PAPER 3 - FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY - offender profiling

Question 1

what is offender profiling?

Answer 1

a behavioural and analytical tool intended to help investigators determine characteristics of an offender by analysing a crime scene

Question 2

what is the aim of offender profiling?

Answer 2

to narrow down pool of potential suspects to stop investigators wasting time

Question 3

what is the top-down approach to offender profiling?

Answer 3

• starts from general classification and goes to the specific
• based on in depth interviews with 36 sexually orientated serial murderers
• interviews were to identify major personality and behavioural characteristics of these offenders, making it easier to classify future offenders

Question 4

what are the 2 types of offenders?

Answer 4

organised and disorganised

Question 5

what type of murder is committed by an organised type of offender?

Answer 5

• crime is planned
• victim specifically targeted
• body transported from crime scene
• high control of situation (use of restraints)
• leaves few clues
• violent fantasies about victim

Question 6

what are the likely characteristics of an organised type of offender?

Answer 6

• generally high IQ
• socially and sexually competent
• confident and attractive
• usually living with a partner
• follows media coverage of crime
  experiences anger at time of attack and calm after

Question 7

what are the stages of the top-down approach to offender ptofiling?

Answer 7

1. data assimilation = review evidence
2. crime scene classification = organised/disorganised
3. crime reconstruction
4. hypothesis about likely offender

Question 8

what are the limitations of the top-down approach to offender profiling?

Answer 8

• crime scene evidence that profiles are based on is often incomplete and ambiguous
• basis of method is flawed
• potential harm caused
• distinguishing between organised and disorganised
• issues regarding accuracy

Question 9

what are the strengths of the top-down approach to offender profiling?

Answer 9

• approach is useful
• improvements are being made on method

Question 10

how is the fact that crime scene evidence that profiles are based on is often incomplete and ambiguous, a limitation of the top down approach?

Answer 10

• Canter suggests this could mean judgement based on evidence can only be speculation
• is up to profiler to determine which evidence is important enough to include in the profile

Question 11

how is the method for the top-down approach flawed?

Answer 11

• original data of organised/disorganised came from 36 of the most dangerous and sexually motivated murderers
• data was to identify key characteristics, but these individuals are manipulative
• approach and rationale may be more appropriate for more ‘typical’ offenders

Question 12

how might the top-down approach cause potential harm?

Answer 12

• profiles may mislead investigators if they are wrong
• smart offenders can read about how profiles are constructed and deliberately mislead profilers by leaving misleading clues

Question 13

how is distinguishing between organised and disorganised a limitation for the top-down approach?

Answer 13

• Tuvey suggests that it is a continuum rather than a dichotomy
• supported by the fact that the descriptors are generalisations e.g. ‘tends to be’ so has little utility
• Canter studied 100 US serial killers, found many organised types but little disorganised types

Question 14

what is the bottom-up approach to offender profiling?

Answer 14

profiles are created in terms of characteristics, social background and routine behaviour
- done through systematic analysis of evidence at the crime scene and moving up towards classification
- uses statistical technique to produce predictions about likely characteristics of an offender

Question 15

what 2 key aspects of the bottom-up approach are involved in offender profiling?

Answer 15

• investigative psychology
• geographical profiling

Question 16

what is investigative psychology?

Answer 16

• developed by Canter
• uses psychological theory and statistical procedures to analyse crime scene evidence
• aims to establish patterns in behaviour
• Canter thought that how someone behaves in a crime mirrors how they behave in life
• statistical database developed and acts as a baseline so specific details of an offence can be matched

Question 17

what are the 3 key features of investigative psychology?

Answer 17

• interpersonal coherence
• forensic awareness
• smallest space analysis (time and place)

Question 18

what is interpersonal coherence?

Answer 18

consistent behaviour so links can be made between crimes

Question 19

what is forensic awareness?

Answer 19

• offenders have awareness of police techniques and past experiences of crime
• e.g. may cover up fingerprints

Question 20

what is smallest space analysis?

Answer 20

• statistical technique
• uses analysis to find correlating patterns of behaviour
• used by Canter and Salfati (found 3 themes)

Question 21

what are the 3 underlying themes used to analyse the correlation between offender characteristics and scenes where a stranger was targeted?

Answer 21

• instrumental opportunistic
• instrumental cognitive
• expressive impulse

Question 22

what is ‘instrumental opportunistic??

Answer 22

• instrumental = using murder to obtain something or accomplish a goal
• opportunistic = offender took easiest option

Question 23

what is ‘instrumental cognitive’?

Answer 23

particular concern about being detected and more planned

Question 24

what is ‘expressive impulse’?

Answer 24

• uncontrolled
• in heat of strong emotions
• may feel provoked by victim

Question 25

what is geographical profiling?

Answer 25

Canter suggests information about location and timing of offences can allow for predictions e.g.
- which offences are linked
- characteristics of offender responsible eg where they may live
- why certain places attract more crime than others

Question 26

what is crime mapping within geographical profiling?

Answer 26

• allows police and other officials to target crime prevention resources in the right area and help focus investigations
• assumes most of a person’s activities are confined to fairly few limited areas, therefore offences may be restricted to a specific geographical area

Question 27

what is circle theory?

Answer 27

when an offender restricts crimes to familiar territory so understanding of spatial behaviour gives profiler a sense of gravity

Question 28

what is a marauder (geographical profiling)?

Answer 28

operates in close proximity to their homes

Question 29

what is a commuter (geographical profiling)?

Answer 29

travels distance from usual residence to offend

Question 30

explain “geographical profiling will not work without accurate data on the offences committed in certain area” evaluation point

Answer 30

• police data on crime can be limited e.g. underreporting crimes/inconsistencies in how locations of crimes are reported
• means crime maps are likely to be incomplete
  police have access to vast amounts of data and may be unclear of what info to leave out when constructing a crime map

Question 31

how is the bottom up approach thought to be more scientific? (evaluation + counterpoint)

Answer 31

• theory based on use of objective statistical techniques and computer analysis
• however data used in systems is only related to solved cases so tells us little about patterns of behaviour related to unsolved crimes
• formulas created may also be incorrect so practice may be biased

Question 32

how is the bottom-up approach useful? (evaulation)

Answer 32

• Canter’s first attempt to profiling was very impressive
• Copson surveyed 48 UK police forces using investigative profiling and 75% said profiling was helpful, but only 3% said it helped identify actual offender
• suggests method may not be that useful in actually catching offenders but benefit makes it worthwhile

Question 33

how is circle theory not be successful? (evaluation)

Answer 33

• Canter and Lakin shoes research support for the model by distinguishing between marauders and commuters of 45 sexual assaults
• however, in the study 91% of the offenders were marauders (classification may not be useful)
• Petherick saw many flaws in model e.g. what if persons home isn’t in centre of circle, police will look in the wrong place (over simplified model)

Question 34

what can be said about the success of geographical profiling? (evaluation)

Answer 34

• suggested while it may not solve crimes specifically, it can help prioritise house-to-house searched/identifying area where DNA could be collected
• however it can distinguish between multiple offenders in same area
• critics question how much more it offers than traditional method of police placing pins on a map (few recommend this method)