Offender Profiling: top down; bottom up, investigative psychology and geographical profiling
Offender profiling – a method used to analyse behaviour that is intended to help investigators
accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals
- It focuses on narrowing down the number of potential suspects.
Top down:
- Starts from a general classification of the crime scene and then a profiler uses this
information to make judgements about likely offenders who would fit the circumstances –
going from classification to data
- Originally made just for extreme cases
- Seen as less scientific
Six stages
o Inputs
Includes a description of a crime scene, background information about the victim,
details of the crime
All information should be included but suspects should not be considered.
o Decisions
Profiler tries to put the information into meaningful patterns
Murder type:
Spree- number of people killed at one time
Serial – several murders committed over an extended period of time
Time factors:
Over a short or long period of time?
What time were the crimes committed
Location factors:
Was the crime scene the same as the murder scene
o Assessment
Organised type of offender –
Evidence that the crime was planned and targeted
High degree of control with little evidence left
Have above average intelligence will a skilled profession, often married
E.g. Harold shipman
Disorganised type of offender –
Little evidence it was planned
Body is usually left at the scene
They have failed relationships with unskilled and low intelligence
They often live close to where offences took place
o Profile
A profile is now constructed of the offender which hypotheses about their likely
background, habits, and beliefs. They will also anticipate how this person will
respond to investigation.
, o Report
A written report is given to the police an people that match the profile are
evaluated. If there is new evidence or no suspect is identified, then the process goes
back to stage two.
o Apprehension
If a suspect is apprehended, then the entire profile – generating process is reviewed
to check that at each stage the conclusions made were appropriate.
Evaluation:
- The police value this method in the US
o Spoke to 184 US police officers and 84% said that it was a useful method
- Basis of the method may be flawed
o Based on interviews with 36 dangerous and sexually motivated serial killers
o These were not average criminals so may not be able to be generalised to other less
extreme crimes
- Lacks scientific value
o Involves interpreting the crime scene qualitatively
o Reduces reliability, not objective and not replicable
- I and D
o Idiographic (crime scenes)
o Nomothetic ( applies laws from a few extreme cases)
o Cultural bias – only from US – may not be applicable to all cultures
Bottom up, investigating psychology and geographical profiling
- It starts with the small details which are put together to create a bigger picture
- No initial assumptions are made about offenders and rely on databases
- Aim the generate an idea of what the offender might be such as characteristics – this is done
through systematic analysis of evidence.
Investigative psychology:
- using computer databases and a programme called smallest space analysis, patterns are
identified and they look to see if offences are linked
- Data from many crime scenes and offender characteristics are correlated and common
connections can be identifying
- Two relevant factors:
o Interpersonal coherence – is the behaviour of the offender at the time of the crime
comparable to what they are like in everyday life e.g. how a rapist might treat
women in everyday life
o Forensic awareness – certain behaviours may reveal an awareness of particular
police techniques and past experience
Geographical profiling:
- People reveal themselves through the locations they choose to commit a crime
Offender profiling – a method used to analyse behaviour that is intended to help investigators
accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals
- It focuses on narrowing down the number of potential suspects.
Top down:
- Starts from a general classification of the crime scene and then a profiler uses this
information to make judgements about likely offenders who would fit the circumstances –
going from classification to data
- Originally made just for extreme cases
- Seen as less scientific
Six stages
o Inputs
Includes a description of a crime scene, background information about the victim,
details of the crime
All information should be included but suspects should not be considered.
o Decisions
Profiler tries to put the information into meaningful patterns
Murder type:
Spree- number of people killed at one time
Serial – several murders committed over an extended period of time
Time factors:
Over a short or long period of time?
What time were the crimes committed
Location factors:
Was the crime scene the same as the murder scene
o Assessment
Organised type of offender –
Evidence that the crime was planned and targeted
High degree of control with little evidence left
Have above average intelligence will a skilled profession, often married
E.g. Harold shipman
Disorganised type of offender –
Little evidence it was planned
Body is usually left at the scene
They have failed relationships with unskilled and low intelligence
They often live close to where offences took place
o Profile
A profile is now constructed of the offender which hypotheses about their likely
background, habits, and beliefs. They will also anticipate how this person will
respond to investigation.
, o Report
A written report is given to the police an people that match the profile are
evaluated. If there is new evidence or no suspect is identified, then the process goes
back to stage two.
o Apprehension
If a suspect is apprehended, then the entire profile – generating process is reviewed
to check that at each stage the conclusions made were appropriate.
Evaluation:
- The police value this method in the US
o Spoke to 184 US police officers and 84% said that it was a useful method
- Basis of the method may be flawed
o Based on interviews with 36 dangerous and sexually motivated serial killers
o These were not average criminals so may not be able to be generalised to other less
extreme crimes
- Lacks scientific value
o Involves interpreting the crime scene qualitatively
o Reduces reliability, not objective and not replicable
- I and D
o Idiographic (crime scenes)
o Nomothetic ( applies laws from a few extreme cases)
o Cultural bias – only from US – may not be applicable to all cultures
Bottom up, investigating psychology and geographical profiling
- It starts with the small details which are put together to create a bigger picture
- No initial assumptions are made about offenders and rely on databases
- Aim the generate an idea of what the offender might be such as characteristics – this is done
through systematic analysis of evidence.
Investigative psychology:
- using computer databases and a programme called smallest space analysis, patterns are
identified and they look to see if offences are linked
- Data from many crime scenes and offender characteristics are correlated and common
connections can be identifying
- Two relevant factors:
o Interpersonal coherence – is the behaviour of the offender at the time of the crime
comparable to what they are like in everyday life e.g. how a rapist might treat
women in everyday life
o Forensic awareness – certain behaviours may reveal an awareness of particular
police techniques and past experience
Geographical profiling:
- People reveal themselves through the locations they choose to commit a crime
