Forensics

Question 1

What is the concept of ‘profiling’ in terms of criminal prosecution?

Answer 1

• It is the idea that you can make assumptions about characteristics of offending.
• Crime is therefore not random, it’s expected.
• Offenders have a modus operandi, a distinctive way of committing crimes.
• Profiles then make assumptions such as age, gender, occupation etc of the offender.
• Mainly used for serious crimes like rape and murder.
• Men are more likely to be profiled.

Question 2

What is the summary of the Top Down approach and the process of it?

Answer 2

• Starts with theories about type of offender, theories are then applied to crime scene.
• Originates with FBI (1970)
• Based on qualitative data (describing the type of person)
• Looks at the bigger picture (crime scene) then fills in details.
• Profilers have pre established typology, once an offender is assigned to a typology, it’s entered into a data base to detect significant aspects of crime (look for patterns).
• Information left at the scene tells us about the type of offender (e.g style of work, clean/tidy or messy).
• Information left at a crime scene can tell you a lot about a person in everyday life.

Question 3

What are the 4 steps of profiling?

Answer 3

1. Data Assimilation- Gather info e.g crime scene photos, police reports, pathologist reports.
2. Crime scene Classification- Decide if it’s an organised or disorganised offender.
3. Crime reconstruction- Hypothesis generated what happens during the crime e.g victim behaviour/ crime sequence.
4. Profile Generation- profiler constructs a ‘sketch’ of offender e.g demographic, physical characteristics + behavioural characteristics.

Question 4

What are the strengths of the ‘Top Down’ approach?

Answer 4

• COPSON (1995) 82% Police officers said that it was useful + 90% said they would use it again.
• As it’s the first systematic approach it’s hugely useful.
• Adopted by law enforcement agencies all over the world.
• Ainsworth (2001) suggests typologies are potentially very useful in allowing offenders to be linked.
• Important in challenging stereotypes that could mislead investigators.
• Clarke + Morley (1988)

Question 5

Research conducted by Clarke + Morley (1988) supports the concept of the ‘Top Down’ approach, what did their research include?

Answer 5

They interviewed 41 convicted rapists responsible for over 800 offences and found out contrary to the stereotypes of an inadequate loner, they were typically very average men, living in normal family circumstances, often intelligent and in skilled employment. (e.g James Bulger murder= offenders poured paint over the dead body to disguise the murder (child’s mindset).