Offender profiling: FORENSIC PSYCH Flashcards
WHAT IS OFFENDER PROFILING
a behavioural and analytical tool that is intended to help investigators accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown offenders
two main approaches to offender profiling
-Top down
-Bottom up
what is the top down approach
-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
Organised offender
An offender who shows evidence of planning, targets a specific victim, and tends to be socially and sexually competent with higher than average IQ
Disorganised offender
An offender who shows little evidence of planning, leaves clues and tends to be socially and sexually incompetent with a lower than average IQ
4 main stages if Structuring the FBI profile
1) Data Assimilation
2) Crime scene classification
3) Crime reconstruction
4) Profile generation
Data Assimilation FBI
-the profiler reviews the evidence e.g: crime scene photography, pathology, reports, witness reports
Crime scene classification FBI
Organised or Disorganised
Crime reconstruction
hypothesis in terms of sequence of events, behaviour of the victim
Profile generation
hypothesis related to the likely offender. e.g: demographical background, physical characteristics, behaviour
Bottom up approach
-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
Two types of bottom up profiling
-Investigative psychology
-Geographical profiling
what is Investigative psych
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
aim of investigative psych in bottom up approach
-To establish patters of behaviour that are likely to occur, or co-exist across crime scenes
what does the collection of data from investigative psychology allow for.
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
3 key variables central to Investigative psychology
Interpersonal coherence
Significance of time and place
Forensic awareness
Interpersonal coherence (Bottom up )
the way an offender behaves at a scene, including how they interact with the victim may reflect how they behave in more everyday situations
Significance of time and place (bottom up)
may give indication of where the offender is living
Forensic awareness (bottom up)
Describes individuals who have been the subject of police interrogation before. Therefore, they may denote how mindful they are of covering their tracks
geographical profiling
a form of bottom up profiling based on the principle pf spatial consistency
Spatial consistency
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
Crime mapping
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
Canters circle theory
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
Spatial decision making provides investigative team with info on nature of offence such as:
-Offence = planned or opportunistic ?
-Mental maps of offender
-Mode of transport
-Employer status
-Approximate age
