The Bottom-Up Approach

Question 1

What is the Bottom-Up approach?

Answer 1

• Aims to generate a picture of the offender (e.g characteristics, routine and social background) through analysis/evidence at the crime scene
• Unlike the top-down approach it does not begin with fixed typologies
• Profile is data driven (much more grounded in psychological theory)

Question 2

What is Investigative Psychology?

Answer 2

• attempts to apply statistical procedures and psychological theory to the analysis of crime scene evidence
• Aim to establish patterns of behaviour in order to develop a statistical database which acts as a baseline for comparison
• details of an offense, can be matched against this to reveal important details about the offender
• may determine whether a series of offences are linked

Question 3

What is the concept of Interpersonal Coherence?

Answer 3

• The way the offender behaves at the crime scene may reflect the way they behave in everyday life
• E.g some rapists want to humiliate their victims whereas some are more apologetic (Dwyer) may reflect their views regarding gender generally
• Time and place are key variables
• forensic awareness describes those who have been the subject of police interrogation as they be more mindful of covering their tracks

Question 4

What is Geographical Profiling?

Answer 4

• Uses info about the location of linked crime scenes to make inferences about the home of the offender: crime mapping
• Based on spatial consistency (people commit crimes in a limited space)
• assumes serial offender ‘work’ in areas familiar to them and provides investigators with a ‘centre of gravity’ includes offenders base

Question 5

What is Canters Circle Theory?

Answer 5

• Pattern of offending forms a circle around the offenders home base and leads us to describe offenders in two ways:
• The marauder (operates close proximity to home base)
• The Commuter (travels away from residence to commit crime)
• Gives insight into the nature of the offense e.g planned or opportunistic, also may reveal factors e.g mode of transport, employment status etc

Question 6

How did Canter come up with his theory?

Answer 6

• assisted police in the capture of John Duffy who carried out 24 sexual attacks on women and 3 murders near railway stations
• Canter analysed geographical info and was able to draw up an accurate profile
• Correctly assumed where he lived, his marital status, his height and certain physical feature e.g acne