Top-Down Approach to Offender Profiling – 16 marks Model Answer
Content:
• Clear A01 Points – explained in detail for full marks
o Offender Profiling
o Organised and Disorganised categories
o Modus operandi
• 3 AO3 paragraphs – detailed criticisms of the approach
o Use of approach limited to high-profile crimes
o Reliant on outdated models of personality
o Evidence against disorganised offender category
Example Question: Discuss the top-down approach to offender
profiling (16 marks).
Top Band Answer:
The top-down approach was formed by the FBI in the 1970s based on in-
depth interviews with 36 sexually motivated killers. It involves offender
profiling, which is a set of investigative techniques used by police to narrow
down the suspect pool, and ultimately identify the perpetrators of serious
crimes. Specifically, offender profiling involves the careful scrutiny of the
crime scene, analysis of evidence, and generating a hypothesis of the
characteristics of the offender (e.g. age, occupation, background, etc). The
evidence collected is then used to classify the offender into pre-existing
categories developed by the FBI: organised and disorganised (typological
approach). Organised offenders plan a crime in advance, have a high degree
of control and intelligence, and leave little/no clues. In contrast,
disorganised offenders lack planning and control and often leave behind
clues at the crime scene. Repeat offenders of serious crime have a modus
operandi, which is their signature way of working and correlates with their
social and psychological characteristics.
Content:
• Clear A01 Points – explained in detail for full marks
o Offender Profiling
o Organised and Disorganised categories
o Modus operandi
• 3 AO3 paragraphs – detailed criticisms of the approach
o Use of approach limited to high-profile crimes
o Reliant on outdated models of personality
o Evidence against disorganised offender category
Example Question: Discuss the top-down approach to offender
profiling (16 marks).
Top Band Answer:
The top-down approach was formed by the FBI in the 1970s based on in-
depth interviews with 36 sexually motivated killers. It involves offender
profiling, which is a set of investigative techniques used by police to narrow
down the suspect pool, and ultimately identify the perpetrators of serious
crimes. Specifically, offender profiling involves the careful scrutiny of the
crime scene, analysis of evidence, and generating a hypothesis of the
characteristics of the offender (e.g. age, occupation, background, etc). The
evidence collected is then used to classify the offender into pre-existing
categories developed by the FBI: organised and disorganised (typological
approach). Organised offenders plan a crime in advance, have a high degree
of control and intelligence, and leave little/no clues. In contrast,
disorganised offenders lack planning and control and often leave behind
clues at the crime scene. Repeat offenders of serious crime have a modus
operandi, which is their signature way of working and correlates with their
social and psychological characteristics.
