Forensic Psychology: Providing Assistance to the Justice System

Forensic Psychology is the intersection between psychology and the justice system. Its goal is to guide the legal system with a thorough research of a case. Forensic psychologists work with offenders to make their lives better and help them lead a crime-free life. They also play a key role in shedding light about the mental state of an offender in court. Learn about the scope and role of forensic psychology in the justice system and the difference between criminal psychology and forensic psychology.

Forensic Psychology: Providing assistance to the justice system
•Forensic Psychology is considered as the
intersection between psychology and
justice system.
•The coin was first termed in the year 1893
by James McKeen Cattell after studying the
psychology of testimony
•The goal of forensic psychology is to
guide the legal system with a thorough
research of a case
•The psychology of a
person is tested using
the Rorschach ink blot
test
•It was first introduced
in 1930 by a man
named Hermann
Rorschach
•Forensic psychologists play a key role in
shedding light about the mental state of an
offender in court
•It helps in profiling criminals according to
the nature of personality and conduct
towards the law
•They also work in hospitals while taking
care of mentally unstable patients
•They help prisoners lead a crime free life
while serving sentences in prison
•In the modern day, the scope of forensic psychology is
more than any other professions dealing with the human
mind
•The practitioners of the subject can have scope in prisons
or health care centers
•Assisting the police and legal system is another important
scope that can be developed from the concept
•Prediction of the crimes to be committed is one of the
features of forensic psychologists
•One of the notorious serial killers in
America was caught using forensic
psychology
•Ted Bundy had confessed to commit
30 homicides from 1961 to 1978
•He committed the crimes using
different names
Some of the qualities required to be a forensic psychologist
include
•Proper clinical assessment
•Understanding of the case at hand
•Ability to conduct therapy sessions
•Supervision
•Conduct court room sessions
•Forensic psychologists work to make the
lives of social offenders better
•Some of the people that forensic
psychologists work with include arsonists, sex
offenders, female offenders and so on
•These people are put in counseling and the
forensic psychologists aim to make them
social
•These provide them with an opportunity to
lead a better life in the future
Difference between criminal psychology and
forensic psychology
A criminal psychologist evaluates criminals that
have committed all types of crimes
A forensic psychologist evaluates criminals by
collaborating with the courts and with people that
are nor charged with murders
Criminal psychologist does not work with the legal
system whereas forensic psychologists work with
the legal system

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