The British Approach/ Deductive Profiling

Question 1

5 factor theory of sexual assaults?

Answer 1

1. Interpersonal coherence= extent the victim will correspond to how the offender socially interacts/could represent a person in their life
2. Significance of time+place= chosen by offender so could be important for where they live+their schedule
3. Criminal characteristics= develop vague subsystems for classification of offender types
4. Criminal career= whether criminal has committed before
5. Forensic awareness= evidence that offender has knowledge of police techniques+procedures relating to evidence collection

Question 2

How are victims grouped? (3)

Answer 2

1. Victim as person= offender thinks they are developing some type of relationship e.g conversation
2. Victim as object= offender concerned with control e.g blindfolding/gagging victim
3. Victim as vehicle= violence (both physical+verbal) with demeans the victim, offender is angry

Question 3

What are the assumptions?

Answer 3

• no offender acts without motivation
• should be investigated in own unique way as no 2 humans act alike
• some offenders have unique motivations/behaviours
• all human behaviour develops uniquely in response to environmental/bio factors
• single offender capable of multiple motives over commission of multiple offences/a single offence

Question 4

Where is the data collected from to create a deductive profile?

Answer 4

1. Forensic evidence
2. Crime scene characteristics= determined from all forensic reports, analysis+documentation
3. Victimology= victim grouping

Question 5

Pros?

Answer 5

• higher accuracy= requires specialised training in forensic science
• higher reliability= examines behaviour of criminals as they change over time
• holistic
• less construct bias
• higher eco validity as incorporates many factors= complexity of real life

Question 6

Cons?

Answer 6

• must have specialised profilers
• emotionally exhausting
• takes longer to specify criminal
• less reliable as subject to profiler bias

Question 7

What does geographical profiling include?

Answer 7

Marauder= close to/ in home
Commuter= travels from home

Question 8

Canter+Heritage background?

Answer 8

Canters circle theory
•based on the assumption that criminals will commit crime in areas they know but don’t necessarily live in
•marauders= around their home
•commuters= away from home

Question 9

Canter+Heritage aim?

Answer 9

To identify a behaviour pattern from similarities between offences

Question 10

Canter+Heritage PPs?

Answer 10

Sexual offences committed by 27 offenders
•33 offence variables found
•could say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each^
•e.g variable 2= surprise attack

Question 11

Canter+Heritage method?

Answer 11

Content analysis of 66 sexual offences from various police forces using small space analysis

Question 12

Findings of Canter+Heritage?

Answer 12

Key variables:
•surprise attack
•vaginal intercourse
•impersonal language 
•victims clothing disturbed 
•no reaction to victim

^occurred in 100% of rape cases, later developed into ‘5 factor theory’

Question 13

Canter+Heritage conclusions?

Answer 13

• all 5 aspects contribute to all sexual offences, just different patterns for different individuals
• lead to an understanding of how an offenders behaviour changes over a series of offences
• establish whether 2 or more offences were committed by the same person

Question 14

Canter+Heritage pros and cons?

Answer 14

Pros:
✔️concurrent validity
✔️reliable as consistent across cases

Cons:
✖️ethnocentrism as only studied third crime of a serial killer
✖️low population validity