Top-down approach to offender profiling

    Cards (20)

    • What are the 2 approaches in offender profiling?
      Top down and bottom up approach
    • Offender profiling
      A tool that is used to help investigators accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals
    • How is offender profiling used
      Investigators will closely examine the crime scene and gain evidence so they can generate a hypothesis about the offenders likely characteristics. This will then narrow the list of likely suspects.
    • Outline the process of offender profiling in the top-down approach
      The profilers will start with pre-established typologies and work their way down from there. They will assign the criminals into one of two categories with the use of evidence as a way to shorten the list of suspects.
    • Outline the research that the top-down approach is based on
      Research in the 70's where the FBI interviewed 36 sexually motivated killers to identify their typologies
    • What are the 2 typologies?
      Organised offenders and disorganised offenders
    • List the 4 modus operandi's for organised offenders
      - They plan the crime
      - They deliberately choose their victim
      - They leave few cues at the crime scene
      - They are very precise
    • List the 4 likely characteristics of organised offenders
      - Have an above average IQ
      - They are married with children
      - Socially and sexually competent
      - They are a skilled professional in their work
    • List the 3 modus operandi's for disorganised offenders
      - Little evidence of planning (spontaneous)
      -Leaving the body at the crime scene
      - Little evidence of control
    • List the 4 likely characteristics of disorganised offenders
      - Have a lower than average IQ
      - Are unskilled in the work / unemployed
      - Sexually dysfunctional and has had failed relationships
      - Lives alone and close to the crime scene
    • List the 4 steps to constructing an offender profile in the top down approach
      1) Data assimilation
      2) Crime scene classification
      3) Crime reconstruction
      4) Profile generation
    • Data assimilation
      The profiler reviews the evidence from the crime scene
    • Crime scene classification
      The suspect is labelled as an organised or disorganised offender
    • Crime reconstruction
      A hypothesis is first formed in terms of the sequence of events
    • Profile generation
      A hypothesis is formed in terms of the likely offender
    • Give a weakness of the top-down approach regarding the fact that it can only be applied to certain crimes
      The top down approach is best suited to certain crimes that leave details about the suspect (e.g. rape or arson). However, more common crimes such as property crimes that reveal little about the offender. This therefore, suggests that is limited in its use as it cant be used to explain common offences.
    • Give a limitation of the top down approach regarding the research it is based on
      The disorganised and organised typology was developed using the data from interviews with 36 sexually motivated killers. Two problem with this is that it is difficult to apply the results to offenders that aren't sexually motivated and the small sample isn't randomised which means results are ungeneralisable and difficult to replicate. This therefore, suggests that the top-down approach doesn't have a scientific basis.
    • Outline a limitation of the top-down approach regarding the classification being too simplistic
      The behaviours that are classified as disorganised or organised are not mutually exclusive as a combination of both could occur at a crime scene. Other researchers have suggested that there are 4 types of serial killers (visionary, mission, hedonistic and power). This therefore, suggests that the top-down approach isn't complex enough to account for all types of offenders.
    • Outline a limitation of the top-down approach regarding contradictory research for the disorganised offender typology
      A study was conducted where 100 murderers were examined each with reference to 39 characteristics thought to be typical of organised and disorganised killers. Although evidence did support the organised type, it didn't support the disorganised typology. This therefore, undermines the classification system used in the top-down approach. (However, it is still used in the US)
    • Outline a limitation of the top down approach regarding the fact that its based on outdated models of personality that rely on personality to stay the same
      The typology classification system is based on the assumption that offenders have patterns of behaviour and motivations that remain consistent across all situations. It is argued that this approach is naïve and is informed by old fashioned models of personality that suggest behaviour is driven by stable traits that don't change. This therefore, suggests that the approach has poor validity when identifying possible suspects and trying to predict their next move as it relies on personality being static.