Top Down Approach

Question 1

What type of approach is top-down

Answer 1

• pre-existing categories
• organised offenders and disorganised offenders\

Question 2

Organised offender

Answer 2

Experience in crime, high IQ and removes any evidence

Question 3

Disorganised offender

Answer 3

• first time offender, low IQ, commits spontaneous crimes

Question 4

Stages of a profile being generated

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Strength of top down

Answer 5

• Tina Meketa
• can be applied to other crimes
• applied the approach to burglary, 85% rise in solved crimes in the U.S
• applicable for lower rated crimes

Counter: what about crimes like fraud?

Question 6

Limitation of top-down

Answer 6

• cant be generalised to other crimes
• sample of 36 sexually motivated serial killers
• questions weren’t standardised so couldn’t compare interview questions
• based on flawed evidence, not very scientific