A01

• overall

  • The top-down approach originated in the FBI and Is described as a qualitative approach to offender profiling due to looking at the overall picture of the crime. 
  • It’s based on past experiences by the police, relying on intuition and beliefs of the profile rather that scientific methods(intuitive approach)
• stages

  1. crime classification where profilers decide whether the crime scene is organised or disorganised
  2. crime reconstruction where hypotheses are made surrounding the crime.
  3. profile generation occurs where offender’s physical, demographic and behavioural characteristics are put together
  4. data assimilation, where all data compiled from the police e.g., post-mortems, reports etc. 
• organised

  • where crime is planned
  • victim is specifically targeted
  • weapon absent
  • clues hidden
  • criminal is socially/sexually competent, potentially living with their family and having good job and car.
• disorganised

  • crime is not planned
  • victim randomly chosen
  • weapon is present at crime scene
  • clues left e.g., blood and semen
  • the criminal typically quite lonely
  • not sexually/socially competent.