Forensics - The top down approach

Question 1

what is offender profiling

Answer 1

• behavioural and analytical tool that is intended to help investigators predict and profile characteristics of an unknown offender
• narrows field of enquiry and suspects
• scrutinise crime scene, analyse evidence, generate hypotheses

Question 2

what is the top down approach

Answer 2

• profilers start with a pre-established typology and work down to lower levels to assign offenders
• originated in the US by the BAU
  -profiler has experience and uses evidence and the crime scene to develop a profile
• establish criminals as organised/disorganised = established from an in-depth interview of 36 sexually motivated killers

Question 3

What is the modus operandi

Answer 3

• developed by Jackson and Bekerain
• the way they commit the crime and victim they choose

Question 4

what are the traits of organised offenders

Answer 4

Behaviour = targets victims, aggressive
Crime scene = weapon absent, body hidden, orderly crime scene
Characteristics = high intelligence, socially and sexually competent, skilled occupation, monitor media coverage
Background = eldest

Question 5

what are the traits of disorganised offenders

Answer 5

Behaviour = random victim, unplanned crime
Crime scene = weapon present, sexual activity with body after death
Characteristics = average intelligence, socially immature, sexually incompetent, poor work history, lives alone
Background = youngest

Question 6

how is an FBI profile constructed

Answer 6

Data Assimilation = profiler reviews evidence
Crime scene classification = organised or disorganised
Crime reconstruction = hypothesis in terms of event, behaviours
Profile generation = hypotheses related to the offender

Question 7

what are the strengths

Answer 7

David Canter et al
- conducted analysis of 100 US murders to assess co-occurrence of 39 aspects of serial killings
- there are a subset of features of many serial killings

Tina Meketa
- top-down profiling used in burglary resulting in an 85% increase of solved cases
- added interpersonal coherence - offender knows their victim and steals something of significance
- adds opportunistic offender - inexperienced young offender

Question 8

what are the limitations

Answer 8

Godwin
- argues that it is difficult to classify killers as one type
- can have contrasting characteristics

Flawed evidence
- FBI profiling was established from interviews with 36 murderers, 25 serial killers and 11 single/double murderers
- 24 classified as organised
- poor sample