Offender Profiling- British Bottom Up

Question 1

What is the Bottom up approach?

Answer 1

Looks at details available to gradually build a profile- more systematic and uses psychology

Question 2

What does the Bottom up approach involve and use?

Answer 2

Involves:
Investigative psychology
Geographical profiling
Uses:
Psychological theory
Statistical procedures

Question 3

How is the Bottom up approach used?

Answer 3

Looks at patterns of behaviour that are likely to occur across different crime scenes
When a new crime is reported the details are matched against the statistical records of other offences- helps to identify likely characteristics of the offender
Also used to see if a series of crimes are linked to the same person

Question 4

What are the three principles the bottom up approach is based on?

Answer 4

Interpersonal coherence
Time & place
Forensic awareness

Question 5

What is the principle of interpersonal coherence?

Answer 5

The way the offender communicates with the victim is often consistent with how they communicate with others in day-to-day life

Question 6

What is the principle of forensic awareness?

Answer 6

Whether the crime scene and/or behaviour suggests they have been in trouble with the police before as they show awareness of ‘covering their tracks’

Question 7

What is the principle of time & place?

Answer 7

Looking at where and when the crime took place may tell us things about where they live or are employed

Question 8

What is geographical profiling?

Answer 8

Used alongside investigative psychology
Plot scenes of crime on a map- similar crime in that area- assume they link
Canter and Larkin- circle theory- draw a circle around all crimes in a similar nature and the offenders base with be in the middle

Question 9

What is a marauder?

Answer 9

An offender who operates within a close proximity of where they live

Question 10

What is a commuter?

Answer 10

An offender who is likely to travel away from their base to commit their offences

Question 11

What are the strengths of Bottom up approach?

Answer 11

John Duffy case- Canter (1986)- helped identify John Duffy as the ‘railway rapists- 23 attacks at railway stations in the south east of England- Canter’s assumptions of the offender were extremely similar e.g assumed married with no children actually married and infertile etc he also plotted the crimes on a map to determine likely occupation and location

Evidence of success- Wittebrod and Jackson (1979)- 210 rape cases- found if an offender was careful to not leave fingerprints, stole from the victim and had forced entry to their home there was around 90% probability they had been previously convicted of burglary- supports investigative psychology specifically forensic awareness

Question 12

What are the limitations of the Bottom up approach?

Answer 12

Assumes all cases can be linked through a central database of crimes- previous crimes are solved ones- the unsolved aren’t on the database- suggesting they are not linked- difficult to build a profile- questions validity at profiling more unique crimes

Practical issues to geographical profiling- relies on accurate info being available to create the map- different police forces may not share info- the ‘dark figure of crime’ is around 75% of crimes not being reported- these can’t be plotted- reduces validity id data included isn’t entirely accurate