Offender Profiling - Top Down Approach

Question 1

What is offender profiling used for?

Answer 1

As an investigative tool used by police when solving crimes = main aim is to narrow the field of enquiry and provide a list of likely suspects

Question 2

Where did the top down approach originate?

Answer 2

FBI in the USA
Developed by Ressler, Burgess and Douglas
Developed after interviewing 36 of the most serious sexually motivated serial killers in America

Question 3

What are the two types of typologies?

Answer 3

Organised Offender
Disorganised Offender

Question 4

What is an Organised Offender?

Answer 4

Plans crime in advance
High degree of control
Shows extreme precision
Little/no clues left behind
Usually married
Above average intelligence
Targeted victim
Professional occupation
Socially competent
Sexually competent

Question 5

What is a Disorganised Offender?

Answer 5

Lack of planning
Lack of control at scene
Body left at the scene
Clues left behind
Unlikely to have a partner
Victim not targeted
Low intelligence
Socially awkward
Poor employment history
Little interest in their crimes

Question 6

What are the four stages in the construction of an FBI Profile?

Answer 6

Data assimilation = profiler reviews
Crime scene classification - Organised or Disorganised
Crime reconstruction = hypothesise on terms of events/sequence
Profile generation = hypotheses related to the likely offender