Forensics Flashcards
What is ‘Offender profiling’?
Offender profiling is a behavioural and analytic tool that is used to solve crimes. Helps investigators narrow down number of suspects and their possible characteristics.
What is the ‘Top-down approach’?
The top-down approach is a type of offender profiling where profilers have a pre-existing categories of offenders (Organised & disorganised). They then use evidence from the crimes to classify the offender as one type or the other.
What are some possible characteristics of ‘Organised offenders’?
- Average to high intelligence.
- Have a car in good working order.
- In a skilled professional occupation.
- Socially and sexually competent.
What are some possible characteristics of ‘Disorganised offenders’?
- Below average intelligence.
- Little evidence of planning (spontaneous act).
- Victim is likely to be random.
- Tends to live alone and relatively close to where the crime took place.
What are the six steps to the Top Down approach? (Douglas 2006)
Step 1: Profiling inputs.
Step 2: Decision process model.
Step 3 : Crime assessment 1.
Step 4: Criminal profile.
Step 5: Crime assessment 2.
Step 6: Apprehension.
Outline ‘Step 1’ of the Top-down approach?
Step 1 = ‘Profiling inputs’. In this stage all information of the crime is taken into account, no subjects considered yet.
Outline ‘Step 2’ of the Top-down approach?
Step 2 = ‘Decision process model’. In this stage the profiler starts to make decisions about the data and organises it into meaningful patterns. Including murder type, time factors and location factors.
Outline ‘Step 3’ of the top-down approach?
Step 3 = ‘Crime assessment 1’. Based on the data collected the crime is categorised as organised or disorganised. From this we know the type of offender and therefore their likely characteristics.
Outline ‘Step 4’ of the top-down approach?
Step 4 = ‘Criminal profile’. Profile of the offender is now constructed. Includes hypotheses about their likely background, habits and beliefs of the offender. This is used to work out a strategy to catch the offender.
Outline ‘Step 5’ of the top-down approach?
Step 5 = ‘Crime assessment 2’. A written report is given to the police and people matching the profile are evaluated. If new evidence is generated and/or no suspect is identified process goes back to step 2.
Outline ‘Step 6’ of the top-down approach?
Step 6 = ‘Apprehension’. If a suspect is apprehended, the whole process is reviewed to make sure that conclusions at each stage are valid and consider how the process could be revised for future cases.
What did David Canter say about profiling?
David Canter said that profiling should be based on psychological theory and research, therefore leading to the creation of the bottom-up approach.
What is the ‘Bottom-up approach’?
The ‘Bottom-up approach’ is the UK method of offender profiling. It involves objective evidence to predict things about the criminals rather than using subjective methods like the FBI. Was developed by Canter who was hired to catch the railway rapist. His model is known as the ‘Five factor model’. The steps are performed in no particular order.
What are the five stages of Canters ‘Five factor model?
- Interpersonal coherence.
- Time and place (Geographical profiling).
- Criminal characteristics.
- Criminal career.
- Forensic awareness.
What is ‘Atavistic form’?
Atavistic form is an early biological explanation that suggested that criminals are a subspecies of genetic throwbacks that can’t conform to the modern rules of society. The theory said they are distinguishable by particular facial and cranial characteristics.
