The term ‘forensic psychology’ is the application to all aspects of the law and management of crime and criminals, through professional practice, of principles, theories, and methods derived from the scientific and clinical studies of human actions and experience.
"Forensic psychology is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. The word "forensic" comes from the Latin word "forensis," meaning "of the forum," where the law courts of ancient Rome were held. Today forensic refers to the application of scientific principles and practices to the adversary process where specially knowledgeable scientists play a role."
Forensic psychology is a specialized branch that deals with issues that connect psychology and the law. Interest in forensic psychology has grown significantly in recent years. Increasing numbers of graduate programs offer dual degrees in psychology and law, with others providing specialization in forensic psychology.
While forensic psychology is considered a rather new area specialty within psychology, the field dates back to the earliest days in psychology's history.
The field has experienced dramatic growth in recent years as more and more students become interested in this applied branch of psychology. Popular movies, television programs and books have help popularize the field, often depicting brilliant heroes who solve vicious crimes or track down killers using psychology.
While depictions of forensic psychology in popular media are certainly dramatic and attention-grabbing, these portrayals are not necessarily accurate. Forensic psychologists definitely play an important role in the criminal justice system, however, and this can be an exciting career for students interested in applying psychological principles to the legal system.
Learn more about forensic psychology, including the subjects it focuses on, its history and career options.
What Is Forensic Psychology?
If you enjoy learning about the science of human behaviour and the law, then forensic psychology will probably interest you quite a bit. The field has witnessed dramatic growth in recent years, as more and more students become interested in this applied branch of psychology. However, forensic psychology is about much more than the glamorized views portrayed in television shows, movies and books.
Typically, forensic psychology is defined as the intersection of psychology and the law, but forensic psychologists can perform many roles so this definition can vary. In many cases, people working within forensic psychology are not necessarily "forensic psychologists." These individuals might be clinical psychologists, school psychologists, neurologists, or counselors who lend their psychological expertise to provide testimony, analysis or recommendations in legal or criminal cases.
For example, a clinical psychologist might provide mental health services such as assessment, diagnosis and treatment to individuals who have come into contact with the criminal justice system. Clinicians might be asked to determine if a suspected criminal suffers from a mental illness, or may be asked to provide treatment to individuals suffering from substance abuse and addiction issues.
Another example is that of a school psychologist. While people in this profession typically work with children in school settings, a school psychologist working in forensic psychology might evaluate children in suspected abuse cases, help prepare children to give testimony in court or offer testimony in child custody disputes.
Some of the functions typically performed within forensic psychology include:
Competency evaluations
Sentencing recommendations
Evaluations of the risk of reoffending
Testimony as an expert witness
Child custody evaluations
The History of Forensic Psychology
Forensic psychology is a relatively new specialty area. In fact, forensic psychology was just officially recognized as a specialty area by the American Psychological Association in 2001. Despite this, the field of forensic psychology has roots that date back to Wilhelm Wundt's first psychology lab in Leipzig, German. Learn more about some of the major events and key figures in the history of forensic psychology.
Careers in Forensic Psychology
While forensic psychology may not be all about solving crimes and getting inside the mind's of criminals, there are still plenty of challenges for forensic psychologists. There are a wide range of job options within the field of forensic psychology. For example, some forensic psychologists work directly in the criminal justice system to assess, evaluate and treat individuals who have committed crimes or have been the victims of crimes.
Other forensic psychologists investigate cases of alleged child abuse, work with child witnesses, evaluate individuals involved in child custody disputes and assess mental competency. Learn more about some of the exciting career options in forensic psychology.
How Does Forensic Psychology Differ From Other Areas?
So what exactly makes forensic psychology different from another specialty area such as clinical psychology? Typically, the duties of a forensic psychologist are fairly limited in terms of scope and duration. A forensic psychologist is asked to perform a very specific duty in each individual case, such as determining if a suspect is mentally competent to face charges.
Unlike the typical clinical setting where a client as voluntarily sought out assistance or evaluation, a forensic psychologist usually deals with clients who are not there of their own free will. This can make assessment, diagnosis and treatment much more difficult, since some clients wilfully resist attempts at help.
Forensic psychology is the interaction of the practice or study of psychology and the law. Psychologists interested in this line of applied work may be found working in prisons, jails, rehabilitation centers, police departments, law firms, schools, government agencies, or in private practice, to name a few. They may work directly with attorneys, defendants, offenders, victims, pupils, families, or with patients within the state's corrections or rehabilitation centres.
Other psychologists interested in forensic psychology focus on the study of psychology and the law. They may work in colleges, universities, government agencies, or in other settings interested in researching and examining the interaction of human behavior, criminology, and the legal system.
Psychologists working in forensic psychology often come from a wide variety of education, training, and work experiences. All hold a doctorate degree in a field of psychology. Some graduate training programs now offer specializations in the field. Some of these psychologists also have education or training in the law or even hold a Jurist Doctor - the degree earned by attorneys.
Most working in applied settings such as a private practice or prison also hold a license to practice granted from their state's board of psychology following the successful completion of an approved doctoral degree, pre and post doctoral training years, and passing scores on a series of board examinations. The exception to this is that some governmental agencies are considered exempt settings, which allows unlicensed psychologists to practice with supervision for a period of time.
Psychologists working in applied forensic psychology settings may provide a multitude of services, too many to fully describe here. Generally though, psychologists working in corrections may attend to the mental healthcare needs of inmates including, screening, psychological assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, anger management, crisis management, court-ordered evaluations, or daily inpatient rounds.
They may also consult with prison staff, inmate attorneys, advocates, and court systems on a variety of mental health related topics or recommendations garnered as a result of psychological assessment. Psychologists working directly with attorneys may provide psychological assessment, personality assessment, assessment of mitigating factors, assessment of sexual offenders, competency evaluations, and recommendations for parental custody or visitation, to list just a few. Psychologists working in police departments often provide services for the department employees, such as counselling or crisis management
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