10a. Typological profiling Flashcards
Typological profiling
Developed by the FBI
Top-down process
Crime scene analysis
What does FBI stand for?
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Key ideas in typological profiling
There are different types of offender
Behavioural evidence can reveal which type of offender committed a crime
Knowing an offender’s type allows us to predict other things about him
FBI profiling process
- data assimilation
- crime classification
- crime reconstruction
- profile generation
Data assimilation
Colour photos of the crime scene
Medical examiner’s report
Data about neighbourhood of crime (housing, income)
A map of the victim’s travels prior to death
Complete investigative report of crime
Background details of the victim
Crime scene classification
Organised/disorganised Murder type Primary intent (not necessarily what happened) Victim risk Offender risk Escalation Time factor Location factor
Organised Vs. disorganised
Organised: pre-planned e.g. takes a weapon to scene
Disorganised: opportunistic e.g. finds weapon at scene
Organised offenders usually plan post-offence behaviour
Organised crime scene
Body is hidden Weapon removed from scene Appears well planned Victim targeted specifically Aggression before death Restraints often used
Organised offender
Average or above average IQ Socially competent Employed/skilled Uses alcohol in commission of crime Uses car to hunt / drive to crime scene Obsessed with media coverage
Disorganised crime scene
Body not hidden Weapon present Aggression or sex post mortem Appears spontaneous Victim may be an acquaintance
Disorganised offender
Below average IQ Social isolated Unstable employment record / unskilled Lives close to crime scene Extremely anxious Strict discipline as a child
Crime scene reconstruction
Who was involved in the event?
What happened?
Modus operandi
Profile areas
Age Sex Marital status Employment Criminal history Degree of sexual maturity Risk of reoffending
Challenges of typological profiling
Makes assumptions about stable types Data is often incomplete Small an unusual sample Validity of methodology Relies on narrative and anecdotal evidence Requires use of subjective judgements
