Offender profiling

• What is the basic assumption of offender profiling?

  The offender's behaviour at the crime scene reflects something about them as a person.
• How can a criminal's behaviour during a crime provide insights?

  It can tell us something about their personality.
• What does offender profiling NOT do for the police?

  It does not tell the police exactly who committed the offence.
• What can offender profiling suggest about an offender?

  It can suggest personality and demographic characteristics that the offender is likely to possess.
• How should offender profiles be viewed in the context of solving crimes?

  As one more tool that can be extremely useful in aiding the police to solve the crime.
• What is the 'top-down' approach in offender profiling?

  It uses the experience and intuition of a profiler to draw up a profile from the crime scene.
• What does the 'top-down' approach compare evidence from the crime scene to?

  Patterns from previous crimes.
• What factors were used to classify offenders in the 'top-down' approach?

  Murder type, time and location factors, intent, and risk.
• What are the characteristics of organised and disorganised offenders?

  **Organised Offender:**

  • Victim targeted
  • Controls the conversation
  • Weapon absent
  • Body hidden
  • High intelligence
  • Socially competent

  
  

  **Disorganised Offender:**

  • Victim selected at random
  • Avoids conversation
  • Weapon present
  • Body in view
  • Average intelligence
  • Socially immature
• What is the first step in constructing an offender profile?

  Using data from the crime scene, such as photographs and pathology reports.
• What is the second step in constructing an offender profile?

  The crime scene will be classified as organised or disorganised.
• What does the reconstruction of the crime scene involve?

  A hypothesis of the sequence of events.
• What does the final step in constructing an offender profile entail?

  A profile is generated – the likely characteristics of the offender.
• What did Canter et al. (2004) analyze in their study?

  Data from 100 murders in the USA.
• What did Canter et al. (2004) find regarding organised and disorganised types?

  There was evidence for an organised type but not for a disorganised type.
• What did Copson (1995) find about the usefulness of profiling?

  82% of police officers said the technique was useful.
• Why might the two main types of offenders be considered too simplistic?

  Criminals do not necessarily fall into either category, as each crime may have both elements.
• What did Douglas (1992) suggest about offender types?

  He suggested a third type – mixed offender.
• In what types of crimes is the profiling method limited in usefulness?

  In crimes where the crime scene reveals details about the suspect, such as rape and sadistic torture.
• What is the main criticism of the validity of the profiling approach?

  It is based on data from a small sample of the most dangerous and sexually motivated murderers.
• What is the aim of the British bottom-up approach in offender profiling?

  To generate a picture of the offender through systematic analysis of evidence from the crime scene.

  
• What does investigative psychology propose about profiling?

  It should be based on psychological theory and research, removing the intuition element.
• What are the features of investigative psychology?

  • **Interpersonal coherence:** Behaviour is consistent across situations.
  • **Time and place:** Provides clues about the perpetrator's location.
  • **Forensic awareness:** Knowledge of the criminal justice system may indicate prior offenses.
• What does geographical profiling focus on?

  The location and timing aspects of a crime.
• What is 'crime mapping' according to Rossmo (1997)?

  It makes inferences about where an offender is based on the location of linked crime scenes.
• What does the 'centre of gravity' refer to in geographical profiling?

  The location that is often in the middle of the spatial pattern of crimes committed.
• What does the 'circle theory' proposed by Canter and Larkin (1993) suggest?

  An offender commits crimes within a circle around their usual residence.
• What are the two models proposed in the 'circle theory'?

  • **Marauder:** Operates close to their home base.
  • **Commuter:** Travels to another area to commit crimes.
• What did Canter famously do with investigative profiling?

  He created a profile for the 'Railway rapist' which was very accurate.
• What was a significant failure in the use of profiling according to the case of Rachel Nickell (1992)?

  Colin Stagg was convicted based on a profile, but later evidence proved another man guilty.
• What did Copson (1995) find about the accuracy of profiling in identifying offenders?

  Only in 3% of cases did it lead to the accurate identification of the offender.
• What did Lundrigan and Canter (2001) find regarding spatial consistency in serial killers?

  The location of each body disposal site was in a different direction from the previous, creating a 'centre of gravity'.
• What is one advantage of the bottom-up approach compared to the top-down approach?

  It is considered to be more scientific due to the use of objective statistical techniques.
• What is a limitation of the bottom-up approach in profiling?

  It is not useful until an offender has become a serial offender.
• What is the conclusion regarding the use of profiling in investigations?

  Profiling should be used as one of the investigative tools, not the only one.