Top down approach-EVAL Flashcards
one ISSUE with the top down profiling is that it LACKS generalisibility to other crimes.
this is because it is largely used for VIOLENT crimes and rape, rather than crimes like burgalry and is therefore a LIMITED approach to offender profiling.
HOWEVER, MEKETA says its been applied to BURGLARY with 85% RISE in solved cases by adding 2 new categories: INTERPERSONAL, OPPORTUNISTIC.
Therefore it’s been criticised suggesting that it is MORE generalisable than first thought in terms of the TYPE of crimes as long as we have the ADDITION of interpersonal and opportunistic which is therefore a STRENGTH of the TD approach.
one ISSUE with this approach is that there are QUESTIONS over the existence of the organised/disorganised typology
CANTER analysed 100 murders and examined each case against 39 characteristics TYPICAL of organised/disorganised killers, findings showed evidence of a DISTINCT type of organised type but NOT disorganised.
Therefore this UNDERMINES the classification of organised and disorganised within the TD approach as a WHOLE as the disorganised type does NOT seem generalisable.
one ISSUE with the top down approach is that it was developed using the SELF-REPORT method.
(Interviews conducted on 36 killers in the US)
This gives the killeres the opportunity to LIE to be socially desirable and show DC’s which is an ISSUE because it LOWERS the IV of the study and makes it UNRELIABLE.
The interviews were also UNSTRUCTURED and NOT using a standard set of questions which means results CANT be comparable.
Also only used USA which LIMITS generalisability and becomes an IMPOSED etic if we take this approach and try and APPLY it to other cultures as it may NOT be accurate.
one ISSUE with TOPDOWN approach is that there may be an issue with the BEHAVIOURS not being MUTUALLY exclusive.
behaviours that are describes as organised/disorganised are NOT mutually exclusive. GODWIN questions how police would CLASSIFY a killer with HIGH iq and sexual competence who committed a spontanoeus murder in which the body is left at the crime scene, further type of serial killers have been identified.
therefore this approah may NOT always be useful to SEPARATE into tehse 2 distinct types and may OVERLAP or be more of a CONTINUUM. So usefulness of the topdown approach is DECREASED and CRITICISED.
