Top-Down Approach Flashcards
Offender Profiling
Behavioural and analytical tool
predict and profile
aim is to narrow the field
characteristics = details of the crime scene.
e.g. gender, age, employment, social
background etc.
FBI- 36 Sexual murderers
Modus operandi- signatures
Top Down Approach
FBI interviews 36 killers
Signature ways of working (modus operandi)
2 Types - did/ organised
-application of a profiler’s prior knowledge.
-profiler has a ‘feel’ for the kind of offender
-more intuitive
Organised Offenders
- Plans
- Victim targeted= type.
- high degree of control.
-Little evidence left at scene.
-Above-average intelligence.
-Socially and sexually competent.
-Married x children.
Disorganised
- Little planning
- Spontaneous
- Body at scene
- Low IQ
- Sexual dysfunction X alone
How many stages are there to constructing FBI profile?
4 stages
1) Data Assimilation
2) Crime Scene Classification
3) Crime Reconstruction
4) Profile Generation
Stage 1- Data Assimilation
Reviews evidence
X habits of victims
1) murder type
2) intent
3) risk
4) offender risk
5) escalation
6) time
7) location
Stage 2) Crime scene classification
Crime either
‘organised’ or dis
Stage 3) Crime reconstruction
Hypothesis on…
Sequence of events
X
Behaviour of victim
Stage 4) Profile generation
Hypothesis on background X habits of offender
AO3- EVALUATION
❌killings not burglaries
Not useful for all
❌Too simplistic
Criminal can have combination of both
Other, better
Holmes 1998= 4 types
✅C- INFLUENCIAL FOUNDATION
✅Police use
82% said useful
IRL apply
OFFENDER PROFILING DEF
Behavioural x analytical tool
Help prevent x predict behaviour
TOP DOWN PROFILING DEF
Start w pre- established typology
Work down
Class into 2
ORGANISED OFFENDER DEF
Offender type
Shows evidence of
Planning, target V, socially X sexually competent, high IQ
DISORGANISED OFFENDER DEF
Little evidence of planning, low IQ, sexually x socially incompetent
