offender profiling

• What are the two main explanations for criminality discussed in this unit?

  Innate biological factors and learned behavior
• What does Freud contribute to the discussion of criminality?

  Freud offers insights into psychological motivations
• What is offender profiling?

  Assumptions about offender characteristics from crime analysis
• What is a modus operandi (MO) in criminal behavior?

  A specific method used repeatedly by offenders
• What types of crimes are most likely to use offender profiling?

  Serious offenses like rape and murder
• When is offender profiling most likely to be used?

  When normal forensic techniques have failed
• What are the two approaches to offender profiling?

  • Top-down approach (criminal investigative analysis)
  • Bottom-up approach (investigative psychology)
• Who developed the top-down approach to offender profiling?

  The FBI in America
• What are the two categories of offenders in the top-down approach?

  Organized and disorganized offenders
• What is the main characteristic of organized offenders?

  Carefully planned crimes with little evidence
• How are disorganized offenders characterized?

  Crimes committed in the heat of the moment
• What is the purpose of stage 3 in the top-down profiling process?

  To reconstruct the sequence of behaviors
• What does stage 4 of the top-down profiling process involve?

  Generating a profile of the offender
• What is a limitation of the top-down approach according to the text?

  Small sample size of 36 offenders
• What is the main focus of the bottom-up approach?

  Statistical analysis of crime scene data
• Who created the five-factor model in investigative psychology?

  David Cantor
• What does interpersonal coherence suggest in criminal behavior?

  Criminal behavior reflects interactions with others
• What does the time significance factor indicate?

  Criminals choose familiar locations for crimes
• What does forensic awareness imply about a criminal?

  Knowledge of forensic techniques to hide evidence
• What is geographic profiling based on?

  The assumption that crime locations are not random
• What is the least effort principle in geographic profiling?

  Criminals choose locations closest to home
• What does the circle hypothesis suggest?

  Offender's home base is within a circle of crimes
• What is a limitation of the circle hypothesis?

  It oversimplifies criminal geography
• What is the jeopardy surface in criminal geographic targeting?

  A 3D heat map of crime probabilities
• What evidence supports the bottom-up approach?

  87% of British serial assaulters fit the definition
• What is a problem with identifying commuter criminals?

  They may not be caught until later
• Why is it hard to assess the effectiveness of offender profiling?

  It's used with other forensic techniques
• What did Snook's survey reveal about police perceptions of profiling?

  94% of officers found profiling helpful
• What is the Barnum effect in relation to profiling?

  Vague statements seem accurate to many
• What is a final limitation of offender profiling?

  It fails with statistically abnormal offenders
• What are the key components of the bottom-up approach in investigative psychology?

  • Statistical analysis of crime scene data
  • Interpersonal coherence
  • Time significance
  • Criminal characteristics
  • Criminal career
  • Forensic awareness
  • Geographic profiling
• What are the stages of the top-down profiling process?

  1. Data collection
  2. Offender type classification
  3. Crime reconstruction
  4. Profile generation
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of offender profiling?

  Strengths:

  • Helps focus investigations
  • Positive feedback from police

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Difficult to measure effectiveness
  • Susceptible to the Barnum effect
  • May fail with abnormal offenders