Forensics- Offender Profiling: Bottom-up Approach Flashcards
The bottom-up approach -
Profilers work up from evidence collected from the crime scene to develop hypotheses about the likely characteristics, motivations and social background of the offender.
Geographical profiling -
A form of bottom-up profiling based on the principle of spatial consistency: that an offender’s operational base and possible future offences are revealed by the geographical location of their previous crimes.
How does the British bottom-up model differ from the US top-down approach?
The British bottom-up model does not begin with fixed typologies. Instead, it is ‘data-driven’ and emerges as the investigator scrutinizes the details of the offence, making it more grounded in psychological theory.
Investigative psychology -
A form of bottom-up profiling that matches details from the crime scene with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns based on psychological theory.
What is the aim of the bottom-up approach in offender profiling?
The aim is to generate a picture of the offender - their likely characteristics, routine behaviour, and social background - through systematic analysis of evidence at the crime scene.
What is investigative psychology?
Investigative psychology is a discipline that applies statistical procedures and psychological theory to the analysis of crime scene evidence to establish patterns of behaviour likely to occur across crime scenes.
What is the goal of investigative psychology in relation to offender profiling?
The goal is to develop a statistical ‘database’ that acts as a baseline for comparison, allowing specific details of an offence to be matched against it to reveal important details about the offender, such as their personal history and family background.
What is interpersonal coherence in investigative psychology?
Interpersonal coherence is the concept that the way an offender behaves at the crime scene, including how they interact with the victim, may reflect their behaviour in everyday situations.
How can interpersonal coherence help in profiling offenders?
It can provide insights into how the offender relates to others, such as women, based on their behaviour during the crime.
What is the significance of time and place in investigative psychology?
Time and place are key variables that may indicate where the offender is living or their operational base.
What is forensic awareness in the context of offender profiling?
Forensic awareness refers to individuals who have been subject to police interrogation before; their behaviour may indicate how mindful they are of covering their tracks.
What is geographical profiling?
Geographical profiling is a technique that uses information about the location of linked crime scenes to make inferences about the likely home or operational base of an offender, known as crime mapping.
Who first described geographical profiling, and when?
Kim Rossmo first described geographical profiling in 1997.
What is the assumption behind geographical profiling?
The assumption is that serial offenders will restrict their crimes to geographical areas they are familiar with, helping investigators identify a ‘centre of gravity’ likely to include the offender’s base.
What is the “jeopardy surface” in geographical profiling?
The “jeopardy surface” refers to educated guesses about where the offender is likely to strike next based on spatial patterns.
What are the two models of offender behaviour proposed by Canter’s circle theory?
The two models are the marauder, who operates close to their home base, and the commuter, who travels a distance away from their usual residence.
What does Canter’s circle theory suggest about the pattern of offending?
The pattern of offending is likely to form a circle around the offender’s usual residence, becoming more apparent with more offences.
What insights can spatial decision-making provide about an offender?
It can reveal whether the offence was planned or opportunistic, as well as details about the offender’s mental maps, mode of transport, employment status, and approximate age.
What evidence supports investigative psychology?
David Canter and Rupert Heritage (1990) conducted a content analysis of 66 sexual assault cases, identifying common characteristics such as impersonal language and lack of reaction to the victim, supporting the usefulness of statistical techniques in profiling.
What evidence supports geographical profiling?
Samantha Lundrigan and David Canter (2001) found spatial consistency in 120 murder cases involving serial killers, with body disposal sites creating a ‘centre of gravity’ around the offender’s base, supporting the importance of spatial information.
Why is bottom-up profiling considered more scientific than the top-down approach?
It is more grounded in evidence and psychological theory, relying less on speculation and hunches, and uses advanced artificial intelligence to analyze data.
What wider applications does the bottom-up approach have compared to the top-down approach?
It can be applied to a wide range of offences, such as burglary, theft, murder, and rape, using techniques like smallest space analysis and spatial consistency.
What are the limitations of offender profiling?
Studies have produced mixed results, with some significant failures, such as the Rachel Nickell case. Gary Copson (1995) found profiling useful in 83% of cases but only led to accurate identification in 3%. Richard Kocsis et al. (2002) found chemistry students produced more accurate profiles than experienced detectives in some cases
