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The Importance Of Forensic Psychology

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Forensic psychologists specialize in two provinces psychology and the judicial system. These individual employ a theoretical angle to comprehend human behavior in relation to why individuals partake in criminal activity. Many professionals within the legal system (e.g. judges, public prosecutor, probation officers, etc.) seek the assistance of forensic psychologists with court proceedings by providing expert testimony (Bartol & Bartol, 2012). This paper focal point will examine three elements of the court: civil proceedings, juvenile court, and therapeutic courts in correlation with the offender. The paper will also examine the forensic psychologist role in each element. Civil Proceedings Civil proceeding are simple disputes between two parties the plaintiff and the defendant. These cases may come in the forms of malpractice claim or motor vehicle accidents. The civil proceeding which will be discussed is child custody hearing (Melton et al., 2007). Forensic psychologist’s services are requested to examine the mental status of the parents to determine adequate care for the child; however, the courts need to determine if there is probable cause for the assessment. The psychologist is expected to be objective focusing significantly of the child needs, which the courts will use to reach their conclusion and render a decision (APA, 2017). According to the American Psychologist Association (2017), psychologists must examine the family dynamic and interaction (e.g.

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