Outline (AO1)

• Top-Down Approach:

  • formed by FBI behavioural science unit
  • primary focus on himicide + serial rape cases
  • gathered data from in depth interviews with 36 sexually motivated serial killers (e.g. Ted Bundy + Charles Manson) -> used them to create typologies (templates) of either organised or disorganised offender
• Typology Approach:

  • templates of organised + disorganised offender are pre-existing in the mind of the profiler
  • evidence from the crime scene + other details of the crime/victim/context are then used to fit into either of the pre-existing categories + determine offender as one type or the other
• Organised Crininals:

  • pre-planned, victim reflects a type, high level of control, detached, little evidence left behind, above average IQ, skilled profession, sexually competent, married
  • commit crimes that are pre-meditated + planned out in advance -> criminal knows its wrong + they show no remorse -> crime scene is destroyed/cleaned + little to no evidence is found -> may be experienced
• Disorganised Criminals:

  • little evidence of planning, spontaneous act, impulsive nature of crime scene, lower than average IQ, unskilled work/unemployed, previous failed relationships, live alone + locally to attacks
  • can be fueled by emotions, have little to no control over what they are doing + typically crime is not premeditated -> often typically leave evidence behind such as fingerprints, blood or hair etc -> these criminals may be impacted by drugs or alcohol + tend to have lower IQ
• Constructing an FBI Profile:

  1. Data Assimilation: FBI review the evidence from the crime scene
  2. Crime Scene Classification: organised or disorganised
  3. Crime Reconstruction -> hypothesis is created relating to the sequence of events + behaviour of victim
  4. Profile Generation: hypothesis related to the likely offender (e.g. demographic background, physicality, behaviour etc.)