Forensic Psychology - A01

What is offender profiling?

A behavioural and analytic tool that is intended to help investigators accurately predict and profile the characteristics of unknown criminals.

What is the typology approach?

This is where the profiler has experience, intuition, a feel for the kind of person who committed the crime and can use the evidence at the crime scene to develop a profile of a likely criminal. 

• It is a less explicit line of reasoning.

• Offenders are assigned to one of two pre-existing categories based on witness accounts, evidence from the crime scene and MOs.

• It is suitable for more unusual and extreme crimes.

• This is the top down approach

• it is more qualitative

• comes from the FBI in America based off of interviews with 36 murders in the 70s-80s

What is an organised offeneder?

One of the two typology categories.

They:

• Plan the crime in advance

• Victim is deliberately targeted reflecting that the killer or rapist has a type

• Maintain a high degree of control throughout the crime

• Operate with almost detached precision

• Little evidence or clues left behind 

• Above average intelligence

• Skilled, professional occupation

• Socially and sexually competent

• Usually married and often have children

What is a disorganised offender?

One of the two typology categories.

They:

• Little evidence of planning crime in advance

• Offence may therefore be spontaneous / spur of the moment

• Crime scene reflects impulsive nature of attack

• Crime scene contains lots of clues - blood, semen, fingerprints and the weapon

• Body is still at the scene of the crime

• Little control on the part of the offender

• Lower than average IQ

• In unskilled work or unemployed

• Often have a history of sexual dysfunction and failed relationships

• Live alone and close to where offence took place

Compare the organised and disorganised criminals

 

	Organised	Disorganised
Behaviour towards victim	Victim targeted. Aggressive Controls conversation	Victim selected at random Crime unplanned Avoids conversation
Crime scene detail	Weapon absent Body hidden from view Body transported from original point of murder Crime scene orderly    Attempts to clear up	Weapon present Sexual activity after death Body left in view
Characteristics of criminal	High intelligence Socially and sexually competent Skilled occupation Monitors media coverage of crime	Average intelligence  Socially immature Sexually incompetent   Poor work history Lives alone     No interest in media coverage Lives/works close to crime scene
Background of criminal	High birth order eg eldest Inconsistent discipline as a child	Low birth order eg youngest Harsh discipline as a child

What are the 6 main stages in the typology process? (Douglas 2006)

1. 
   

What are the seven decision making tools used in typology?

 

Murder  Type	One off killer, Serial Killer, Mass Murderer, Spree Killer
2.      Primary Intent	Not Deliberate OR Premeditated
3.      Victim Risk	Low Risk (vulnerable victims who are easy to kill) or High Risk -
4.      Offender Risk	Low Risk  or High Risk (in public)
5.      Escalation	Escalated from previous offences or has the potential to escalate -
6.      Time Factors	Time of Day can tell you about the daily routine of the offender
7.      Location Factors	Can inform about criminal’s environment and even where they may live

What are the steps involved in constructing an FBI profile?

1. Data Assimilation-  profiler reviews evidence ie crime scene photographs & pathology reports 

2. Crime scene classification -  organised or disorganised

3. Crime reconstruction - hypotheses re sequence of events, behaviour of the victim

4. Profile generation- hypotheses re likely offender   eg demographic background, physical characteristics,  behaviour