mass violence in your community.
What to do
If you are concerned, talk about your concerns with someone you respect. Share what you know and discuss your options.
If you choose to report your concerns, you can:
- Call your local police department on the phone or walk in to report your concerns in person.
- Report your concerns to the FBI by visiting tips.fbi.gov, calling 1- 800-CALL-FBI, or visiting your local FBI office.
- Check for a local school or community threat assessment team or mental health providers.
Press releases
- October 1, 2017: Las Vegas, Nevada
- May 31, 2019: Virginia Beach, Virginia
- August 4, 2019: Dayton, Ohio
- December 9, 2020: FBI Conducts Regional Workshops in Boca Raton and Fort Pierce, Florida
- December 25, 2020: FBI Releases Report on Nashville, Tennessee, Bombing
- January 3, 2020: Man Sentenced for Hurling Molotov Cocktail at Newark, New Jersey, Planned Parenthood
Publications and law enforcement guides
- Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks
- A Study of Lone Offender Terrorism in the United States (1972-2015)
- A Study of the Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000-2013
- Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education
- A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 – 2013
- The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective
- Workplace Violence (2001)
- Mass Victimization: Promising Avenues for Prevention (2015)
- Beyond Belief: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in America (2025)
Joint Products
- Bystanders are Key to Countering Terrorism (NCTC, DHS, FBI)
- Mental Health Considerations in Threat Management of Terrorism Investigative Subjects (NCTC, DHS, FBI)
- Threat Assessment and Threat Management
- Understanding Bystander Interventions to Prevent Terrorism Brochure (NCTC, FBI)
Quick reference research guides
- A Study of Lone Offender Terrorism in the United States (1972-2015)
- A Study of the Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013
- The School Shooter
- A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 – 2013
- Possible Attackers? A Comparison of Active Shooter and Persons of Concern
- (In)Action: Variation in Bystander Responses Between Active Shooters and Persons of Concern
Quick legal guidance sheets
Additional resources
- Active Shooter Safety Resources
- Inside the FBI: Combating Terrorism (podcast)
- Inside the FBI: Active Shooter Incidents (podcast)
- Echoes of Columbine (video)
- Partnerships Are Key to Disrupting Violent Plots (article)
- Applying Counterterrorism Tools to Prevent Acts of Targeted Violence (article)
- School Shooters Can Be Stopped: A Valuable New Resource (article)
- Addressing the Problem of the Active Shooter (article)
- Department of Defense - Defense Science Board Task Force Report: Predicting Violent Behavior (report)
Reference materials
The following are peer-reviewed journal articles that BAU staff contributed to.
- Jones, N. T., Williams, M. M., Cilke, T. R., Gibson, K. A., O'Shea, C. L., & Gray, A. E. (2024). Are all pathway behaviors observable? A quantitative analysis of the pathway to intended violence model. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management.
- Williams, M. M., Jones, N. T., Cilke, T. R., Gibson, K. A., Gray, A. E., & O'Shea, C. L. (2024). Assessing the reliability and validity of the North Carolina BeTA Investigation Overview-25 (NCBIO-25) in a sample of active shooters and persons of concern. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management.
- O'Donnell, D. E., Shelton, J. L., Huffman, M. C., Porter, K., & Miller, M. (2023). 911 calls in mysterious disappearances of children: Indicators of veracity and deception. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 37(3), 578– 589.
- O’Donnell, D. E., Shelton, J. L., Shaffer, S. A., Isom, A., Bowlin, J., & Wood, E. (2022). “My child is missing”: 911 calls in mysterious disappearances of children. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 67, 101795.
- Miller, M. L., Merola, M. A., Opanashuk, L., Robins, C. J., Chancellor, A. S., & Craun, S. W. (2020). 911 what’s your emergency?: Deception in 911 homicide and suicide staged as homicide calls. Homicide Studies, 25(2), 189-189.
- Silver, J., Craun, S.W., Wyman, J.V., & Simons, A.B. (2020). A coproduction research model between academia and law enforcement responsible for investigating threats. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism.
- Gibson, K.A., Craun, S.W., Ford, A.G., Solik, K., & Silver, J. (2020) Possible attackers? A comparison between the behaviors and stressors of persons of concern and active shooters. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 7 (1-2), 1-12.
- Craun, S.W., Gibson, K.A., Ford, A.G., Solik, K, & Silver, J. (2020) (In)action: Variation in bystander responses between persons of concern and active shooters. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 7 (1-2), 113-121.
- Rossin, M., Craun, S.W., Miller, M., & Collier, M. (2019). A content analysis of initial proof of life hostage videos released by international terrorist groups. Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression,3, 254-265.
- Craun, S.W., Rossin, M.J., & Collier, M.R. (2019). Interpretations of proof-of-life videos and their impact on supported interventions. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 14(2), 115-128.
- Meloy, J. R., and Amman, M. (2016) Public Figure Attacks in the United States, 1995–2015. Behav. Sci. Law, 34: 622–644. doi: 10.1002/bsl.2253.
- Simons, A., & Tunkel, R. F. (2014). The assessment of anonymous threatening communications. In J. R. Meloy & J. Hoffmann (Eds.), International handbook of threat assessment (pp. 195-213). Oxford University Press.
