Bottom Up Profiling Flashcards
Bottom up profiling overview
- British approach to profiling
- Data > classification
- Uses quantitative data (computer systems)
- Suitable for ALL crimes
- Can distinguish between multiple offenders in an area.
- Narrows down list of suspects to find the perpetrator
- Aim to create a profile of the offender (routines, characteristics)
Investigative psychology , statistical analysis:
A procedure that detects patterns of behaviour that are likely to coexist across crime scenes. It acts as a baseline for comparison.
Investigative psychology, Interpersonal coherence:
Offender behaviour usually matches everyday behaviour = it is “tolerant”. It reveals information about the offender I.e how they relate to men/women.
Geographical profiling, crime mapping
Crime mapping is used to identify home/base of the offender. Offenders tend to work in the area too (spatial consistency). This is used with psychological theory to create a profile -> modus operandi.
2 models of behaviour:
Marauder: operates close to home.
Commuter: travels to offend.
Geographical profiling, circle theory
patterns of crime eventually form a circle around the perpetrator’s home/base. It provides information about their crime making decisions.
AO3 STRENGTHS
+ Canter and Heritage (1990) conducted an analysis of 66 assault cases using smallest space analysis. Several behaviours were identified in most cases. Each individual showed a pattern of behaviours, helping establish whether two or more offences were committed by the same person. This supports investigating psychology and the bottom up approach to offender profiling that offenders are consistent in their behaviour.
USE THIS ONE
+ Lundrigan and Canter (2001) collated information from 120 murder cases in the US, Smallest space analysis show consistency. The base is usually at the centre, it was found that offenders leave the base to dispose of the body, but leave a circular pattern around their base. This demonstrates that circle theory is a valid theory to follow further support also for geographical information to be used to identify offenders.
AO3 WEAKNESSES
- Up to 75% of crimes are not even reported to the police (know as the dark figure). Even if the data is correct other factors need to be considered, such as the experience of the offender. This suggests that geographical profiling alone may not always lead to correctly identifying the perpetrator.
- also, data is only as accurate as it has been input, inaccuracies can lead to incorrect pattern detection, as well as data only being based upon solved cases, meaning the entire sample size isn’t accounted for.
AO3 comparison of top down and bottom up (used for both)
- top down originates in law enforcement, bottom up originates in psychological expertise. Therefore, top down is arguably better at identifying what happened and bottom up is better at identifying why (human behaviour)
- top down is based on qualitative data, bottom up is based on quantitative data.
- top down can only be used for murder, rape (and now robbery) but bottom up can be used for any crime (more generalisable.).
