Psychology A level:
Forensic psychology
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
Profiling
❏ Used to make predictions about an offender before we know who the
offender is
❏ Based on evidence at the crime scene, the way in which the crime was
carried out and details of the victim
❏ Professional profilers will work alongside the police
❏ Main aim: narrow the list of likely offenders
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
The top down approach
❏ Originated in the United States
❏ Based on the work of FBIs in the 1970s
❏ Data was gathered from interviews of 36 sexually motivated muderers e.g Ted
Bundy and Charles Manson
❏ Concluded that the data could be categories into organised and disorganised
offenders
❏ Each category of organised and disorganised offenders have a list of
characteristics associated with it
❏ This allows the profiler to look at data from a crime scene in the future and
match it to the characteristics from the categories (ie a best fit approach is used)
❏ This allows them to make predictions about other characteristics that may be
likely
❏ This then can be used to help find the offender
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
Organised vs disorganised offenders
Organised offenders Disorganised offenders
❏ Evidence of planning ❏ Little evidence of planning
❏ Specific victims being targeted ❏ Crimes are often spontaneous and
Crime ❏ High degree of control spur of the moment
❏ Little evidence left behind ❏ Body is usually left at the scene
❏ Little control
❏ Lower than average IQ
❏ Tend to have above average IQ ❏ Tend to be in unskilled work or unemployed
❏ In skilled, professional jobs ❏ Have history of failed relationships and
Offender ❏ Socially and sexually competent sexual dysfunction
❏ Often married and may have children ❏ Tend to live alone or close to where the
crime took place
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
When is profiling used:
❏ Most commonly used with serial killers
❏ Have also been used in cases of rape, kidnapping, arson and burgulary
Constructing an FBI profile
Step 1: data assimilation
Evidence is reviewed e.g photos of the crime, pathology reports, witness reports etc
Step 2: crime scene classification
Crime scene is classified as organised or disorganised
Step 3: Crime reconstruction
Hypothesise about the order of events that led to the crime
Step 4: profile generation
Hypothesise about who the offender is or likely to be e.g age, physical characteristics, behaviour, profession
etc
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
Evaluation P Can be adapted to other types of crimes e.g
burglary
P Research support for distinct organised categories
E Canter = conducted an analysis of 100 US murders each E Meketa = reports that the top down approach has
commited buy a different serial killer been applied to burglary recently
Smallest space analysis was used = statistical technique 85% rise in solved cases in 3 US states
that identifies correlations
C Has wider application than originally assumed
Used to see if there was torture/ restraint, attempt to
conceal body, form of murder weapon used an cause of P Evidence which the categories are based is
death
flawed
C Revealed there was subset features of many killings
that matched organised offenders = has validity E Categories were created following unstructured
interviews with 36 sexually motivated murderers
P Not all offenders are simply organised or disorganised
Problematic because it is difficult to compare and
E Offender may have traits of both - they may have analyse answers
specific victims (organised) but may have left lots of
evidence (disorganised)
The questions asked were not standardised
C Therefore having just 2 distinct categories of offender
may not be comprehensive enough = less useful C The top down approach does not have a
scientific basis
, Offender profiling: The top down approach
Review questions: Review answers:
1. To make predictions about an offender before we know who the offender is
1. Why is profiling used? 2. Evidence at the crime scene, the way in which the crime was carried out and details of
2. What is profiling based on? the victim
3. What is the main aim of profiling? 3. To narrow the list of likely offenders
4. The USA
4. Where did the top down approach originate from? 5. Based on the work of FBIs in the 1970s. Data was gathered from interviews of 36
5. Outline where the top down approach came from sexually motivated muderers
6. Look at data from a crime scene in the future and match it to the characteristics from the
6. What does a list of characteristics enable the profiler categories. This allows them to make predictions about other characteristics that may be
to do? likely.This then can be used to help find the offender.
7. What are the two categories in the top down approach 7. Organised and disorganised
8. Evidence of planning, specific victims being targeted, high degree of control, little
in which offenders are categorised? evidence left behind
8. What are the features of an organised crime? 9. Tend to have above average IQ, in skilled, professional jobs, socially and sexually
9. What are the features of an organised offender? competent, often married and may have children
10. Little evidence of planning, crimes are often spontaneous and spur of the moment, body
10. What are the features of a disorganised crime? is usually left at the scene, little control
11. What are the features of a disorganised crime? 11. Lower than average IQ, tend to be in unskilled work or unemployed, have history of failed
relationships and sexual dysfunction, tend to live alone or close to where the crime took
12. When is profiling used? place
13. Outline the steps of constructing an FBI profile 12. Most commonly used with serial killers, have also been used in cases of rape,
14. Who provided research support for organised kidnapping, arson and burgulary
13. 1. Data assimilation 2. crime scene classification 3. Crime reconstruction 4. Profile
offenders? generation
15. What did they do/find? 14. Canter
16. Why is having only 2 categories a limitation? 15. conducted an analysis of 100 US murders each committed buy a different serial killer,
Smallest space analysis was used, there was subset features of many killings that
17. Who reported that the top down approach can be matched organised offenders
adapted to other types of crimes? 16. Offenders may have characteristics of both
17. Meketa
18. Which crimes can it be adapted to? 18. Burglary
19. Why is the data upon which the evidence for the top 19. Categories were created following unstructured interviews with 36 sexually motivated
down approach is based on flawed? murderers = Problematic because it is difficult to compare and analyse answers, The
questions asked were not standardised = doesn't have a scientific basi
Forensic psychology
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
Profiling
❏ Used to make predictions about an offender before we know who the
offender is
❏ Based on evidence at the crime scene, the way in which the crime was
carried out and details of the victim
❏ Professional profilers will work alongside the police
❏ Main aim: narrow the list of likely offenders
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
The top down approach
❏ Originated in the United States
❏ Based on the work of FBIs in the 1970s
❏ Data was gathered from interviews of 36 sexually motivated muderers e.g Ted
Bundy and Charles Manson
❏ Concluded that the data could be categories into organised and disorganised
offenders
❏ Each category of organised and disorganised offenders have a list of
characteristics associated with it
❏ This allows the profiler to look at data from a crime scene in the future and
match it to the characteristics from the categories (ie a best fit approach is used)
❏ This allows them to make predictions about other characteristics that may be
likely
❏ This then can be used to help find the offender
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
Organised vs disorganised offenders
Organised offenders Disorganised offenders
❏ Evidence of planning ❏ Little evidence of planning
❏ Specific victims being targeted ❏ Crimes are often spontaneous and
Crime ❏ High degree of control spur of the moment
❏ Little evidence left behind ❏ Body is usually left at the scene
❏ Little control
❏ Lower than average IQ
❏ Tend to have above average IQ ❏ Tend to be in unskilled work or unemployed
❏ In skilled, professional jobs ❏ Have history of failed relationships and
Offender ❏ Socially and sexually competent sexual dysfunction
❏ Often married and may have children ❏ Tend to live alone or close to where the
crime took place
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
When is profiling used:
❏ Most commonly used with serial killers
❏ Have also been used in cases of rape, kidnapping, arson and burgulary
Constructing an FBI profile
Step 1: data assimilation
Evidence is reviewed e.g photos of the crime, pathology reports, witness reports etc
Step 2: crime scene classification
Crime scene is classified as organised or disorganised
Step 3: Crime reconstruction
Hypothesise about the order of events that led to the crime
Step 4: profile generation
Hypothesise about who the offender is or likely to be e.g age, physical characteristics, behaviour, profession
etc
,Offender profiling: The top down approach
Evaluation P Can be adapted to other types of crimes e.g
burglary
P Research support for distinct organised categories
E Canter = conducted an analysis of 100 US murders each E Meketa = reports that the top down approach has
commited buy a different serial killer been applied to burglary recently
Smallest space analysis was used = statistical technique 85% rise in solved cases in 3 US states
that identifies correlations
C Has wider application than originally assumed
Used to see if there was torture/ restraint, attempt to
conceal body, form of murder weapon used an cause of P Evidence which the categories are based is
death
flawed
C Revealed there was subset features of many killings
that matched organised offenders = has validity E Categories were created following unstructured
interviews with 36 sexually motivated murderers
P Not all offenders are simply organised or disorganised
Problematic because it is difficult to compare and
E Offender may have traits of both - they may have analyse answers
specific victims (organised) but may have left lots of
evidence (disorganised)
The questions asked were not standardised
C Therefore having just 2 distinct categories of offender
may not be comprehensive enough = less useful C The top down approach does not have a
scientific basis
, Offender profiling: The top down approach
Review questions: Review answers:
1. To make predictions about an offender before we know who the offender is
1. Why is profiling used? 2. Evidence at the crime scene, the way in which the crime was carried out and details of
2. What is profiling based on? the victim
3. What is the main aim of profiling? 3. To narrow the list of likely offenders
4. The USA
4. Where did the top down approach originate from? 5. Based on the work of FBIs in the 1970s. Data was gathered from interviews of 36
5. Outline where the top down approach came from sexually motivated muderers
6. Look at data from a crime scene in the future and match it to the characteristics from the
6. What does a list of characteristics enable the profiler categories. This allows them to make predictions about other characteristics that may be
to do? likely.This then can be used to help find the offender.
7. What are the two categories in the top down approach 7. Organised and disorganised
8. Evidence of planning, specific victims being targeted, high degree of control, little
in which offenders are categorised? evidence left behind
8. What are the features of an organised crime? 9. Tend to have above average IQ, in skilled, professional jobs, socially and sexually
9. What are the features of an organised offender? competent, often married and may have children
10. Little evidence of planning, crimes are often spontaneous and spur of the moment, body
10. What are the features of a disorganised crime? is usually left at the scene, little control
11. What are the features of a disorganised crime? 11. Lower than average IQ, tend to be in unskilled work or unemployed, have history of failed
relationships and sexual dysfunction, tend to live alone or close to where the crime took
12. When is profiling used? place
13. Outline the steps of constructing an FBI profile 12. Most commonly used with serial killers, have also been used in cases of rape,
14. Who provided research support for organised kidnapping, arson and burgulary
13. 1. Data assimilation 2. crime scene classification 3. Crime reconstruction 4. Profile
offenders? generation
15. What did they do/find? 14. Canter
16. Why is having only 2 categories a limitation? 15. conducted an analysis of 100 US murders each committed buy a different serial killer,
Smallest space analysis was used, there was subset features of many killings that
17. Who reported that the top down approach can be matched organised offenders
adapted to other types of crimes? 16. Offenders may have characteristics of both
17. Meketa
18. Which crimes can it be adapted to? 18. Burglary
19. Why is the data upon which the evidence for the top 19. Categories were created following unstructured interviews with 36 sexually motivated
down approach is based on flawed? murderers = Problematic because it is difficult to compare and analyse answers, The
questions asked were not standardised = doesn't have a scientific basi
