top down approach

Question 1

aim of profiling

Answer 1

to narrow down the range of potential suspects

Question 2

the 3 main goals of profiling

Answer 2

• social and psychological assessment - basic info;age sex race
• evaluation of belongings - posessions that may associate offender with crime scene; photos, pornography
• interviewing suggestions and strategies- specific startegies for certain offenders; appeal to their ego

Question 3

4 main aspects of top down profiling

Answer 3

• profile generation
• data assimilation
• crime reconstruction
• crime scene classification

Question 4

profiler generation definition

Answer 4

a hypothesis related to the likely offender e.g ethnicity, accent

Question 5

data assimilation definition

Answer 5

a profile reviews all evidence e.g photos, pathology reports

Question 6

crime scene classification meaning

Answer 6

classing the crime [scene] as either organised or disorganised dependant on its characteristics

Question 7

crime reconstruction meaning

Answer 7

a hypothesis in the term of events, for example the behaviour of the victim

Question 8

offfender profiling definition

Answer 8

the processs of deducing the characteristics of the offender from the features of the offence and features of the crime scene

Question 9

modus operandi definition

Answer 9

the method or habits on which a crime is carried out

Question 10

when was the top down approach created, and who by

Answer 10

• by the FBI but ore specifically, Ressler
• in the 1970s

Question 11

what did the FBI do in the top down approach

Answer 11

• interviewed 36 different sexually motivated serial killers
• deduced different categories of killers
• put new offenders into a pre existing type of serial killer

Question 12

what type of approach was the top down approach

Answer 12

a typology

Question 13

what are organised murder scene characteristics?

Answer 13

• planned
• victim is a stranger
• agression before death
• body is hidden or removed from the scene
• weapon ad evidence is absent
• controlled talk
• control including restraints

Question 14

what are characteristics of an organised murderer

Answer 14

• more than average IQ
• inconsistent discipline as a child
• living with a partner
• socially and sexually competent
• use of alcohol during crime
• mobile e.g car
• limited change in behaviour after crime

Question 15

what are disorganised murder scene characteristics ?

Answer 15

• spontaneous, not planned at all
• victim is a known person to the offender
• little control on the attack/victim
• sexual acts before death
• body not hidden, left at the crime scene
• evidence will be present

Question 16

what are characteristics of a disorganised murderer

Answer 16

• less than average IQ
• lives alone
• lives near the crime
• unstable
• major change in behaviour after crime
• socially and sexually incompetent
• harsh discipline as a child

Question 17

who classified serial killers into types by theor motivations?

2 people

Answer 17

Holmes and Walters

Question 18

what are the 5 classifications of serial killers?

Answer 18

• visionary
• mission orientated
• hedonistic lust
• hedonistic thrill
• power/control

Question 19

characteristics of a visionary serial killer

Answer 19

• hear voices from angels,devils and god telling them to murder
• is a quick act, job done

Question 20

characteristics of a mission orientated killer

Answer 20

• focused on the act itself
• feels unworthy and not good enough if the job isnt done

Question 21

characteristics of a hedonistic lust killer

Answer 21

• sex is the main point of the murder
• pleasure is found from te murder
• murder usually involves cannabalism, necrophelia and dismemberment

Question 22

characteristics of a hedonistic thrill killer

Answer 22

• pleasure/excitement of killing
• once the victim is dead the thrill is over
• usually involves long processes or acts of torture when killing

Question 23

characteristics of a power/controlling killer

Answer 23

• gratification of having control over the victim
• seen as a master to victim
• motives drive by a need for power or dominance

Question 24

evaluation-weakness

why does the top down approach only work on some crimes?

Answer 24

• only works on a crime that has a wealth of information on the offender
• common burglary or damage to property doesnt fit into the categories

Question 25

what types of crime does the top down approach work on

Answer 25

• rape
• arson
• cult killing
• sadistic torture
• dissection
• acting out fantasies

Question 26

evalutaion- weakness

why does the top down profiling have weak validity

Answer 26

• Alison [02] says the approach is based on static old models of personality so it is likely to have weak validity when it comes to identifying suspects and predicting their next move

Question 27

evaluation-weakness

why does evidence not support the idea of a disorganised offender ?

Answer 27

• Canter [04] used a method of small space analysisof 100 murderes in the US. they were assesed on 39 traits suggesting therr is likely to be an organised type but not a disorganised type of offender
• regardless professional profilers still use the top down approach

Question 28

evaluation-weakness

why is the topdown profiling too simple ?

REDUCTIONIST

Answer 28

• says killer types can overlap so they’re not mutually exclusive
• Holmes [89] suggested the 5 types of serial killers
• Walters[99] suggests focusing on a different motivations that killers have and not their specific type

Question 29

evaluations -weakness

wgat are the methodological problems woth the top down profiling

Answer 29

• origin sample is too small
• typology appraoch was developed using 36 US killers ,25 of which were serial
• this is a very small and unrepresentative sample
• Canter says self report data from convicyted in a classification system is unrelaible - becaise they suffer from mental illnesses and personality disorders