Top Down approach

Question 1

what does the top down approach involve

Answer 1

• The creation of general typologies (types) of criminal behaviour and motivation (this was based on interviews with serial killers).
• Matching a particular type of criminal to the features of a particular crime.
  focus on aspects of the criminal’s characteristics – this is why it is considered a top-down approach
• helps police narrow down the range of potential subjects + prevent more crimes from occuring

Question 2

how did the top down approach develop

Answer 2

• Used and developed in the US by the FBI
• FBI investigators interviewed 36 imprisoned serial killers - including Charles Manson and Ted Bundy
• From these interviews they gained insights into:
• What led to the offences in the first place
• What early signs there were
• What encouraged or inhibited their offences
• From these insights together with a thorough analysis of the crime details, and the intuition of experienced police officers, they created a classification system for various crimes
• In respect of murderers, the FBI distinguished between 2 types of offender
• Organised
• Disorganised
• The descriptions of these typologies allow accurate profiles to be compiled based on examination of the crime scene

Question 3

what are the characteristics of organised murderers

Answer 3

• Above average intelligence, skilled
• Socially and sexually competent
• Living with a partner
• Mobile, usually uses own car
• Follows the crime reporting in the media
  Their crimes:
• Appear planned and controlled
• Include use of restraints
• Involve a weapon
• Involve the removal of evidence

Question 4

what are the characteristics of disorganised murderers

Answer 4

• Average to below average intelligence, unskilled
• Socially and sexually incompetent
• Living alone near crime scene
• Little interest in the media coverage of the crime
  Their crimes:
• Spontaneous
• Little control
• Minimal use of restraints/body is often displayed in open view
• All evidence left at scene (blood, semen, fingerprints and weapon)

Question 5

what is crime scene analysis

Answer 5

• the analysis of the crime scene that indicates the type of offender based on these typologies
• The classification can be used to determine the characteristics of the offender
• This approach means that not all crimes are suitable for profiling, such as destruction of property or murder during a robbery, as they do not reveal the personality of the offender.

Question 6

what is the +ve AO3 point for the top down approach

Answer 6

Research Support: Shawcross
- The case of the serial killer Arthur Shawcross
- He carried out a number of murders in 1988/89

• The profile, based on 11 murders of women in New York State, was of:
• A lone male
• Aged at least 35
• With an unskilled job
• It suggested he would own a functional vehicle
• Have a police record
• And, importantly, would return to the crime scene to re-experience the pleasure of killing
• Based on this profile
• The police set-up surveillance around the body of the eleventh victim
• They caught Shawcross on a nearby bridge

He was:
- A 44 year old
- His job was to cut salads
- He owned an ex-police car
- He was on parole for earlier child murders

Question 7

what are the -ve AO3 points for the top down approach

Answer 7

• approach has limited use
• oversimplified
• flawed methodology

Question 8

expand on the -ve AO3 point: approach has limited use

Answer 8

• As with other profiling techniques it is limited to crimes which leave significant evidence and are multiple offences
• These crimes are rare. This also means that there are few examples of successful profiles
• When it is used, findings show that profiling rarely leads directly to the offender (Douglas, 1981)
• 15 out of 192 cases
• However, in 77% of cases it was cited as being helpful as it focused the investigation

Question 9

expand on the -ve AO3 point: oversimplified

Answer 9

• Canter et al (2004) argued that there are no distinct subsets of characteristics such as organised and disorganised murderers
• He analysed 100 murders and found this dichotomy to be FALSE.
• Following this criticism, Holmes and Holmes (1998) reclassified murders into 5 categories:
• Disorganised ‘visionary killer’
• ‘Mission’
• ‘Hedonistic’
• ‘Lust’
• ‘Power/control killer’
• However, Canter (2004) criticised this revision further
• He reports that his above analysis showed that the features of the ‘power/control’ killings were found in over half the sample
• Therefore typical of most murders
• So not a distinct type

Question 10

expand on the -ve AO3 point: flawed methodology

Answer 10

• Sample size for the initial interviews was small – 36
• Nor was it random
• An opportunity sample of serial killers was used
• These volunteers were known to be manipulative and so were probably unreliable sources
• The interviewers maintain that they had had prior thorough briefings on the crimes before the interviews
• Were able to detect any deception during the interview
• The interviews were not standardised
• The typologies were developed in an ‘intuitive’ and informal manner
• he classification was based on offenders who had been caught
  These offenders may differ significantly from those who have remained ‘at large’