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AQA A level psychology- forensics
detailed notes for y1 and y2 content in this module
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, Offender profilingOffender profiling
A behavioural and analytical tool that is intended to help investigators
accurately reduce and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals.
The top down approach
Profilers start with a pre-established typology and work down in order to
assign offenders to one of two categories based on witness accounts and
evidence from the crime scene.
Limited profiling because this approach only works with major crimes like
murder, rape arson. More common offences such as burglary or vandalism
is harder to identify the criminal because the crime scene doesn’t reveal
much about the individual.
The classification system is based on the assumption that offenders have
the pattern of behaviour, several critics have suggested that this approach
is naive, poor validity.
Organised offenders
An offender who shows evidence of planning, targets the victim and tends
to be socially and sexually competent with a higher than average
intelligence.
Disorganised offenders
An offender who shows little evidence of planning, leaves clues and tends
to be socially and sexually incompetent with lower than average
intelligence.
David canter used a technique called smaller space analysis, analysed data
from 100 murders in the USA. The details of each case were examined with
reference to 39 characteristics thought to be typical O and DO killers.
Supported O, didn’t support DO.
Constructing an FBI profile
Data assimilation
The profilers review the evidence.
Crime scene classification
As either organised or disorganised.
Crime reconstruction
Hypotheses in terms of sequence of events, behaviour of the victim.
Profile generation
Hypotheses related to the likely offender.
, The bottom up approach
Profilers work up from evidence collected from the crime scene to develop
hypotheses about the likely characteristics, motivations and social
background of the offender.
It can be applied to a wide range of offences. Techniques such as smallest
space analysis and principle of spatial consistency can help sold burglaries,
murder and rape.
Investigative psychology
A form of bottom up profiling that matches details from the crime scene with
statistical analysis of typical offender behaviour patterns based on
psychological theory. The aim is to establish patterns of behaviour that are
likely to occur across crime scenes. Interpersonal coherence is the way an
offender behaves at the scene, including how they interact with the victim.
The significance of time and place is also a key variable, it may indicate
where the offender lives. Forensic awareness describes those individuals
who have been the subject of police interrogations before.
David canter and Rupert heritage conducted a content analysis of 66 sexual
assault cases, data was examined using the statistical technique smallest
space analysis, a compute program that identifies correlations across
patterns of behaviour.
Geographical profiling
A form of bottom up profiling based on the principle of spatial consistency,
that an offender’s operational base and possible future offences are revealed
by the geographical location of their previous crimes.
The marauder is those who operate in close proximity to their home base.
The commuter is those who is likely to have travelled a distance away dim
their usual residence.
Lundrigan and Canter collected information from 120 murder cases involving
serial killers in the USA. Smallest space analysis revealed spatial consistency
in the behaviours of killers. The location of each body disposal site was in
different location, creating a centre of gravity. The effect was more
noticeable for offenders who travelled short distances.
Canters argument is that the bottom up approach is more objective than the
top down approach because it is more grounded in evidence and
psychological theory, and less driven by speculation and hunches.
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