Sinopsis
Many people equate forensic psychology with forensic science or law enforcement. They believe that forensic psychologists arrive at a crime scene, survey the area, and The eventually identify a number of psychological clues that will help catch the criminal. You see these situations continually portrayed by television shows, in the news media, and in movies. Research suggests these media images may be leading to a number of incorrect perceptions about forensic science in general (Patry, Stinson, & Smith, 2008). In fact, as these aspects of forensic science are more routinely used in court, they are coming under increasing criticism for their poor reliability and validity (National Research Council, 2009). However, psychologists are not typically called upon to collect DNA specimens, analyze a sample of dirt left behind for the geographic location from which it originated, or even conduct so-called psychological profi les. Forensic psychologists are not biologists or chemists and are rarely crime scene investigators or law enforcement offi cers. It may sound odd, but they are just psychologists. They study human behavior and try to apply those principles to assist the legal system. When an old friend of mine comes into town, I often go over to her parents ’ house
for a barbeque. One time her father asked me, knowing that I was a forensic psychologist, “How in the heck do you do therapy with dead people?” Now, while he was at least thinking about forensic psychologists in terms of tasks that psychologists typically perform (i.e., treatment of mental illness), he did not quite have it right when thinking about my work as a forensic psychologist. I don ’t often channel the dead but it really would make my job easier if I had to predict the likelihood of future violence for someone who died. A number of students come to me interested in using their psychology or criminal justice major and the knowledge of human behavior they have acquired to “catch the bad guys.” I usually explain to these students that rarely are forensic psychologists called upon to apprehend suspects; in fact, a study found that only about 10% of forensic psychologists and psychiatrists have ever engaged in criminal profi ling and only about 17% even believed it was a scientifi cally reliable practice (Torres, Boccaccini, & Miller, 2006). Most students who are interested in catching criminals should look into law enforcement rather than forensic psychology. However, if you are still interested in forensic psychology as a possible career, you should know that you do get to spend a considerable amount of time playing detective, but more on that later.
Content
- What Is Forensic Psychology? An Introduction
- Assessment, Treatment, and Consultation in Forensic Psychology
- Expert Testimony and the Role of an Expert
- Psychopathy
- Violence Risk Assessment
- Sexual Off enders
- Civil Commitment
- Criminal and Civil Competence
- Insanity, Criminal Responsibility, and Diminished Capacity
- Domestic Violence and Stalking
- Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice
- Child Custody
- Personal Injury and Discrimination in Civil Law
