Behavioral Science Unit

Behavioral Science Unit
Emblem of the Behavioral Science Unit
Active1972–present
(51–52 years)
CountryUnited States
AgencyFederal Bureau of Investigation
Part ofHuman Resources Branch
AbbreviationBSU

The Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) is the original name of a unit within the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Training Division at Quantico, Virginia, formed in response to the rise of sexual assault and homicide in the 1970s. The unit was usurped by the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) and renamed the Behavioral Research and Instruction Unit (BRIU) and currently is called the Behavioral Analysis Unit (5) (BAU-5) within the National Center for Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). The BAU-5 currently works on developing research and then using the evidence-based results to provide training and improve consultation in the behavioral sciences—understanding who criminals are, how they think, why they do what they do—for the FBI and law enforcement communities.[1]

  1. ^ "Federal Bureau of Investigation - FBI Academy - Behavioral Science". www2.fbi.gov. Retrieved September 19, 2018.