FP - Offender profiling: The top-down approach

Question 1

What are the two different methods of offender profiling?

Answer 1

The top-down approach and the bottom-up approach.

Question 2

Disorganised type of offender

Answer 2

The crime scene is left with many clues such as fingerprints, there is little evidence of engagement with the victim, and the offender has lower intelligence and competence.

Question 3

Offender profiling

Answer 3

A method of working out the characteristics of an offender by examining the characteristics of the crime and crime scene.

Question 4

Organised type of offender

Answer 4

This type of offender commits a planned crime and may engage in violent fantasies with the victim and is high in intelligence and socially competent.

Question 5

Top-down approach

Answer 5

(Also called crime scene analysis).

An analysis of previous crimes creates a profile of a likely offender. A profiler uses this knowledge to narrow the field of possible suspects. Unlike the bottom-up approach, the top-down approach relies on the intuition and beliefs of the profiler.

Question 6

Where does the top-down approach originate?

Answer 6

With the FBI in the US.

Question 7

Why was the top-down approach developed?

Answer 7

As a way of trying to solve some of the most bizarre and extreme murder cases and designed to produce a profile of the most likely offender.

Question 8

What is the top-down approach regarded as?

Answer 8

As a more intuitive application of a profiler’s prior knowledge - the profiler has a ‘feel’ for the kind of person who committed the crime (i.e. a less explicit line of reasoning).

Question 9

What is the bottom-up approach regarded as?

Answer 9

More scientific and logical.

Question 10

Who came up with the 6 main stages in the top-down process?

Answer 10

Douglas et al., 2006

Question 11

How many main stages are there in the top-down approach?

Answer 11

6

Question 12

What are the 6 stages of the top-down approach?

Answer 12

1. Profiling inputs
2. Decision process models
3. Crime assessment
4. Criminal profile
5. Crime assessment
6. Apprehension

Question 13

What is the first stage of the top-down approach?

Answer 13

Profiling inputs

Question 14

What is the second stage of the top-down approach?

Answer 14

Decision process models.

Question 15

What is the third stage of the top-down approach?

Answer 15

Crime assessment

Question 16

What is the fourth stage of the top-down approach?

Answer 16

Criminal profile

Question 17

What is the fifth stage of the top-down approach?

Answer 17

Crime assessment

Question 18

What is the sixth stage of the top-down approach?

Answer 18

Apprehension

Question 19

Explain stage 1 of the top-down approach - Profiling inputs

Answer 19

The data collected at this stage includes description of the crime scene (including photos & sketches), background information about the victim (employment, habits & relationships) & details of the crime itself (weapon, cause of death autopsy report.) All info, even if seems trivial, should be included. Possible suspects should not be considered as this may bias the information collected.

Question 20

Explain stage 2 of the top-down approach - Decision process models

Answer 20

Decision process models- profiler starts to make decisions about the data & organises it into patterns. Some of the issues considered include:

• Murder type: Mass, spree or serial murders.
• Time factors: Did the crime take a short/ long time/ night/ during the day?
• Location factors: Was the crime scene (where a person was kidnapped) the same as the murder scene?

Question 21

Explain stage 3 of the top-down approach - Crime assessment

Answer 21

Based on data collected, the crime is classified as organised or disorganised. This organised-disorganised distinction presumes that there is a correspondence between offences and offenders.

Organised type of defender: The crime tends to be planned and the victim is specifically targeted, the body is often transported from the scene, the weapon is usually hidden and violent fantasies may be acted out on the victim. Such offenders are generally high in intelligence, socially and sexually competent, they usually live with a partner, have a car in good working order and follow their crimes in the media.

Disorganised type of offender: Tends to be an unplanned crime, random selection of victim, offender likely to engage very little with the victim & sexual acts are performed after the death on the body. The crime scene is likely to contain many clues such as blood & semen from the offender, fingerprints & the weapon.

Question 22

Explain stage 4 of the top-down approach - Criminal profile

Answer 22

A profile is now constructed of the offender which includes hypotheses about their likely background, habits and beliefs of the offender. This description is used to work out a strategy for the investigation to help catch the offender. It is important to anticipate how this person will respond to various investigative efforts, including how the offender might be interviewed if he was caught.

Question 23

Explain stage 5 of the top-down approach - Crime assessment

Answer 23

A written report is given to the investigating agency (e.g. the police) and persons matching the profile are evaluated. If new evidence is generated and/or no suspect is identified, then the process goes back to step 2.

Question 24

Explain stage 6 of the top-down approach - Apprehension

Answer 24

If a suspect is apprehended, the entire profile-generating process is reviewed to check that at each stage the conclusions made were legitimate, i.e. valid, and consider how the process may be revised for future cases.

Question 25

What issues are considered in stage 3 of the top-down approach (decision process models)?

Answer 25

• Murder type: Mass, spree or serial murders.
• Time factors: Did the crime take a short/ long time/ night/ during the day?
• Location factors: Was the crime scene (where a person was kidnapped) the same as the murder scene?

Question 26

Give an example of an organised type of offender

Answer 26

Ted Bundy

Question 27

Characteristics of an organised type of offender

Answer 27

• In a skilled, professional occupation.
• Average to high intelligence.
• High degree of control during the crime.
• Violent fantasies may be carried out on the victim.
• Socially and sexually competent.
• Have a car in good working order.
• Tries to conceal evidence (e.g. getting rid of fingerprints, blood, semen) so there is little or no evidence at crime scene.
• Uses restraints on victims.
• Weapon is usually hidden.
• Follow their crimes in the media.
• Plans offences.
• Usually married and may have children.
• Victim is specifically targeted and offender seems to have a ‘type’.
• Body is usually transported from the scene.
• Operates with almost detached surgical precision.

Question 28

Characteristics of a disorganised type of offender

Answer 28

• Unskilled work or unemployed.
• Socially incompetent.
• Below average intelligence.
• Offender is likely to engage very little with the victim and perform sexual acts post-mortem.
• Tend to live alone and relatively close to where the offence took place.
• Minimal control on the part of the offender to reflect impulsive nature of the attack.
• Minimal use of restraints/leaves body on display.
• Offender is messy and makes no effort to conceal incriminating evidence so clues such as blood, semen, fingerprints and the weapon are likely to be present at the crime scene.
• History of sexual dysfunction and failed relationships.
• Victim is likely to be random.
• Little evidence of planning – offence may have been a spontaneous, spur or the moment act.

Question 29

What are the 2 types of offender?

Answer 29

Organised and disorganised.