Top-down approach

• What is Offender profiling?

  Building a personality of a criminal whose identity is unknown.

  • Used to help find the criminal and bring them to justice.
• When was offender profiling first developed and created by who?

  1950's started developing

  1970's finished developing

  Created by the FBI

  • The unit was called Behavioural Science Unit, now known as Investigative Support Unit.
  • This unit has extensively studied crime scene and conducted interviews with known criminals in order to thoroughly develop theories of behavioural patterns.
• Why is profiling becoming more accurate?

  It is becoming more accurate since personality profiles are based to continue analysis of criminals.
• What are some benefits to offender profiling?

  This field will likely lead to more research and investigation into criminal behavioural patterns, making profiling an even more accurate and helpful tool in apprehending violent and dangerous criminals.
• What is the background to Top-down approach?

  This is an American approach developed in the 1970's by interviewing 36 sexually-motivated murderers.
• A summary of Top-down approach?

  Criminals can be divided into two 'typologies' - disorganised and organised.
• What are the 4 types of classification?

  • Data assimilation
  • Crime scene classification
  • Crime reconstruction
  • Profile generation
• What does Data assimilation mean?

  Investigators gather together information from multiple sources.

  • (e.g., crime scene photos, police reports, pathologists report).
• What does Crime scene classification mean?

  Profilers decide whether the crime scene represents an organised or disorganised offender.
• What does Crime reconstruction mean?

  Hypothesis are generated about what happened during the crime.

  • (e.g. victim behaviour, crime sequence).
• What does Profile generation mean?

  Profilers construct a "sketch" of the offender including demographic and physical characteristics, behavioural habits.
• What is an Organised murder?

  • Crime is planned
  • Attempt to control the victim
  • Leaves few clues at the crime scene
  • Victim is a targeted stranger
• What are the likely characteristics of an organised murder?

  • Above average IQ (possibly an underachiever)
  • Socially and sexually competent
  • Usually living with partner
  • Experiencing anger/depression at the time of the attack
  • Follows media coverage of attack
• What tactics could police use to interview an organised murderer?

  Use a direct strategy - be aware that the offender will only admit to what they must admit to
• What is a Disorganised murder?

  • Little planning or preparation
  • Random, disorganised behaviour
  • Minimum use of constraint
  • Little attempt to hide evidence at crime scene
• What are the likely characteristics of a disorganised murder?

  • Lives alone, near to crime scene
  • Sexually and socially inadequate
  • Experiences severe forms of mental illness
  • Physically or sexually abused in childhood
  • Frightened and confused at the time of the attack
• What tactics could the police use to interview a disorganised murderer?

  • Show empathy
  • Interview at night
  • Use a counsellor type approach
• Information about Ted Bundy

  He was an organised murderer

  • Raped, tortured and brutally murdered of 30 women
  • Charming and intelligent
  • Many victims resembled an ex girlfriend he had been in love with
  • Victims were often attractive with long dark hair parted in the middle
  • He often raped his victims and then beat them to death
• What is a limitation of the top-down approach?

  Only used for violent/sexualised crimes

  • The original sample of offenders profiling (top-down approach) was based on 36 dangerous and sexually motivated criminals. This isn't generalisable and can only be used on extreme cases however it has been adapted.
• What is another limitation of the top-down approach?

  Too simplistic/reductionist

  • There's only said to be two typologies which can be seen as reductionist.
  • Ted Bundy is an example of an organised murdered that turned into a disorganised murderer. Murderers can be both typologies.
• What is a strength of the top-down approach?

  Objective

  • As they have the same 4 steps that all profiles follow, it is standardised and has good inter-observer reliability.