FP - Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach Flashcards
Bottom-up approach
A data-driven approach where statistical techniques are used to produce predictions about the likely characteristics of an offender.
Geographical profiling
A form of bottom-up profiling based on the pattern shown by the location or locations of a series of crimes.
Investigative psychology
A form of bottom-up profiling based on psychological theory.
Who developed investigation psychology?
Canter
What did Canter propose and investigative psychology?
Profiling can and should be based in psychological theory and research.
What is Canter’s model called?
Five Factor Model
What are the 5 things in Canter’s Five Factor model?
- Interpersonal coherence
- Time and place
- Criminal characteristics
- Criminal career
- Forensic awareness
Interpersonal coherence in Canter’s Five Factor Model
People are consistent in their behaviour and therefore there will be links (correlations) with elements of the crims and how people behave in everyday life.
At the same time people’s behaviour changes over time, and therefore looking at the differences in crimes over a 4 year period might offer further clues.
Time and place in Canter’s Five Factor Model
The time and location of an offender’s crime will communicate something about their own place of residence/employment.
Criminal characteristics in Canter’s Five Factor Model
Characteristics about the offender can help to classify them, which helps the police investigation.
Criminal career in Canter’s Five Factor Model
Crimes tend to be committed in similar fashion by offenders and can provide indication of how their criminal activity will develop.
Forensic awareness in Canter’s Five Factor Model
Offenders who show an understanding of a police investigation are likely to have had previous encounters with the criminal justice system.
Certain behaviours may reveal an awareness of particular police techniques and past experience.
Give an example of research into forensic awareness in Canter’s Five Factor Model
Davies et al. (1997) found that rapists who conceal fingerprints often had previous conviction for burglary.
What statistical technique was developed by Canter?
Smallest space analysis
What is smallest space analysis?
- Statistical technique developed by Canter.
- Data about may crime scenes and offender characteristics are correlated so that most common connections can be identified.
Who developed smallest pace analysis?
Canter
What was found using smallest space analysis?
Themes
Salfati and Canter (1999) analysed the co-occurence of 48 crime scene and offender characteristics taken from 82 UK murder cases where the victim was a stranger.
They were able to identify 3 underlying themes:
- Instrumental opportunistic
- Instrumental cognitive
- Expressive impulse
Explain the theme instrumental cognitive
A particular concern about being detected and therefore more planned.
Explain the theme instrumental opportunistic
‘Instrumental’ refers to using murder to obtain something or accomplish a goal; ‘opportunistics’ means that the offender took the easiest opportunities.
Explain the theme expressive impulsive
Uncontrolled, in the heat of strong emotions, may feel provoked by victim.
What did Canter propose in regards to geographical profiling?
That people do not just reveal themselves through the crimes they commit but also through the locations they choose.
What are geographical profilers concerned with?
Where rather than who.
What does it make sense to assume about where the offender is likely to commit their crime?
They are more likely to commit a crime near where they live or where they habitually travel to because it involves least effort. Thus the location of a crime can be a prime clue in an investigation.
What does geographical profiling do?
Analyses the locations of a connected series of crimes and considers where the crimes were committed, the spatial relationships between different crime scenes and how they might relate to an offender’s place of residence.
