Offender profiling Flashcards
What is the aim of offender profiling?
To narrow the pool of suspects and predict future behaviour
Define MO
Modus operandi; how the crime is committed
What is the core assumption of offender profiling?
Criminals operate in a way that reflects their personality
What is the top-down approach?
Uses the experience and intuition of a profiler to draw up a profile from the crime scene using a database which picks up on various aspects of criminal signatures. It is most often used in violent crime such as murder, hence why it is often called crime scene analysis. Created by the FBI
Which type of offender profiling uses the seven-step process?
The top-down approach
What are the characteristics of an organised criminal?
High intelligence. Socially competent. Sexually competent. Skilled occupation. Monitors media coverage of crimes. Loner by choice.
What are the characteristics of a disorganised criminal?
Average intelligence. Socially immature. Sexually incompetent. Poor work history. Lives alone. Lives/works close to the crime scene. No interest in media coverage. Loner by default.
What are the crime scene details of an organised criminal?
Weapon absent. Body hidden from view. Body transported from original point of murder. Crime scene orderly. Attempts to clear up.
What are the crime scene details of a disorganised criminal?
Weapon present.
Sexual activity after death.
Body left in view.
What is the behaviour of an organised criminal towards their victim?
Victim is targeted.
Aggressive.
Controls conversation.
What is the behaviour of a disorganised criminal towards their victim?
Victim selected at random.
Crime unplanned.
Avoids conversation.
What is bottom-up offender profiling?
Builds a picture of the potential criminal from facts and figures collected from previous crimes of the same type. It is based on the intuitive rule that previous behaviour predicts future behaviour, and that there is consistency between the non-criminal and criminal areas of the criminal’s life, and uses the investigative cycle
What is investigative psychology?
This is an approach perfected by David Canter, who wanted to develop an approach to profiling with research as its basis. This makes the approach more objective, as it is based on statistical techniques.
There are five assumptions made that underpin the crime, specifically the interactions between the victim and offender
What are the five characteristics that investigative psychology assesses?
Interpersonal coherence - Behaviour is consistent across situations
Time and place - The positioning and timing of crime gives clues as to where the perpetrator might live or work
Criminal characteristics - Placing criminals into categories is useful and helps the police
Criminal career - This considers how far into their criminal experience offenders are, and how their pattern of crime might progress
Forensic awareness - Offenders who show awareness of forensic investigation, e.g. by cleaning the crime scene, are likely to have committed a crime before and been through the criminal justice system
What type of profiling is a type of investigative psychology?
Geographic
