The top-down approach

• Offender profiling is a method used by the police to help identify and catch criminals by predicting characteristics of the offender based on crime scene evidence and the characteristics of the offence.
• The top-down approach was developed by the FBI in the 1970s based on interviews with 36 sexually-motivated serial killers, including Ted Bundy and Charles Manson. It is primarily used for violent crimes, such as murder and rape. This method is typically used in America.
• The top-down approach is also known as the typology approach. Profilers start with a pre-established typology and work down in order to assign offenders to one of two categories (organised or disorganised) based on witness accounts and evidence from the crime scene.
• The top-down approach has 4 stages:

  • Data assimilation
  • Crime scene classification
  • Crime reconstruction
  • Profile generation
• The first stage of the top-down approach is data assimilation. This is when the profiler collects and reviews all available information about the crime, including crime scene photos, reports, and witness statements.
• The second stage of the top-down approach is crime scene classification. This is when the profiler determines whether the offender is an organised or disorganised criminal.
• The third stage of the top-down approach is crime reconstruction. This is when the profiler hypothesises what happened during the crime, including the offender’s behaviour and victim interaction.
• The fourth stage of the top-down approach is profile generation. This is when the profiler develops a profile of the offender, including demographics (age, job, background), personality traits, and possible behaviours.
• An organised offender is an offender who shows evidence of planning, targets the victim and tends to be socially and sexually competent with higher than average intelligence.
• Characteristics of Organised Offenders:

  • Plan their crimes in advance
  • Target specific victims
  • Show high control (e.g., restraining the victim, removing evidence)
  • Are socially and sexually competent
  • Often have an above-average IQ and maintain normal lives
  • Usually married and may have children
• A disorganised offender is an offender who shows little evidence of planning, leaves clues and tends to be socially and sexually incompetent with lower than average intelligence.
• Characteristics of Disorganised Offenders:

  • Act impulsively, with little planning
  • Leave evidence at the crime scene
  • Have little control over the crime
  • Tend to be socially and sexually inadequate
  • Often have lower intelligence and are unemployed
  • Often live alone and relatively close to the crime scene