FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY - Top Down Approach Flashcards
What is offender profiling?
A tool employed by the police to narrow down the list of likely suspects based on characteristics deduced from the offence and crime scene.
What is the basis of offender profiling?
The idea that offender characteristics can be deduced from details of the offence and crime scene.
What do profiling methods typically involve?
Careful scrutiny of the crime scene and analysis of evidence, including witness reports.
What are the two main types of offenders in the Top-Down Approach?
- Organised Offenders
- Disorganised Offenders
What characterizes organised offenders?
Evidence of having planned the crime in advance, targeting specific victims, and maintaining control during the crime.
What are common traits of organised offenders?
- Above average intelligence
- Skilled professional occupation
- Socially and sexually competent
- Often married with children
What characterizes disorganised offenders?
Little evidence of planning, impulsive attacks, and a lack of control during the crime.
What are common traits of disorganised offenders?
- Lower than average intelligence
- Unskilled work or unemployed
- History of sexual dysfunction or failed relationships
- Tend to live alone
True or False: Organised offenders leave a significant amount of evidence at the crime scene.
False
Fill in the blank: Organised offenders often display _______ during the crime.
high level of control
What is a key feature of the crime scene for disorganised offenders?
The body is usually left at the scene.
What is top-down profiling?
A method that applies to certain crimes such as rape, arson, and murders involving sadistic practices.
Which common offence does not lend itself to top-down profiling?
Burglary.
What was the basis for the organised or disorganised distinction?
Interviews with 36 serial killers in the USA.
What criticism is associated with the sample used for the organised or disorganised distinction?
The sample is too small and unrepresentative.
Who were some of the serial killers interviewed for top-down profiling?
Ted Bundy and Charles Manson.
What argument did Canter (2004) make regarding self-report data from convicted serial killers?
It is not valid to rely on it when constructing a classification system.
Why is the organised or disorganised distinction considered overly simplistic?
It does not account for the complexity of serial killer motivations.
According to Holmes (1989), how many types of serial killers are there?
Four types.
What are the four types of serial killers identified by Holmes (1989)?
- Visionary serial killer
- Mission serial killer
- Hedonistic serial killer
- Power serial killer
What motivates a visionary serial killer?
They kill because God or the Devil is directing them.
What is the motivation of a mission serial killer?
To eradicate a group of people they consider undesirable.
What drives a hedonistic serial killer?
The thrill of killing.
What is the main goal of a power serial killer?
To have complete control over the victims.
What did Canter et al. (2004) analyze in their study?
Data from 100 murders in the USA.
What was the finding regarding the organised type in Canter et al.’s study?
There was evidence of a distinct organised type.
What was the finding regarding the disorganised type in Canter et al.’s study?
There was no evidence to support the existence of a disorganised type.
What does the lack of evidence for the disorganised type undermine?
The entire classification system.
