forensic psychology - bottom up profiling

Question 1

what is bottom up profiling

Answer 1

Profilers work up from evidence collected from the crime scene to develop hypothesises about the likely characteristic, motivations and social background of the offender.

Question 2

what two techniques are used for bottom up profiling

Answer 2

investigative psychology and geographical profiling.

Question 3

what is investigative psychology

Answer 3

A form of bottom up profiling that matches details from the offence or related offences with statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns based on psychological theory.
-> reveals important details about offender

Question 4

what are the main features of approach

Answer 4

1. Interpersonal coherence – the way an offender behaves at the scene, including how they ‘interact’ with their victim, may reflect their behaviour in more everyday situations.
2. Time and place – this may indicate where the offender is living or working.
3. Forensic awareness – certain behaviours might reveal awareness of police techniques and past experience.

Question 5

what is geographical profiling

Answer 5

profiling based on assumption repeat offenders will restrict themselves geographical areas they are familiar with.

understanding the spatial pattern of their behaviour -> ‘centre of gravity’ which is likely to include the offender’s base + help track where they will strike next

Question 6

what did canters circle theory propose

Answer 6

there are two models of offender behaviour
1. The marauder – who operates in close proximity to their home base

2. The commuter – who is likely to have travelled a distance away from their usual residence

Question 7

what is a strength of bottom up profiling ? (supporting geographical profiling)

Answer 7

lundrigan Canter (2001)
120 murder cases involving serial killers.
each body disposal site was in a different direction from the previous, creating a ‘centre of gravity’ indicating the offenders base.
supports Canter’s claim that spatial information is a key factor in determining the base of an offender -> valid method of offender profiling

Question 8

what is another strength of BU profiling ( objectivity)

Answer 8

more objective and scientific than the top down approach.

advances in artificial intelligence -> geographical, biographical and psychological data manipulated quickly to produce insights that help investigation

bottom up approach -> more grounded in evidence and psychological theory
less speculation and hunches.

impact -> offenders are more quickly and accurately identified in investigations.

Question 9

what is a limitation of BU profiling ( reliability issues)

Answer 9

Studies examining the effectiveness of offender profiling -> mixed results

Copson (1995) surveyed 48 police forces
advice provided by the profiler was judged to be ‘useful’ in 83% of cases
accurate identification of the offender in 3% o cases
significant issues with reliability + accuracy
may not be appropriate for identifying offenders

Question 10

strength of BU approach (many crimes)

Answer 10

can be applied to wide range of offences
burglary + theft + murder+ rape
better than TU approach - only explains limited number of crimes rape, arson, cult killings