A Brief Note On Forensic Psychology And The Criminal Justice System

Throughout my educational journey, my interest and attention was always captivated by classes which had even the slightest tendency towards Forensic Psychology. Yet, my passion remained unconscious until I took a class of Criminal Law in Business, class which seemed to hold the answer for the consuming question “What am I going to study at University?” From there, I began putting the puzzle pieces together, determined to find the source of the spark- Law, Criminology, Forensic Science all seemed to bring me closer to the right one for me: Forensic Psychology. Reading the first few lines of the field description was enough to assure me that there is no other subject could fascinate, intrigue and motivate me to give by best to apart from this. I became infatuated with the evidence that evil in a human being can be so incandescent, transparent and mischievous that it could bring down any barrier of normality. I became absorbed by its power to grow into the mind and punish the

In addition to education, is the importance of training in this field. It takes specialized qualifications to have the ability to do this job. In the column “Criminal Psychologist Career: Job Duties, Skills, and Education,” the author writes about some of the qualifications needed to do this job. “Criminal psychologists must be adept at communicating effectively with others, including listening actively, and empathically. As a result, they must be experts in psychology, law, and oftentimes forensics as well,” (“Criminal Psychologist Career: Job Duties, Skills, and Education” 3). The people who decide to work this job must have the ability to listen and communicate with the criminals set before them. When the need arises the

In order to effectively work in this area, Forensic psychologists must know the court’s expectations.They must be credible, competent, and concise being able to explain to the court how they arrived at their

The clinician develops a professional relationship with the client in order to assess and treat their disorder. A Forensic psychologist work requirements are different from a clinician in the field of psychology because the services he/she provides are in areas where they have specialized knowledge, skills, experience and education. He/she administers assessments to determine competency to stand trial and can testify as an expert witness. The forensic psychologist does not have a professional relationship with the client as their main focus is assessing the individual in order to submit a report to the court (Hubaboom, 2002).

1). Forensic Psychology is the application of the theories of psychology to law and the legal system. Issues of violence and its impact on individuals and/or groups delineate the main and central concerns in Forensics within the adult, juvenile, civil, and family domains. Forensic psychologists provide advice to legislators, judges, correctional officers, lawyers, and the police. They are called upon, for example, to serve as an expert witness, diagnose and treat incarcerated and probationed offenders, and screen and evaluate personnel in the law enforcement and judicial systems. Forensics encompasses a wide range of academic orientation. Synonyms for Forensic psychologists include criminal psychologist,

Ross explains that he understands that forensic psychology is a relatively new specialty area. However, he added that working juvenile cases, domestic violence cases, and screening cases gave him a much broader and clear perspective of the field. In addition, he stated that working closely with law enforcement specialists and psychologists allowed him to gain more perspective. “Both lawyers and forensic psychologists assist law enforcement professionals in investigating and solving crime” (Baker & De Long, 2009). Ross states that many legal issues that tangles with psychological nature spawns from questions of human behaviors and mental states and processes of human beings. Ross explains that these past works enabled him to appreciate the area of forensic psychology. He further states some of the tactics and skills that this discipline provides. Forensic psychology furnishes his skills to determine the competency of a criminal defendant, the extent to which an eyewitness is reliable, psychological defenses a criminal defendant can rely on, and how much discretion should judges have in sentencing. Ross explains the new approach that this field offers and how it may use scientific research and empirical knowledge to handle these issues. (Counselor Ross was very general when answering).

In order to understand how this may be done, allow me to define Forensic Psychology. You see forensic psychology is the practice of psychology related to the legal system. This involves relationships with federal, local, and state law enforcement agencies; attorneys and the court; corrections and treatment facilities; and working with people whose behavior or situation leads them into involvement with the courts.

Are also matters that are handled from someone working in the forensics of psychology. Becoming a successful forensic psychologist requires at least the solid clinical psychology training and experience. Firm grounding in scientific theory and empirical research “understanding of scientific validity, research design, statistics, and testing” critical thinking skills thorough knowledge of social and cultural issues legal knowledge “including mental health law, case law, and courtroom procedures” excellent writing skills strong oral presentation skills and the ability to maintain one's composure under stress. Forensic Psychologists apply psychology to criminal justice. Although similar in some aspects, forensic psychology is different than forensic science.

By definition in the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, ‘psychologist’ refers to persons who, in accordance with the American Psychological Association (APA) or state registration/licensure, practice psychology in a professional capacity. A ‘forensic psychology’ is the act of working, professionally, as a ‘psychological expert’ within the court system. Finally, a ‘forensic psychologist’ is the aforementioned psychologist working in the also defined field of forensic psychology (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, 1991, p. 657).

Study of Forensic Psychology There are a lot of criminals in the world, and most people wonder why these individuals commit such crimes. In order to have these questions answered, a Forensic Psychologist is required, the basic definition of a Forensic Psychologist is an individual that treats criminal- related people. Here is some crucial information about how to become a Forensic Psychologist; the education requirements, salary, types of jobs, influential people who are a Forensic psychologist, famous cases and much more. First of all, when someone hears the terminology of Forensic Psychology, they usually refer to it as a psychologist studying criminals, but there is more to the meaning that meets the eye.

Forensic (criminal) psychology is a job field that deals with both psychology and law. The field has experienced dramatic growth in recent years due to the role of popular movies, television programs and books popularizing the field. Often these individuals are depicted as vivid components in solving vicious crimes or timing out a criminal’s next home. While these depictions of certainly entertaining, yet these portrayals are not necessarily precise. Forensic psychologists play an instrumental role in the criminal justice system while applying psychological principles to the legal system. The crossover of the two spheres is best decided in the Encyclopedia of Psychology,

I furthered my knowledge in the career of a forensic psychologist. As a forensic psychologist, the job requires analyzation skills and rereading previous found research from other professionals and then conduct certain types of their own research for comparison. Forensic psychologist use science based evidence. For example using forensics with an alternative light source to see bruising to determine what kind of struggle a victim had and determine a perpetrators train of thought and motives. Another related field in addition is the practices of a lawyer. They advocate for people in court and can be considered an attorney, counselor, solicitor, or chartered legal

A forensic psychologist must have outstanding communication skills, emotional stability, and a good listening ability. Their traits are just as important as their certifications. Because they specialize in forensics, forensic psychologists will commonly work in civil and criminal matters. They make evaluations based off of criminal behavior and provide assistance to those involved in the cases. While delivering support to everyone in the courtroom, they aid lawyers in preparation (Careers).

A Forensic Psychologist focuses on “why people do bad things, why they commit crimes, lie to police officers, and treat their children abusively” (AllPsychologyCareers). There is this fascination with criminals and the psychopathy behind their actions and thoughts. According to All Psychology Careers, this field of study focuses on all types of research in psychology including clinical, developmental, social, clinical, behavioral and neuropsychological to blend together ideas and studies to apply to criminal action. The major focus of forensic psychologist is criminology and law because there needs to be a broad understanding of how the judicial system works and what statutes apply in what states. This type of work can be applied in many different settings such as prisons, correctional facilities, court systems, government agencies, parole boards and research.

From time immemorial, man has been fascinated with behavioral deviations from the normative particularly in the context of crime, or more generally, morality. In fact, classical playwrights and novelists such as Shakespeare and Dostoevsky owe their literary success to their incredible ability to glare into socially and morally deviant minds and weave stories around them. We see a similar trend today. Much of primetime television is filled with shows that have experienced psychoanalysts chasing sophisticated and grossly deviant criminals or some variation of this general theme. The general public tends to relate to the job of a forensic psychologists to that of a cat chasing a mouse. Forensic psychology, however, is a far less