Forensic Psychology Essay

A criminal psychologist will often work with individuals who are mentally ill. The place of work can range from juvenile detention centres to basic counselling for troubled people. Areas that a criminal psychologist might work in include: running a private business, general services for mental health, correction centres, child protection agencies, family counselling, rehabilitation, and

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

To begin with, what type of jobs come to mind when you hear Criminal Justice? Most may say police officer, correctional officer or even judge but there are more intricate careers when dealing with the law. Psychology plays a major part in the Criminal Justice field. Psychology deals with the mind and behavior but it gets more complex when you involve law. There are four discrete roles of Psychology when discussing the law which are applied scientist, basic scientist, policy evaluator, and advocate. They all have important roles in order to complete the mission of case.

The Insanity defense is mentioned as confusing to the psychiatric and legal concept. Furthermore, it is explained that the word “insane” is more of a legal word, then a medical term, and therefor to prove a person or a criminal insane, one must find the mental condition, of a criminal, severely impaired to the point of losing one’s free will. A psychiatrist may be or may not able to determine such illness, and a jury’s decision solely based on a psychiatrists’ opinion may be grounded on unreliable evidence. Retrieved from; West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2 (2008).

Compas, Bruce, & Gotlib, Ian. (2002). Introduction to Clinical Psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

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,

I have decided to study Psychology after having looked in more depth at the course content. Although I have a particular interest in studying Forensic Psychology I am wanting to study Psychology to gain a wide perspective in all types of psychology and I am keeping an open mind in case any other types of psychology attract my interest more. I am looking forward to the analysis, research and exploration of these all in greater depth. I particularly looking forward to learning the Physiological & Cognitive Psychology as they will open my understanding to the processes of the mind, emotion and behaviour as well as the functions and anatomy of the Nervous

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.

As field, psychology was born of ancient philosophy and philosophers, and began to take root and grow in the 19th century (Candalis &Neal, 2014, p. 20). Psychologists started working with, and within, the courts in the early 1900’s (DeMatteo, Krauss, Marczyk & Burl, 2009, p. 185), however, the first big strides for forensic psychology were not made until 1954,

The American Psychology Association (APA) (2018) mentions forensic psychologists perform various roles within the judicial system, as well as in public safety. Forensic psychologists conduct evaluations in legal proceedings (e.g. competency to stand trial, disability evaluations, etc.). In addition, forensic psychologists assist with the selection of police and correctional officer, members of the special units (e.g. SWATs, undercover agents, crisis/hostage negations teams, veterans returning from deployment (APA, 2018; Bartol & Bartol, 2012). Re-Entry Programs

There are numerous careers in the world that use psychology to do their job. For example, a clinical psychologist specializes in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders, a sports psychologist applies principles of psychology in order enhance a person’s physical performance and a health psychologist studies how different biological, psychological and social factors effect a person’s health. All of these careers are completely different, yet are able to use the fundamentals of psychology in similar ways. One of the most interesting careers in psychology is forensic psychology.

In looking at earning a degree in science I have thoroughly considered two options; psychology being one of them. I taken particular interest in the field of forensic psychology. As in the past I have considered a career in law I have decided that forensic psychology would be a good suit for me. Studying the minds and behaviors of people is something I have found myself to do even without intending to. I am fascinated by the minds of

The psychologist serves a great purpose in the law enforcement as well. The police psychologists provide services that are used to counter police use of excessive force. The psychologists are there to characterize the types of officers who are known to abuse force and to recommend psychology-based intervention that could help police managers reduce cases of excessive force. Some think that the police departments should rely mostly on pre employment screening to identify violence-prone candidates.

My interest in forensic psychology goes back into my early elementary years. As a child, my main dream was to become a profiler or a crime scene detective. I loved reading crime books and watching shows about it. I wanted to be like the people I read in those books and the people I saw on television. However, when I got to college, my mindset changed, but not for long. During my freshman year, I was a biology major wanting to be a Veterinarian. My passion at that time in my life was to help animals.