Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach Flashcards
Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
parts
Investigative psychology
Geographical profiling
bottom up approach
profilers work up from evidence collected from the crime scene
└to develop hypothesises about likely characteristics, motivations, and social background of offender
└origin: Britain
Investigative psychology
a form of bottom-up profiling
└matches details from the crime scene with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour based on psychological theory
Investigative psychology
interpersonal coherence
the way an offender behaves at scene, interacts with victim- reflects behaviour in everyday situations
Investigative psychology
Dwyer (2001)
└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
Investigative psychology
forensic awareness
if offender has been subject of police interrogation before they may be more mindful of covering their tracks
Geographical profiling
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
Geographical profiling
people
Kim Rossmo (1997) Canter and Larkin (1993)
Geographical profiling Kim Rossmo (1997)
└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
Geographical profiling
Canter and Larkin (1993)
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
Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
summary
Evidence supports investigative psychology - Canter and Heritage (1990)
Evidence supports geographical profiling - Lundrigan and Canter (2001)
Scientific basis
Wider application
Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Evidence supports investigative psychology
└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
Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Evidence supports geographical profiling
└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
Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Scientific basis
└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
Offender profiling: The bottom-up approach
strengths
Wider application
└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