Forensic - Offender Profiling

Question 1

Outline the geographical approach

Answer 1

Aims to identify the area that the offender is most likely to operate in rather than the offender themselves.
Distinguishes between marauders and commuters

Question 2

Evaluate the geographical approach

Answer 2

+ objective - based on mathematical principles
+ Shaw & Mickay - identified a pattern of juvenile delinquency and crime zones
- only works if the offender has a stable base where crimes are committed
- ignores the possibility of offenders not fitting into the types

Question 3

Outline the investigate approach

Answer 3

Based on psychological theories and 2 assumptions:

1. individual offenders are consistent and have identifiable differences
2. criminal behaviour mirrors real life behaviour (criminal consistency hypothesis)

Question 4

Evaluate the investigative approach

Answer 4

+ aided in the capture of John Duffy

• Copson & Holloway - low success rate of 2.7%
• Briton: no evidence that profiles are accurate and directly lead to capture

Question 5

Outline the typological approach

Answer 5

Sees criminals as either organised or disorganised
Based on interviews with serial killers and sex offenders, and analysis of crime scenes
Process
1. Data assimilation
2. Crime classification
3. Crime reconstruction
4. Profile generation

Question 6

Evaluate the typological approach

Answer 6

+ Douglas: although it doesn’t lead to the direct identification of suspects, it helps focus the investigation in 77% of cases

• Holmes - 17% of 88 arrests in which profiling contributed
• reductionist
• cannot be generalised