offender profiling Flashcards
what is offender profiling
a method used by police to attempt to produce a ‘probable’ profile of the criminal
Allows police to narrow down suspect
What is the top down approach
- The America FBI approach to profiling
- analysis of previous crimes creates a profile of a likely offender and fits into pre existing categories ( organised and disorganised )
- use this knowledge to narrow down suspect field
describe the two pre existing categories of top-down approach
Organised offenders - planned the crime, leave little to no trace of crime, socially competent, above average intelligence, sometimes married with children
disorganised offenders- didn’t plan crime, act on whim, spontaneous spur of moment kill, below average intelligence, often leave evidence behind, history of sexual dysfunction
Evaluation of top down approach
Weakness- best suited to reveal details about more serious crimes. More common offences reveal v little detail. limited. Tina Meketa reports top down led to 85% rise in solved cases in 3 us states. Wider application than assumed
Counter- evidence - Canter analysed data 100 murders USA. Found evidence distinct organised type not disorganised though. Undermines whole classification system as a whole
Weakness - developed based on interviews with 36 killers in USA. Small, unrepresentative sample.
Interviews = self report, doesn’t have scientific basis lacks validity
What’s the bottom up approach
Profilers work up from evidence collected at crime scenes to develop hypothesis about the likely characterises of the offender
They make inferences from systematic analysis using knowledge of psychological theories
what are the three main features of bottom up approach
1) Interpersonal coherence- way an offender behaves at scene, how they interact with victim may reflect their behaviour in everyday settings
2) Significance of time and place - may give indications about where offender lives
3) Forensic awareness - focuses on individuals who may have been interrogated before
What is geographical profiling
Based on principle of spatial consistency.
Circle theory- Pattern of offending is likely to form a circle around their usual residence.
The Marauder - operates in close proximity to their homebase
The commuter - likely to travel a distance away from their residence
Research support and counter evidence for bottom up approach
support - Railway rapist case. David counter assisted police in the capture of john Duffy in 1980s where Duffy carried out several sexual acts and 3 murders on woman near railway stations. He analysed geographical info
Counter evidence - Rachel Nickell, ended up arresting wrong person due to bottom up pproach and killer was able to walk free
