the top down approach Flashcards
where does the top-down approach originate from?
The top-down approach to profiling originated in the USA as a result of work carried out by the FBI in the 1970s
aim of the top-down approach
- The FBI developed pre-existing templates
● What is known about the crime and the offender will be matched to the pre-existing templates (organised or disorganised)
● certain characteristics = predictions can be made = offenders are easily characterised
what does modus operandi?
Every criminal has a modus operandi (ways of working), which is how they go about committing the crime
what is an organised offender and what are its characteristics?
- show evidence of having planned the crime in advance.
- victim is deliberately targeted
- offender has a ‘type’ e.g. Ted Bundy targeted women with long hair and parted in the middle, he was charming and intelligent
They are also characterised by:
● High degree of control during the crime and little evidence left behind at the scene
● Above average IQ - in a skilled/professional job
● Usually married and have children
what is a disorganised offender and what are its characteristics?
- show little evidence of planning, suggesting the offence may have been spontaneous
They are also characterised by:
● The crime scene reflects the impulsive nature of the act - the body is still at the scene and the crime shows little control
● Below average IQ - may be in unskilled work or unemployed
● often have a history of failed relationships and sexual dysfunction ● Tend to live alone
● Often relatively close to where the offence took place
what are the 4 main aims of constructing FBI profiles?
- Data assimilation - the profiler reviews the evidence (crime scene photographs, reports etc)
- Crime scene classification - as either organised or disorganised
- Crime reconstruction - generation of hypotheses about the behaviour and events
- Profile reconstruction - generation of hypotheses about the offender e.g. background, physical characteristics etc
