Lesson 1: Top-Down Approach

Question 1

What is offender profiling?

Answer 1

• Tool employed by the police to narrow the list of suspects

Question 2

What idea is offender profiling based on?

Answer 2

• Characteristics of the offender can be deduced from details of the offence and crime scene
• This involves careful scrutiny of the crime scene/ analysis of evidence and witness reports.
• This is done to generate a hypothesis about the characteristics of the offender

Question 3

What is the Top-Down approach?

Answer 3

• Pre-existing templates of the organised and disorganised offender
• Evidence from the crime scene and other details are used to fit the offender into either category

Question 4

Describe organised offenders when they commit their crime

Answer 4

• Plan the crime in advance
• Victim is deliberately targeted and will reveal preferences of the offender
• High level of control during the crime + operate with almost surgical precision
• Little evidence

Question 5

Describe how organised offenders act normally?

Answer 5

• Above average intelligence
• In a skilled profession
• Socially and sexually competent
• Married and have children

Question 6

Describe disorganised offenders when they commit their crime

Answer 6

• Little planning, spontaneous offence
• Crime scene reflects impulsive nature of attack
• Body left at scene
• Little control

Question 7

Describe how disorganised offenders act normally?

Answer 7

• Lower than average intelligence
• Unskilled work/ unemployed
• History of sexual dysfunction/ failed relationships
• Live alone + close to where the offence took place

Question 8

Evaluation (-)

Answer 8

• Top-Down profiling only applies to certain crimes and murders that involve macabre practises. Not common offences like burglary
• Dis/Organised distinction is based on interviews of 36 serial killers. This is a small representation and sample
• The profile was developed form interviews with 36 serial killers. Their information may be invalid as they can lie
• The distinction is oversimplified. Holmes suggested there are 4 types of serial killer: Visionary, Mission, Hedonistic and Power
• A psychologist analysed data from 100 murders in the USA with reference to the characteristics typical to organised and disorganised killers. The findings supported evidence for the organised type, but not for the disorganised type.