Offender profiling: FORENSIC PSYCH

Question 1

WHAT IS OFFENDER PROFILING

Answer 1

a behavioural and analytical tool that is intended to help investigators accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown offenders

Question 2

two main approaches to offender profiling

Answer 2

-Top down

-Bottom up

Question 3

what is the top down approach

Answer 3

-Developed in USA as a result of work carried out by FBI in 1970s
-FBI behavioural science unit drew upon data gathered from in depth interviews with 36 sexually motivated murderers
-They concluded that the data could be categorised into organised and disorganised crimes/murders
-Each category had certain characteristics, these characteristics were used to predict and find the offender

Question 4

Organised offender

Answer 4

An offender who shows evidence of planning, targets a specific victim, and tends to be socially and sexually competent with higher than average IQ

Question 5

Disorganised offender

Answer 5

An offender who shows little evidence of planning, leaves clues and tends to be socially and sexually incompetent with a lower than average IQ

Question 6

4 main stages if Structuring the FBI profile

Answer 6

1) Data Assimilation

2) Crime scene classification

3) Crime reconstruction

4) Profile generation

Question 7

Data Assimilation FBI

Answer 7

-the profiler reviews the evidence e.g: crime scene photography, pathology, reports, witness reports

Question 8

Crime scene classification FBI

Answer 8

Organised or Disorganised

Question 9

Crime reconstruction

Answer 9

hypothesis in terms of sequence of events, behaviour of the victim

Question 10

Profile generation

Answer 10

hypothesis related to the likely offender. e.g: demographical background, physical characteristics, behaviour

Question 11

Bottom up approach

Answer 11

-based in UK
-profilers work from the evidence collected at the crime scene to develop hypothesis about the likely characteristics, motivations and social backgrounds of the offender
-systematic analysis of crime scene evidence
-Does not begin with fixed typologies
-Profile is data driven

Question 12

Two types of bottom up profiling

Answer 12

-Investigative psychology

-Geographical profiling

Question 13

what is Investigative psych

Answer 13

A form of bottom up profiling that matches details of the crime scene with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns based on psychological theory

Question 14

aim of investigative psych in bottom up approach

Answer 14

-To establish patters of behaviour that are likely to occur, or co-exist across crime scenes

Question 15

what does the collection of data from investigative psychology allow for.

Answer 15

the development of statistical database which acts as a baseline for comparison

specific details off offence or related offences can then be matched against the database revealing important details about the offender e.g: personal history and family background

Question 16

3 key variables central to Investigative psychology

Answer 16

Interpersonal coherence

Significance of time and place

Forensic awareness

Question 17

Interpersonal coherence (Bottom up )

Answer 17

the way an offender behaves at a scene, including how they interact with the victim may reflect how they behave in more everyday situations

Question 18

Significance of time and place (bottom up)

Answer 18

may give indication of where the offender is living

Question 19

Forensic awareness (bottom up)

Answer 19

Describes individuals who have been the subject of police interrogation before. Therefore, they may denote how mindful they are of covering their tracks

Question 20

geographical profiling

Answer 20

a form of bottom up profiling based on the principle pf spatial consistency

Question 21

Spatial consistency

Answer 21

an offenders operational base and possible future offences are revealed by the geographical location of their previous crimes

works off the assumptions that serial offenders will restrict their ‘work’ to geographical areas they are familiar with

Question 22

Crime mapping

Answer 22

based off principle of spatial consistency

Crime mapping can be used in conjunction with psychological theory to create hypothesis about how the offender is thinking.
Identifying spatial pattern of behaviour provides investigators with a centre of gravity which is likely to include the offenders base

Question 23

Canters circle theory

Answer 23

outlines two types of offender identified from analysing spatial patterns

The Marauder- operates close to home

The Commuter- Likely to have travelled distance away from their usual residence

Question 24

Spatial decision making provides investigative team with info on nature of offence such as:

Answer 24

-Offence = planned or opportunistic ?
-Mental maps of offender
-Mode of transport
-Employer status
-Approximate age