Offender profiling: the top-down approach, including organised and disorganised types of offender
The top-down approach uses crime scene evidence to place an offender into a pre-built category. Investigators then predict the offender's likely characteristics from that category.
Real World
The FBI's profiling of Ted Bundy classified him as an organised offender — he planned abductions carefully, selected victims who resembled each other, and concealed bodies to delay discovery.
Exam Focus
Contrast organised and disorganised types using at least two features of each — mark schemes reward detailed comparison, not vague labels.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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