Offender profiling: the bottom up approach

Question 1

The bottom up approach

Answer 1

A data-driven approach where statistical techniques are used to produce predictions about the likely characteristics of an offender

Question 2

Interpersonal coherence

Answer 2

People are consistent in their behaviour so there will be links with elements of the crime and how people behave in everyday life.
Peoples behaviour changes over time and so looking at the differences in crimes over a four year period might offer further clues

Question 3

Forensic awareness

Answer 3

Certain behaviours reveal an awareness of particular police techniques and past experiences

Question 4

Smallest space analysis

Answer 4

This is a statistical technique where data about many crime scenes and offender characteristics are correlated so that most common connection can be identified.
Salfati and Canter (1999) analysed the co-occurrence of 48 crime scene and offender characteristics taken from 82 UK murder cases where the victim was a stranger. They identified 3 underlying themes:
- Instrumental opportunities - using murder to obtain something or accomplish a goal, taking the easiest opportunities
- Instrumental cognitive - a particular concern about being detected and therefore more planned
- Expressive impulsive - uncontrolled, in the heat of strong emotions, may feel provoked by the victim

Question 5

Geographical profiling

Answer 5

A form of profiling based on the pattern shown by the location or locations of a series of crimes.

Question 6

Circle theory (marauder, commuter)

Answer 6

Canter and Larkin 1993 proposed that most offenders have a spatial mindset, they commit their crimes within a kind of imagined circle

• Marauder - the offenders home is the geographical area in which crimes are committed
• Commuter - the offender travels to another geographical area and commits crimes within a defined space around which a circle can be drawn