Top down approach

• What is this approach ?

  • uses the experience + intuition of the profiler to create a profile of the criminal from the crime scene
  • developed by the fbi who interviewed 36 sexually motivated killers
  • starts with a theory about type of person who committed the crime and the evidence from the crime scene is used to profile the criminal
  • analysis of previous crimes to create a profile of a likely offender
• Who developed organised and disorganised crimes ?

  Hazel wood + Douglas
• What is an organised crime- victim ?

  • victim targetted + aggressive
  • no weapon or evidence
  • body hidden
  • crime scene Is orderly
• Organised crime- criminal ?

  • high intelligence
  • socially + sexually competent
  • have transport
  • aware of the media
  • minimal behaviour change after crime
• Organised crime - background?

  • eldest sibling
  • inconsistent discipline as a child
• What is a disorganised crime- victim ?

  • victim random
  • unplanned crime
  • weapon + evidence present
  • body left in view
  • sexually active after death
• Disorganised - criminal ?

  • low- average intelligence
  • socially + sexually immature
  • major behaviour change after crime
  • no interest in media
  • live alone or near crime scene
• disorganised - background?

  • youngest sibling
  • With harsh discipline
• What is a disorganised crime ?


  crime scene left with many clues
• What is the 6 stage process ?

  1. profiling input
  2. decision process
  3. crime assessment
  4. criminal profile
  5. crime assessment
  6. apprehension
• Profiling inputs ?

  • data collected
  • description of crime scene
  • Background info on the victim
  • crime specifics
  • evidence photos
• Decision process models ?

  • identify patterns in murder types - mass, spree, serial
  • time factors - long or short
  • location factors
• Crime assessment 1?


  organised Or disorganised
• Criminal profile ?


  Hypothesis about the back ground,habits and Beliefs of the offender

  • used to make a strategy for investigation - Including how they will respond to being interviewed
• Crime assessment 2?


  Written report given to the police who can filter their suspects
• Apprehension ?

  • any suspects are revised against each stage to check for the conclusions are valid
• Evaluation ?

  1. Canter et al
  2. gender bias
  3. high ecological validity
  4. practical application
• canter et al ?

  Only 2 types of criminals

  • content analysis of 100 serial killers
  • analysis is failed to distinguish any clear differences between O + D
  • must crimes all have an organised element as not caught before 3 crimes
• Gender bias ?

  • crimes often committed by men
  • females may have differwnt characteristics
  • interviewed sexually motivated crimes - not the same as a burglary
• High ecological validity?


  developed by fbi

  • arose through actual practice
• Practical application ?


  Helped catch Shawcross who would leave bodies and then come back to them and cut them up