offender profiling bottom up Flashcards
what is bottom up
-generates pic of offender e.g characteristics, social background from evidence of crime scene
-data driven
-data emerges as investiagator looks into the details of offence
whats investigative psych
-apply statistical procedures to crime scene evidence
-establish patterns liekly to occur across crime scenes
-develop statisitcal data base for baseline comaprison
how is statisitical data base useful in inv psych?
-specfic details of an offence can be matched to database to reveal important details about offender e,g history
-may determine if series of offfences are linked
what is interpersonal coherence
-how offender behaves at the scene and interacts with victim
-may reflect behvaiour in everyday situations
-e.g rapists may want maximum control and humilate others
-suggests how they may relate to women generally
why is time and place important
-may indicate where offender lives
whats forensic awareness
-those individuals who may have been interogated before may be more mindful of covering up their tracks
whats geogrpahical profiling
-uses info such as location of linked crimes to make inferences about liekly home or base of offender “crime mapping”
what is crime mapping based on
“spatial consistency”- ppl commit crime within limted geo space
-creates hypothesis of how offender may hv been thinking
what do serial offenders normally do in terms of geography
-work in areas theyre familair with
-understanding spatial pattern provides a ‘centre of gravity’ which includes offenders base
what was canters circle theory
-pattern of offences forms around offenders base
-distribuiton leads to labelling as “the marauder” or “the commuter”
whats the marauder
-operates close proximity to home
whats the commuter
-likely to travel distance away from usual residence
why is spatial decsison making so important
-insight into nature of offence
-wether planned or opportunisitc
-reveals the offenders mental maps, mode of transport, job or age
what are the strengths
(evidence for inv psych)
-canter conetent analysis 66 sexual crimes using small space analysis
-mutiple characteristcs identified in most cases e.g impersonal lang, lack of reaction to victim
-each individual presented a characterstic pattern of such behaviours even if 2 or more offences comitted by same person
-support model- consistent in their behaviour
(evidence for geo psych)
-canter collected info on 120 murders small space analysis
-spacial consistency in behaviours of killers
-body disposals planned and centre of gravity identified
-base was in centre of pattern
-more noticebale for mauraders (those who travel short distance)
supports view
what are the weaknesses
(counterpoint research support for inv psych)
-case linkage depends on the database tends to consist of historical crimes thatve been solved
-may hv been bc these crimes were more straightforward which makes this argument circular
- tell us little on crimes that have few links which may remain unsolved
(geographical info insufficient)
-measuring of crime not always accurate and may vary
-75% of crime not even reported (dark figure crime)
-questions unity of approach that relies on accuracy of geo data
-other factors may just be as important in creating a profile such as timing of offence, age , experience of the offender
-suggests info alone isnt always helpful to catch offender
