PY4 - Offender Profiling

Question 1

What type of crimes can offender profiling help to prevent?

Answer 1

Serial killing, serial rape and serial arson

Question 2

Rather than solving crimes, what does a profile help law enforcement do?

Answer 2

Can help with the detection of suspects and predictions of further offenses.

Question 3

What is the FBI approach known as and why?

Answer 3

The face-down approach as it starts with predetermined ideas of the criminal.

Question 4

When was the FBI approach developed and by who?

Answer 4

1970’s by the behavioral science unit of the FBI

Question 5

Who were the main people involved in the research to build an offender profile in the FBI approach?

Answer 5

Ressler, Burgess and Douglas

Question 6

How was the original offender profile created for the FBI approach?

Answer 6

Interviewed 36 serial killers with sexual aspects to their crimes and conducted further research into their personalities, backgrounds and other aspects of their lives.

Question 7

What are the 4 stages to create an offender profile in the FBI approach?

Answer 7

1. Data assimilation (available data e.g. from the crime scene or autopsy). 2. Crime scene classification (evidence is used to put the crime into a typology) 3. Crime reconstruction (reconstructing the events of the offender and victim to reach a hypothesis) 4. Profile generation (a profile is developed including age, ethnicity and social class)

Question 8

Describe an organised criminal

Answer 8

Intelligent, socially competent, plans the crime

Question 9

Describe an disorganized criminal.

Answer 9

Low intelligence, socially incompetent, unplanned crime

Question 10

Give 3 supporting factors for the FBI approach to criminal profiling.

Answer 10

Useful applications (lots of countries have taken on this approach to profiling criminals e.g. NCID unit in the Netherlands)
Important in challenging stereotypes that investigators may hold about offenders that could mislead investigations
Ainsworth (2001) - Useful in allowing offenses to be linked and to make predictions about the time frame of the next crime and how the offenses will develop.

Question 11

Give 3 contradicting factors for the FBI approach to offender profiling.

Answer 11

Original data: small group of offenders, may have a distorted memory of their crimes and are known for being manipulative.- issue of validity
May have an inaccurate view on how helpful it is because more likely to report successes than failures.
Assumes that offenders are one thing or the other and that this is stable over time. Wilson et al (1997) may shift from organised to disorganised limiting the usefulness of profiles.

Question 12

When was the British approach developed and who by?

Answer 12

1980’s by David Canter

Question 13

Who did Canter build a profile on when developing the British approach?

Answer 13

John Duffy (the railway rapist)

Question 14

What does the British approach assume about individuals?

Answer 14

That they are consistent and that there are identifiable differences in criminal behaviour

Question 15

What is this approach known as and why?

Answer 15

The bottoms up approach as it starts with no presumptions about the crime

Question 16

What does the British Approach to profiling focus on when looking for an offender?

Answer 16

More focused on the characteristics of the crime rather than the criminal
Interpersonal coherence (how the crime is committed can give indications towards lifestyle and behaviour) Significance of time and place (could be close to where they live or work)
Forensic awareness (previous experience with the police)

Question 17

Give two pieces of supporting evidence for the British approach to profiling

Answer 17

Looks at the victim in more detail and data is collected and analysed more thoroughly than the FBI approach meaning that the profile can be more accurate
Profile of John Duffy was very accurate; live near first crimes, knowledge of railways (ex british rail) and keeping souvenirs (33 keys)

Question 18

Give two negative evaluation points for the British approach to offender profiling

Answer 18

Vital information can be missed (e.g. Duffy had an accomplice David Mulcahy who was identified 9 years later)
Profiling only led to identification of criminal in 2.7% of 184 cases implying that it is rarely useful.