Forensic Psychology - 1. Offender Profiling: The Top-Down Approach

Question 1

Profiling

Answer 1

The idea that you can make assumptions about characteristics of an offender by analysing the offence they commit

Question 2

What Latin word do offender have? What does it mean?

Answer 2

Modus operandi - a distinctive way of committing crimes (particular mode of operating)

Question 3

What assumptions to profilers make?

Answer 3

They assume the characteristics of the offender E.g. age, gender and occupation

Question 4

Crimes that the top-down approach is used for

Answer 4

Only used for serious crimes such as serial murders and rapes

Question 5

What does the top-down approach begin with?

Answer 5

Starts with theories about the type of offender (big picture)

Question 6

What happens after the theories are made in the top-down approach?

Answer 6

The theories are applied to the crime scene

Question 7

Evidence gained by the profilers

Answer 7

See the crime scene in person
Sees pictures of the scene
Pathologist report

Question 8

When the top-down approach is used, what data is gained?

Answer 8

Qualitative

Question 9

Once profilers have entered the crime scene, what will they do?

Answer 9

Determine the type of offender who has committed the crime

Question 10

How to profilers figure out who the offender is when using the top-down approach?

Answer 10

They assign an offender to one of the typologies

Question 11

Typologies

Answer 11

Categories of offender characteristics

Question 12

What happens to the data in the top-down approach?

Answer 12

It is entered into the database and is compared to other cases to narrow down the suspects

Question 13

Who developed the types of offenders? When?

Answer 13

Hazelwood and Douglas in 1980

Question 14

Two types of offenders

Answer 14

Organised
Disorganised

Question 15

Characteristics of offence: organised (5)

Answer 15

Planned
Show’s self control
Lack of evidence left at the scene
Weapon hidden
Victim controlled (E.g. tied up)

Question 16

Characteristics of offender: organised (5)

Answer 16

Above average IQ
Socially and sexually competent
Married or cohabiting
Anger or depression at time of event
Skilled occupation

Question 17

Post offence behaviour: organised (2)

Answer 17

Returns to crime scene
Volunteers information

Question 18

Crime scene of an organised crime

Answer 18

Crime scene won’t be messy at all, almost indicating that no crime has been done

Question 19

Characteristics of offence: disorganised (4)

Answer 19

Unplanned/spontaneous
Evidence left at the scene
Victim randomly selected
Disorganised behaviour

Question 20

Characteristics of offender: disorganised (4)

Answer 20

Lives alone
Socially and sexually incompetent
Physically or sexually abused in childhood
Low intelligence/no occupation

Question 21

Post offence behaviour: disorganised (3)

Answer 21

Return to crime scene to relive the offence
Keep diary
Keep news articles of the incident

Question 22

4 stages of profiling (top-down)

Answer 22

1. Gather information
2. Organised or disorganised?
3. Hypothesis generated
4. Profilers create sketch of offender

Question 23

Research for top-down approach

Answer 23

FBI investigators carried out structured interviews with 36 serial sex murderers.
From interview responses and an analysis of the details of their crimes, the offenders were categorised into organised and disorganised

Question 24

Negative evaluation for top-down approach research

Answer 24

Small simple size of only males and only serial sex murderers. Results may not be able to be generalised

Question 25

Positive evaluation of the top-down approach: Copson’s study

Answer 25

90% of police in study said they’ll use the approach again

Question 26

Positive evaluation of the top-down approach: linking cases

Answer 26

Ainsworth suggests the offender typologies are helpful for police to limit down the potential offenders

Question 27

Positive evaluation of the top-down approach: abolishing stereotypes

Answer 27

Has been important in challenging stereotypes that investigators may have (E.g, thinking that sexual offenders or serial killers have a certain distinctive appearance.
Clark and Morley found that majority of convicted rapists were typically very average men (with families and jobs)

Question 28

Positive evaluation of the top-down approach: influence

Answer 28

Approach is highly influential and had been used/adapted by other countries around the world

Question 29

Negative evaluation of the top-down approach: disorganised or organised

Answer 29

Assumes that offenders are either organised or disorganised and that they cannot have elements of both

Question 30

Negative evaluation of the top-down approach: subjective

Answer 30

Different profilers may reach different conclusions using the same evidence from the crime scene

Question 31

Negative evaluation of the top-down approach: FBI study

Answer 31

Sample of 36 offenders is very small and the methods/motives used may not be able to be generalised to other offenders