The popularity of forensic psychology has risen in recent years, thanks to shows like "Criminal Minds," in which criminal profilers have an almost telepathic capacity to offer detailed psychological and behavioral profiles of criminals ("UNSUBs"). This is a misunderstanding of the job of forensic psychologists, which leads to a misunderstanding of who a forensic psychologist is. Because forensic psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology, it is still in its infancy. As a result, it's generally preferable to start with a definition.
Most forensic psychology textbook writers distinguish between a wide and a restrictive concept of forensic psychology. The American Psychological Association defines forensic psychology as "the application of clinical specializations to the legal arena." This definition stresses clinical psychology's applicability in a forensic situation. Christopher Cronin, the author of a well-known forensic psychology textbook, defines it as "the application of clinical specialties to legal institutions and people who come into contact with the law" (p. 5), emphasizing the application of clinical skills such as assessment, treatment, and evaluation to forensic settings once again. This is a very limited definition.
The wide definition of forensic psychology emphasizes the application of study and experiments from other fields of psychology to the legal arena (e.g., cognitive psychology, social psychology). This might entail bringing findings from studies in fields like cognitive psychology to legal issues. Elizabeth Loftus' numerous studies on eyewitness identification and Stephen Ceci's study on children's memory, suggestibility, and competency to testify are two notable examples. "Legal psychology," according to Cronin, is "the scientific study of the influence of the law on individuals, as well as the effect people have on the law."
Thus, forensic psychology's practice, and possibly the most common responsibility of forensic psychologists, is the psychiatric examination of those who are involved in the judicial system in some manner. Although legal and forensic psychology training is required, the most crucial abilities a forensic psychologist must possess are good clinical skills. That is, clinical evaluation, interviewing, report writing, excellent verbal communication skills (particularly if serving as an expert witness in court) and case presentation are all critical in establishing the foundation of forensic psychology practice.
Forensic psychologists use these skills to perform tasks like threat assessments for schools, child custody evaluations, competency evaluations of criminal defendants and the elderly, victim counseling, death notification procedures, screening and selection of law enforcement applicants, post-traumatic stress disorder assessment, and the delivery and evaluation of intervention and treatment programs for juvenile and adult offenders. Investigations, research studies, evaluations, advice, the design and execution of treatment programs, and expert witness trial evidence are all part of the forensic psychology practice.
Assessment in "mens rea" (insanity) situations is arguably one of the most intriguing examinations for a forensic psychologist. A person cannot be held liable for a crime in the United States if he or she did not have a "guilty mentality" (mens rea) at the time the crime was done. The law acknowledges that a guilty mentality is absent in a number of situations (e.g., self-defense). "Insanity" is a legal word, not a psychiatric one.
Each state has its own threshold for insanity, and there is also a federal norm. A typical criterion is whether or not the person was aware that what he or she was doing was improper. The forensic psychologist must identify the person's mental state at the time of the offense, not how he or she is functioning right now. As a result, most of the job of a forensic psychologist is retrospective, relying on third-party data, collateral encounters, and written exchanges (e.g., statements made at the time of the crime).
Although there are master's degrees in forensic psychology, all forensic psychologists must have a PhD or PsyD from a doctorate school authorized by the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). They must also have the equivalent of two years of supervised, structured, sequential work experience, one of which must be an APA or CPA-accredited predoctoral internship. Other criteria are frequently present. The applicant can submit an application for licensing and take an oral or written exam (depending on the state where the candidate will be practicing). The American Board of Forensic Psychology offers board certification (as diplomates) to practitioners.
In the last two decades, forensic psychology has progressed. It's a vast applied subject with a lot of possibilities for the practitioner. Forensic psychologists operate in a variety of legal settings, producing reports, giving testimony, providing direct treatment, and collaborating with therapeutic groups, among other things. Charles Patrick Ewing's book "Trials of a Forensic Psychologist: A Casebook" paints a vivid image of what it's like to examine, write, and testify in court on complex criminal cases. Forensic considerations modify the nature of how we conceive memory and miscommunication in many of Stephen Ceci's and Elizabeth Loftus' investigations. The field of forensic psychology is unquestionably here to stay.