L1- Top-down Approach To Offender Profiling

Question 1

What is a serial killer?

Answer 1

3 or more victims with a distinct ‘cooling off period’ in between (can be days or months)

Question 2

What is a mass murderer?

Answer 2

3 or more victims killed in same place at same time

Question 3

What is a spree killer

Answer 3

3 or more victims killed in a short period of time in 2 or more locations

Question 4

Typical characteristics of a serial killer

Answer 4

• Male, white, thirties
• Usually kills within own race, murder method is hand on
• Victims usually share specific characteristics
• History of bed-wetting, fire-starting & cruelty to animals in child hood
• Kill for enjoyment (lust, thrill or power)

Question 5

What is offender profiling?

Answer 5

• Offender profiling is a tool employed by the police to narrow down the list of likely suspects for a crime or crimes.
• It is based on the idea that the characteristics of the offender can be deduced from details of the offence and crime scene
• Profiling methods vary, but usually involve careful scrutiny of the crime scene and analysis of evidence, including witness reports, in order to generate a hypothesis about the probable characteristics of the offender (their age, background, occupation etc.).

Question 6

The top-down approach

Answer 6

• Templates of organised offender and disorganised offender are pre-existing in the mind of the profiler.
• Evidence from the crime scene and other details of the crime/victim/context are then used to fit the offender into either of the two pre-existing categories
• the two categories are:
  Organised offenders
  Disorganised offenders

Question 7

Organised offenders

Answer 7

• These offenders show evidence of having planned the crime in advance; the victim is deliberately targeted as the killer or rapist has a preference for a certain type of victim
• The offender maintains a high level of control during the crime
• There is little evidence left behind at the scene of the crime
• These offenders tend to be of above average intelligence, in a skilled, professional occupation and are socially and sexually competent
• They are often married with children
  E.g. Ted bundy

Question 8

Disorganised offenders

Answer 8

• These offenders show little evidence of planning, suggesting the offence may have been spontaneous
• The crime scene tends to reflect the impulsive nature of the attack, the body is usually left at the scene and there appears to have been very little control on the part of the offender
• The offender tends to be of lower than average intelligence, be in unskilled work or unemployed, and often have a history of sexual dysfunction or failed relationships
• They tend to live alone and often relatively close to where the offence took place
  E.g. Charles Manson

Question 9

Evaluation

Answer 9

strength/weaknesses
- distinct categories
weaknesses
- certain crimes
- sample size
- validity
- overly simplistic

Question 10

Certain crimes

Answer 10

• Top-down profiling only applies to certain crimes (e.g. rape, arson, cult killings, and murders that involve macabre practices such as sadistic torture, dissection etc.).
• Common offences, such as burglary do not lend themselves to top-down profiling because the crime scene reveals very little about the offender.

Question 11

Sample size

Answer 11

The organised or disorganised distinction was developed based on interviews with 36 serial killers in the USA. Critics have pointed out that this is too small and unrepresentative a sample upon which to base a typology system.

Question 12

Validity

Answer 12

-Top-down profiling was developed based on interviews with 36 sexually motivates serial killers, including Ted Bundy and Charles Manson. Canter (2004) has argued that it is not valid to rely on self-report data from convicted serial killers when constructing a classification system.
- they are very good at lying, data gathered may not be accurate

Question 13

Over simplifies

Answer 13

• The organised or disorganised distinction is overly simplistic. Holmes (1989) suggests there are four types of serial killer; visionary serial killer (kill because God or the Devil is directing them to), mission serial killer (kill to eradicate a group of people they consider to be undesirable), hedonistic serial killer (kill for the thrill) and power serial killer (kill to have complete control over the victims).

Question 14

Distinct categories

Answer 14

Canter et al. (2004) analysed data from 100 murders in the USA with reference to the characteristics thought to be typical of organised and disorganised killers. The findings did suggest evidence of a distinct organised type, however this was not the case for disorganised type which undermines the entire classification system.

Question 15

Victims of organised offenders

Answer 15

Wives and girlfriends are safe; the offender gets more pleasure from killing Single White Females

Question 16

How is the crime scene handled by organized offenders?

Answer 16

The crime scene is staged, and the body is transported.

Question 17

What type of weapon is typically used by organized offenders?

Answer 17

The offender may carry a weapon with him and take it away after the crime.

Question 18

What are common childhood traits of organised offenders?

Answer 18

They are often troublemakers at school.

Question 19

What personality traits are associated with organized offenders?

Answer 19

They externalize anger, are often attractive, confident, intelligent, and have good verbal skills.
They have a history of problems with authority.

Question 20

How do organized offenders interact/have relationships with women?

Answer 20

They talk to women, and their mood is fairly controlled.

Question 21

What is the place of residence for organised offenders

Answer 21

They live some distance from the crime, except for the first crime, which is close to home and more comfortable
Usually live with a women

Question 22

What can cause organized offenders to commit crimes?

Answer 22

Loss of a job or a break-up with a partner.

Question 23

Publicity of organised offenders?

Answer 23

They take an interest in media reports of crime and often try to get involved with the police investigation.

Question 24

victims of disorganized offenders?

Answer 24

Anyone - they have very poor relations with women in general and usually live alone.

Question 25

How is the crime scene handled by disorganized offenders?

Answer 25

There is no staging; the body is left where killed.

Question 26

What type of weapon is typically used by disorganized offenders?

Answer 26

They use a weapon of opportunity and often engage in a frenzied attack
- often depersonalises the victim I.e. turn them on their stomachs

Question 27

Childhood of disorganised offenders

Answer 27

Classmates won’t remember the offender.

Question 28

What personality traits are associated with disorganized offenders?

Answer 28

They internalize anger, are physically unattractive, have low self-esteem, and may have previous suicide attempts.
They are not very articulate in conversation.

Question 29

How do disorganised offenders interact/have relationships with women?

Answer 29

They don’t often talk to women, and their mood is anxious.

Question 30

Place of residence for disorganised criminals

Answer 30

They kill where there is familiarity, usually close to home or work.
They Live alone

Question 31

Pre-offence for disorganised offenders

Answer 31

They have low self-esteem and are often victims of opportunity.

Question 32

Publicity for disorganised offenders to

Answer 32

They have no interest in media reports of crime.