Top Down Approach

• Offender Profiling


  Investigative tool used by the police when solving crimes to accurately predict /profile characteristics of unknown offenders
• Offender Profiling: Top-Down Approach

  Data about the crime scene is collected

  Two categories: organised//disorganised

  Predicted the offender would have other characteristics
• T/D Organised Offender


  Usually married

  Above average intelligence

  Planned the crime in advance

  High degree of control/ precision

  Little evidence left behind

  Deliberately targeted their victim
• T/D Disorganised Offender


  Usually single

  Little evidence of planning the offence

  Reflection of spontaneity

  Below average intelligence

  Live Alone
• Modus Oprendi

  The manor of the way an offender works (their signature way of working).

  Generates social and psychological characteristics that relate to the individuals typology
• T/D Constructing the FBI

  Data Assimilation: profile review of evidence

  Crime Scene Classification

  Crime Reconstruction: sequences of offence

  Profile Generation: hypothesis related to likely offender
• Ao3: T/D Canter et Al

  Conducted an analysis of 100 USA murders each committed by different serial killers

  Analysis tested for correlations between 39 aspects of serial killings: torture/restraint/attempt to conceal

  A set of features which matched FBI's typology
• Ao3: T/D Godwin


  Features of both disorganised/organised can be seen in offences

  Godwin argues that killers often have contrasting characteristics such as high intelligence and committing spontaneous murders
• Ao3: T/D Wider Application

  Critics argue that it can only be applicable to a limited number of cases such as sexually motivated murder

  HOWEVER, Meketa found t/d has been applied to burglary and 85% rise in solved cases in 3 US states
• Ao3: T/D Mischel


  Questions the idea of 'types' of offenders that commit the behaviour they do

  Instead he argued behaviour is much more driven by the situation someone is in