Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach

Question 1

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach

parts

Answer 1

Investigative psychology

Geographical profiling

Question 2

bottom up approach

Answer 2

profilers work up from evidence collected from the crime scene
└to develop hypothesises about likely characteristics, motivations, and social background of offender
└origin: Britain

Question 3

Investigative psychology

Answer 3

a form of bottom-up profiling
└matches details from the crime scene with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour based on psychological theory

Question 4

Investigative psychology

interpersonal coherence

Answer 4

the way an offender behaves at scene, interacts with victim- reflects behaviour in everyday situations

Question 5

Investigative psychology

Dwyer (2001)

Answer 5

└some rapists want to control and humiliate their victims, others are apologetic- may reflect how offender treats women generally
└significance of time and place: may indicate where offender is living

Question 6

Investigative psychology

forensic awareness

Answer 6

if offender has been subject of police interrogation before they may be more mindful of covering their tracks

Question 7

Geographical profiling

Answer 7

a form of bottom-up profiling
└based on the principle of spatial consistency (provides centre of gravity)

└(often the middle of the spatial pattern)   └that an offenders operational base and possible future offences are revealed by the geographical location of their previous crimes  └jeopardy surface: can infer the location of possible future offences

Question 8

Geographical profiling

people

Answer 8

Kim Rossmo (1997)
Canter and Larkin (1993)

Question 9

Geographical profiling 
Kim Rossmo (1997)

Answer 9

└geographical profiling
└crime mapping: uses information to do with location of linked crime scenes to make inferences of likely operational base of offender
└can be used along with psychological theory to infer about their way of thinking

Question 10

Geographical profiling

Canter and Larkin (1993)

Answer 10

Canters circle theory= 2 models of offender behaviour
└the marauder: operates in close proximity to their home base
└the commuter: travels distance away from their home base
└pattern of offending is likely to form a circle around their usual residence/home base (more apparent the more offences)
└can reveal if planned, mode of transport, age, employment status

Question 11

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
summary

Answer 11

Evidence supports investigative psychology - Canter and Heritage (1990)
Evidence supports geographical profiling - Lundrigan and Canter (2001)
Scientific basis
Wider application

Question 12

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Evidence supports investigative psychology

Answer 12

└Canter and Heritage (1990)
└content analysis of 66 sexual; assault cases
└data analysed using smallest space analysis
└a computer programme that identifies correlations across patterns of behaviour
└identified common characteristics
└impersonal language, lack of reaction to victim
└can be used to see if crimes were committed by same person
└=useful application of statistical techniques

Question 13

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Evidence supports geographical profiling

Answer 13

└Lundrigan and Canter (2001)
└120 serial killer cases in US
└smallest space analysis showed spatial consistency
└revealed centre of gravity of body disposal sites
└supports that spatial information is a key factor in determining the base of an offender

Question 14

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Scientific basis

Answer 14

└Canter argues that bottom up approach is more objective and scientific than the top down approach
└relies on evidence and psychological theories rather than speculation
└artificial intelligence= geographical and psychological data can be manipulated quickly to produce insights to assist investigation

Question 15

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Wider application

Answer 15

└can be applied to a wider range of offences than the top down approach
└smallest space analysis/spatial consistency can be used in crimes like burglary and theft as well as murder and rape

Question 16

Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach

limitations

Answer 16

Mixed results for profiling
└Copson (1995)
└surveyed 48 police forces
└advice provided by the profiler was useful in 83% of cases
└only led to accurate identification of offender in 3% of cases

└Kocsis et al (2002)
└chemistry students produced a more accurate offender profile on a solved murder case than experienced senior detectives