Bottom up approach to offender profiling Flashcards

1
Q

What is the bottom up approach

A

Generating offender profile through systematic analysis of evidence available e.g. crime scene, social background, routine behaviour

More scientific/objective approach

Made in the UK/associated with David Canter

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2
Q

What are the 2 techniques used in the bottom up approach

A

Investigative psychology and geographical profiling

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3
Q

What is investigative psychology

A

Establishing behaviour patterns that are likely to occur across crime scenes

Crimes are uploaded to database and then referred to once crimes that match the info in the database occur

Database info can create links in terms of location and even types of offenders

More scientific/statistical analysis

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4
Q

What are the core elements of investigative psychology

A

Interpersonal coherence - How the offender behaves at crime scene/everyday life and how they interact with victim

Importance of time and place - Where offender lives/feels comfortable doing crimes. May indicate centre of gravity(if offender commits crimes close or far from base)

Forensic awareness - If offender has been the focus of police attention before. Offender’ behaviour may show how skilled they are in crimes/shows knowledge of police processes.

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5
Q

What is geographical profiling

A

Inferring where the offender’s operational base is by analysing where previous crimes/that specific crime occurred

Crime mapping - Patterns of criminal behaviour in different areas established which leads to a centre of gravity being established which includes crime areas and offenders base

Jeopardy surface - Using geographical profiling(crime mapping), profilers can predict where the next crime will occur using centre of gravity

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6
Q

What is canters circle theory

A

Offenders have a spatial mindset and commit crimes in an imagined circle

Helps investigators gain insight to crime e.g. if it was planned or not

2 models:
Marauder - Offenders home is within geographical area0 where crimes occurred

Commuter - Offender travels to another area(most likely familiar) and commits crimes away from operational area

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7
Q

Evaluate the bottom up approach

A

Evidence to support geographical profiling - 120 murder cases supports idea of centre of gravity(counter - city shape may not fit circle theory)

May only help narrow down, rather than identify offenders - 75% reported as useful, 3% said they’d use it again

May use characteristics/evidence incorrectly - profile may be too heavily reliant on one characteristic e.g. height causing them to miss the offender

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