Offender profiling: Bottom-up approach

Question 1

What is the bottom-up approach?

Answer 1

• Profilers work up from the evidence collected from the crime scene to develop hypotheses about the likely characteristics, motivations and social background of the offender
• Used in the UK

Question 2

What is investigative psychology?

Answer 2

• Process whereby each crime is recorded onto a database
• Details of each crime are matched with the data in order to develop a hypothesis about likely characteristics, social demography and motivations of the offender
• Greater emphasis on scientific methods of investigation and statistical analysis
• Emphasizes time and place as well as ‘interpersonal coherence’, manner in which the offender treats the victim reflects their interpersonal functioning, understanding in real life

Question 3

What is geographical profiling?

Answer 3

• Suggests each offender has an operational base, inferred through mapping locations of previous crimes
• Should form a circle shape, operational base in the centre; ‘centre of gravity’
• Can predict future crimes through analysis
• Classified as marauders (operates in close proximity to home base) or commuters (travelled a distance away from usual residence)

Question 4

Strength: evidence for investigative psychology

Answer 4

• Canter and Heritage conducted an analysis of 66 sexual assault cases using smallest space analysis
• Several behaviours identified as common in different samples of behaviour
• Each individual displayed a characteristic pattern of such behaviours, can establish whether 2 or more offences were committed by the same person
• Supports basic principles of investigative psychology, people are consistent in their behaviour

Question 5

Strength: evidence for geographical profiling

Answer 5

• Lundrigan and Canter collated information from 120 murder cases involving serial killers in the US
• Smallest space analysis revealed spatial consistency in the behaviour of the killers
• Offenders base was located in the centre of the pattern
• Effect more noticeable for marauders (travel short distances)
• Supports geographical info can identify an offender

Question 6

Weakness: Geographical information insufficient

Answer 6

• Success of geographical profiling may be reliant on the quality of data police can provide
• Recording of crime isn’t always accurate, 75% of crimes not even reported to the police in the first place
• Questions utility of an approach that relies on the accuracy of geographical data
• May not always lead to a successful capture