The top-down approach

• What is the main focus of the top-down approach in offender profiling?

  It focuses on categorizing offenders based on their behavior and characteristics.
• What are the key terms associated with the top-down approach to offender profiling?

  Organised and disorganised types of offender.
• What are the characteristics of organised and disorganised types of offenders?

  • Organised offenders:
  • Plan their crimes
  • Show self-control
  • Leave little evidence
  • Disorganised offenders:
  • Act impulsively
  • Lack planning
  • Leave significant evidence
• What is a potential flaw in the top-down approach to offender profiling?

  It may oversimplify the complexity of criminal behavior.
• What are the steps involved in constructing an FBI profile using the top-down approach?

  1. Collect data from crime scenes
  2. Analyze the behavior of the offender
  3. Categorize the offender as organised or disorganised
  4. Develop a profile based on characteristics
  5. Apply the profile to ongoing investigations
• How can the top-down approach to offender profiling be applied in real-world investigations?

  By using profiles to narrow down suspect lists and guide investigations.
• What type of evidence is used in the evaluation of the top-down approach?

  Research support and case studies.
• What is a counterpoint to the effectiveness of the top-down approach?

  It may not account for the unique psychological traits of individual offenders.
• What is an extra evaluation point regarding the personality aspect of the top-down approach?

  It may overlook the influence of environmental factors on behavior.
• What methods are used in the top-down approach to offender profiling?

  Analysis of police records and crime scene data.
• What is the first step in defining offender profiling?

  To identify the characteristics and behaviors of offenders.
• What is the purpose of outlining the top-down approach to offender profiling?

  To provide a structured method for understanding criminal behavior.
• What is the significance of distinguishing between organised and disorganised types of offenders?

  It helps in developing targeted profiles for investigations.
• How does the top-down approach differ from other profiling methods?

  It categorizes offenders based on their behavior rather than just crime characteristics.
• What is offender profiling?


  assumptions about characteristics of an offender by a careful analysis of the offence they commit
• What is modus operandi?


  crime is not random, offenders have distinctive way they commit their crimes/criminal signature.
• What is the top-down approach?


  profilers created pre-exisiting categories of offender types, organised and disorganised offenders.
• Profiler


  Own personal experience and intuition to fit the offender into one of these types. Using crime scene evidence.
• Organised offenders


  Plan their crime, prepare. Take care to tidy crime scene. Usually have higher than average iq
• Disorga offenders 


  Don’t plan their crime scene. Leave mess at scene of crime. Doesn’t hide the body. Lower than average iq
• Canter (2004) AO3


  ReviewEd 100 us serial killers. Found disorganised characterI arcs were rare and didn’t form dostinct type. Suggesting false dichotomy between two types and organisation is typical in most serial killers
• Snook (2007) AO3


  Canadian major crime officers agreed that criminal profiling helps solve cases (94%) and is valuable investigative tool (88.2%). Suggesting detectives feel offender profiling is effective in helping with their work.