Top Down approach

Question 1

what is offender profiling?

Answer 1

analyse the crime scene to create a hypothesis of probably characteristics of the offender

Question 2

what is the top down approach?

Answer 2

• US approach by FBI in 70’s
• gather evidence from interviewing 36 sexually motivated serial killers like bundy and Manson
• match what is known about crime and offender to the template created by FBI

Question 3

how are the the offenders classified?

Answer 3

organised and disorganised

Question 4

what is an organised offender?

Answer 4

• planned attack and target victim
• high control, leave little evidence
• high intelligence, socially competent

Question 5

what is a disorganised offender?

Answer 5

• not planned, no pattern

- leaves evidence, unintelligent, bad relationships

Question 6

– why is the approach not helpful for crimes like burglary?

Answer 6

• helps with crime like rape arson, murder

- but theft burglary and destruction reveals little about the offender so the approach doesn’t work

Question 7

– how is the model of personality outdated?

Answer 7

• records of personality are situation specific - like burglary is overrepresented

Question 8

– how does Canters research not support the approach?

Answer 8

• canter (04) analysed 100 US murders based on 39 organised and disorganised characteristics
• found evidence or organised offender, but no evidence of disorganised offender