forensic: top down offender profilling Flashcards
define offender profiling
behavioural and analytical tool to help investigators accurately predict and profile characteristics of unknown offenders
aims to narrow down the list of likely suspects
explain the american approach
known as the typology approach
categorises offenders into organised or disorganised
it means that if future crimes match the characteristics then this information could be used to find the offender
state the characteristics of organised offenders
- plan crime in advance
-victims are deliberately targeted - high degree of control during the crime
- little evidence left behind
- above average intelligence
- in a skilled professional occupation
-socially and sexually competent - married and usually have children
state the characteristics of a disorganised offender
- little evidence of planning
- crimes may be spontaneous
- crime scenes reflects the impulsive nature of the attack
- body is usually still at the scene
- lower than average IQ
- unskilled worker or unemployed
- history of sexual dysfunction and failed relationships
- tend to live alone and relatively close to where the offence was committed
explain 4 steps to constructing an FBI profile
four main steps:
- data assimilation: the profiler reviews the evidence like the crime scene, photographs, pathology reports etc
-crime scene classification: as either organised or disorganised
-crime reconstruction: hypotheses in terms of sequence of events, behaviour of victim
-profile generation: hypotheses related to the likely offender eg: demographic background, physical characteristics, behaviour
AO3: research to support
Canter et al (2004) conducted an analysis of 100 US murders each committed by a different serial killer > a technique called smallest space analysis was used: this is a statistical technique that identifies correlations across different samples of behaviour
this was used to assess 39 aspects of serial killings eg: if torture or restraint was used, the form of weapon
the analysis revealed that there seems to be a subset of features of many serial killings that matched the FBIs typology for organised serial killings
STRENGTH as this suggests the typology approach has some validity
Counter: many studies suggest organised and disorganised types are not mutually exclusive and some killers may be a combination of the two
Godwin (2002) argues that its hard to categorise killers eg: they could have high intelligence and still commit a spontaneous attack
THEREFORE, the organised-disorganised typology might be more of a continuum
AO3: flawed evidence
evidence is biased
method was developed using interviews with 36 murderers in the US > 25 were serial killers and 11 were single or double murders
24 were classed as organised and 12 disorganised
Canter et al argued the sample was poor because ppts were not selected randomly and the sample only had one types of offender
there was no set questions so each interview was different
THEREFORE it has no scientific basis
lack of standardisation means it lacks reliability and validity
AO3: wider application
can be applied to other crimes like burglary
critics complained it only applies to a limited number crimes eg: sexually motivated murder
Meketa (2017) said it was applicable to burglary leading to an 85% rise in solved cases in 3 US states
used organised-disorganised and interpersonal-opportunistic label
interpersonal: targets victim and steals something significant
strength as it has wider application than it was assumed to have
