Top up approach (offender profiling.)

Question 1

AO1: what is the top down approach and who uses it?

Answer 1

When AMERICAN profilers start with a pre-established TYPOLOGY and work DOWN in order to assign offenders to one of two CATEGORIES based on WITNESS accounts and EVIDENCE from the crime SCENE.

Question 2

who are ORGANISED offenders?

Answer 2

an offender who shows evidence of PLANNING.

*TARGETS the victim.
*sexually/socially COMPETENT
*HIGH intelligence.

Question 3

who are disorganised offenders?

Answer 3

offenders who show LITTLE evidence of PLANNING.

*Leave CLUES
*socially/sexually INCOMPETENT
*LOWER intelligence.

Question 4

what are the 4 stages involved in CONSTRUCTING an FBI profile?

Answer 4

1. Data assimilation: profiler reviews all EVIDENCE.
2. Crime scene classification: ORGANISED/DISORGANISED.
3. Crime reconstruction: HYPOTHESES developed i.e sequence of events.
4. Profile generation: Hypotheses developed in RELATION to the LIKELY offender.