offender profiling: bottom up approach Flashcards
what is the aim of the bottom up approach
the aim is to generate a picture of the offender e.g. their likely characteristics, routine behaviour and social background
through systematic analysis of evidence at the crime scenes
what makes the bottom up approach different from the top up approach
unlike the US top down approach, the bottom up model does not begin with fixed typologies
Instead, the profile is the “data- driven” and emerges as the investigator engages in deeper and more rigorous scrutiny of the details if the offence
the bottom up approach is also much grounded in psychological theory compared to the top-down approach
what is investigative psychology
investigative psychology is an attempt to apply statistical procedures, alongside psychological theory, to the analysis of crime scene evidence
what is the aim investigative psychology
the aim in relation to offender profiling is to establish patterns of behaviour that are likely or occur - or co exist- across
Why is establishing patterns of behaviour across crime scenes important
This is in order to developing a statistical “database” which then acts as a baseline for comparison
What do the “database” important
Specific details of an offence, or related offences, can then be matched against this database to reveal important details about the offender
E.g.
Their personal history,family background, e.t.c
It may also determine whether a series of offences are linked in that they are likely to have been committed by the same person
What is central to the approach
It is a concept of INTERPERSONAL coherence- th2 way an offender behaves at the scene -including how they “interact with the victim” may reflect their beavioyt in miteeverdya situations
E.g. one rapists want to maintain maximum control and humiliate their victims, other are more apologetic ( Dayler 2001) - might tell police something how the offender relates to women more generally
What other aspects are part of investigative psychology
- central to the approach
- significance of time and place
- forensic awareness
Who fits proposed geographical profiling
Kim Rossmo (1997)
What is geographical profiling
Geographical profiling uses info to do with location linked to crime scenes to make inferences about the likely home or operational base of an offence- known as crime mapping
What can geographic profiling be used in conjunction with
It can be used in conjunction with psychological theory to create hypothesis about how the offender is thinking as well as their modus operandi (how they operate)
What are the assumptions of geographical profiling
The assumption is that serial offenders will restrict their “work” to geographical areas they are familiar with
Understanding the spatial pattern of their behaviour provides investigators wit a “centre of gravity” which is likely to include the offender’s base ( often the middle of the spatial pattern)
What jeopardy surface
Making educated guessesabout where the offe der is likely investigators to make educated guesses about where the offender is likely to strike next
This happens when the geographical profiling is used
What are the other reasos why geographical profiling is useful
- Canter’s circle theory (Canter and Larkin 1993) proposed two models of offender behaviour:
- the maurader
- commuter
What is the maurader
The maurader operates in close proximity to their home base
