Forensic

• Offender profiling 


  Offender profiling is an investigative tool employed by the police when solving crimes. It is used to narrow the field of enquiry and the list of likely suspects. There are different ways in which the police can profile their likely offender. These include the top-down approach, the bottom-up approach and geographical profiling.
• The top-down approach to offender profiling 


  The top-down approach to offender profiling originated from the work of the FBI. During interviews with 36 serial killers, the FBI identified two categories of offenders: organised offenders and disorganised offenders. These two types of offenders have signature ‘ways of working’ that are associated with their social and psychological characteristics.
• What is a key characteristic of an organised offender's ways of working?

  Evidence of planning
• How does an organised offender typically control the crime scene?

  High degree of control with little evidence left
• What does it indicate if an organised offender targets their victim in advance?

  The crime is premeditated
• What social characteristics are common among organised offenders?

  Socially and sexually competent
• What is a typical family situation for organised offenders?

  Usually married with children
• What psychological characteristic is common among organised offenders?

  Higher than average intelligence
• What type of profession do organised offenders typically work in?

  Skilled professions
• What is a key characteristic of a disorganised offender's ways of working?

  Little evidence of planning
• How does a disorganised offender typically control the crime scene?

  Little control with evidence often left behind
• What does it indicate if a disorganised offender has a random victim selection?

  The crime is impulsive
• What social characteristics are common among disorganised offenders?

  Socially and sexually incompetent
• What might a disorganised offender's relationship history indicate?

  History of sexual dysfunction and failed relationships
• What psychological characteristic is common among disorganised offenders?

  Lower than average intelligence
• What type of profession do disorganised offenders typically work in?

  Unskilled professions or unemployed
• What are the main differences between organised and disorganised offenders in terms of planning and control?

  • Organised offenders:
  • Evidence of planning
  • High control during crime
  • Disorganised offenders:
  • Little evidence of planning
  • Little control during crime
• What are the social and psychological characteristics of organised versus disorganised offenders?

  • Organised offenders:
  • Socially and sexually competent
  • Higher than average intelligence
  • Disorganised offenders:
  • Socially and sexually incompetent
  • Lower than average intelligence
• What are the two categories of offenders in profiling?

  Organised and disorganised offenders
• How does a profiler determine if an offender is organised or disorganised?

  By analyzing the type of crime and evidence
• What factors does a profiler consider when categorising an offender?

  • Type of crime committed
  • Evidence from the crime scene
  • Victim and crime location
• What does an offender profile summarise?

  It summarises the likely characteristics of the offender
• What social characteristics might be included in an offender profile?

  • Relationship status
  • Psychological characteristics (e.g., intelligence)
  • Demographic background (e.g., education, employment)
• What psychological characteristic might be included in an offender profile?

  Intelligence
• What demographic background factors are considered in an offender profile?

  Level of education, employment, homeownership
• What is the bottom-up approach to offender profiling?

  A data-driven approach to profiling offenders
• How does the bottom-up approach differ from the top-down approach?

  It does not start with fixed offender types
• What is the first step in the bottom-up approach?

  Analyzing evidence at the crime scene
• What is investigative psychology in the context of the bottom-up approach?

  Using statistical data on similar crimes
• How does investigative psychology make predictions about offenders?

  By comparing crime-scene analysis to pre-existing crime data
• What might indicate that a series of unsolved offenses are linked?

  Similarities in crime scene analyses
• What assumption does the bottom-up approach make about offenders?

  Offenders display consistent behavior across crimes
• What are the key features of the bottom-up approach to offender profiling?

  • Data-driven approach
  • Begins with crime scene evidence
  • Does not start with fixed offender types
  • Involves investigative psychology
  • Assumes consistent offender behavior
• What is a strength of the bottom-up approach to offender profiling?

  It is seen as more scientific.
• Why is the bottom-up approach considered more scientific than the top-down approach?

  It uses statistics from computer databases.
• How does the bottom-up approach improve objectivity in offender profiling?

  It removes subjective interpretation from profilers.
• What is a limitation of the bottom-up approach when profiling rare crimes?

  It requires statistical information from similar crimes.
• What happens if there is a lack of pre-existing data on similar crimes?

  It may result in incomplete or inaccurate evidence.
• Why can comparisons between crimes be difficult in the bottom-up approach?

  Behavior patterns may not apply to all crimes.
• How does the type of theft affect behavior patterns in the bottom-up approach?

  Different thefts show varying behavior patterns.