Forensic
Psychology
Offender Profiling
^ An investigative tool used by the police when solving crimes to narrow down
suspects.
The Top-Down Approach
Originated in the US in the 1970s where they drew upon data from in
depth interviews with criminals.
Offender profilers will match what is known about the crime and the
offender to a pre-existing template that the FBI developed.
Offenders will be classified as either organised or disorganised
Organised offenders:
Evidence of planning crime in advance
Victim is clearly targeted
Tend to have a high IQ
Maintains a high degree of control during crime
Socially competent
Disorganised offenders:
Little evidence of planning
Appears to have little control during crime
Tends to have low IQ and lives alone
Crime scene tends to reflect impulsive nature of attack
Constructing an FBI profile:
Data assimilation-the profiler reviews the evidence
Crime scene classification-either organised or disorganised
Crime reconstruction-hypothesis in terms of sequence of events e.g.,
victim’s behaviour
Profile generation- hypotheses related to the likely offender e.g.,
behaviour, physical characteristics
Evaluation
, Quickly narrows down list of suspects and can predict future criminal
behaviour. However, can lead to stereotypes and unfair targeting of
innocent individuals.
Supporting cases e.g., Ted Bundy. His victims followed a pattern of long
dark hair, he was intelligent and charming. However, these often involve
unique circumstances, and profiling success might be overstated when
considering a broader range of cases with different outcomes.
Limited application - only applies to serious crimes e.g., murder and rape.
However, this reflects its specialization, allowing for a more focused and
effective approach in investigations.
The Bottom-Up Approach
^ aims to generate a picture of the offender e.g., characteristics, routine
behaviour, and social background through systematic analysis of the crime
scene.
Investigative psychology:
applies statistical procedures alongside psychological theory to the
analysis of crime scene evidence.
Patterns that occur across crime scenes are used to generate data about
the offender.
interpersonal coherence -the way an offender behaves at the scene.
Significance of time and place – may indicate where the offender is living
Forensic awareness – have they had police attention before
Geographical profiling:
uses information to do with the location of linked crime scenes to make
inferences of where the offender lives
the assumption is that serial offenders will restrict their work to
geographical areas they are familiar with
Canter’s circle theory:
The marauder- offender operates in close proximity to their home base.
The commuter- offender is likely to have travelled a distance away from
where they live.
The pattern of offending is likely to form a circle around their usual
residence. Such spatial decision making can offer important insight into
the nature of the offence
Evaluation
Shown to generate accurate profiles – Canter analysed geographical
information and drew up a surprisingly accurate profile of John Duffy, the
‘Railway Rapist.’ However, he only got 12/17 right so it is not 100%
accurate.
Wider applications for a range of crime compared to top-down approach.
However, it can lead to less accurate predictions and profiles compared to
the tailored and targeted approach.
Psychology
Offender Profiling
^ An investigative tool used by the police when solving crimes to narrow down
suspects.
The Top-Down Approach
Originated in the US in the 1970s where they drew upon data from in
depth interviews with criminals.
Offender profilers will match what is known about the crime and the
offender to a pre-existing template that the FBI developed.
Offenders will be classified as either organised or disorganised
Organised offenders:
Evidence of planning crime in advance
Victim is clearly targeted
Tend to have a high IQ
Maintains a high degree of control during crime
Socially competent
Disorganised offenders:
Little evidence of planning
Appears to have little control during crime
Tends to have low IQ and lives alone
Crime scene tends to reflect impulsive nature of attack
Constructing an FBI profile:
Data assimilation-the profiler reviews the evidence
Crime scene classification-either organised or disorganised
Crime reconstruction-hypothesis in terms of sequence of events e.g.,
victim’s behaviour
Profile generation- hypotheses related to the likely offender e.g.,
behaviour, physical characteristics
Evaluation
, Quickly narrows down list of suspects and can predict future criminal
behaviour. However, can lead to stereotypes and unfair targeting of
innocent individuals.
Supporting cases e.g., Ted Bundy. His victims followed a pattern of long
dark hair, he was intelligent and charming. However, these often involve
unique circumstances, and profiling success might be overstated when
considering a broader range of cases with different outcomes.
Limited application - only applies to serious crimes e.g., murder and rape.
However, this reflects its specialization, allowing for a more focused and
effective approach in investigations.
The Bottom-Up Approach
^ aims to generate a picture of the offender e.g., characteristics, routine
behaviour, and social background through systematic analysis of the crime
scene.
Investigative psychology:
applies statistical procedures alongside psychological theory to the
analysis of crime scene evidence.
Patterns that occur across crime scenes are used to generate data about
the offender.
interpersonal coherence -the way an offender behaves at the scene.
Significance of time and place – may indicate where the offender is living
Forensic awareness – have they had police attention before
Geographical profiling:
uses information to do with the location of linked crime scenes to make
inferences of where the offender lives
the assumption is that serial offenders will restrict their work to
geographical areas they are familiar with
Canter’s circle theory:
The marauder- offender operates in close proximity to their home base.
The commuter- offender is likely to have travelled a distance away from
where they live.
The pattern of offending is likely to form a circle around their usual
residence. Such spatial decision making can offer important insight into
the nature of the offence
Evaluation
Shown to generate accurate profiles – Canter analysed geographical
information and drew up a surprisingly accurate profile of John Duffy, the
‘Railway Rapist.’ However, he only got 12/17 right so it is not 100%
accurate.
Wider applications for a range of crime compared to top-down approach.
However, it can lead to less accurate predictions and profiles compared to
the tailored and targeted approach.
