Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology is closely aligned within the criminal justice system, and is used as a resource to evaluate the competency of an accused or convicted individual. Working closely with the courts and corrections, a forensic psychologist will issue a battery of written tests and verbal exams to evaluate the defendant's capability to understand the gravity of the crime and his competency to stand trial.

The study of forensic psychology should be begin at the Bachelors level with concentration in basic psychology with a minor in criminal justice. The importance of understanding court and correctional procedures helps to shape the language of the forensic psychologist and better prepares the student to enter the criminal justice system. A typical forensic psychologist will work with inmates at the county jail for analysis to stand trial, or will be asked to evaluate an inmate from the penitentiary for parole eligibility for release. The opinions of the psychologist will confirm or deny a judge's decision to release a convict, making this branch of the criminal justice department one of the most powerful arms in the system.

Self deception is a term that is not heard too often in the world outside of forensic psychology. Most people who suffer the symptoms are unable to realize that they are even capable of self deception with themselves. Telling lies and believing false truths is more common than you may think. Truth, lies and self deception are recurring themes that seem to plague many forensic psychology cases.

A new medical issue has been discovered in which individuals try to face as much apparent or actual danger to others in hopes that they themselves will be seriously hurt or killed. This is common among law enforcement programs. This suicide method has been dubbed "Suicide by Cop" and is abbreviated SBC. The Journal of Forensic Sciences has created a study on the matter and published their findings in on of its journals. The study base for this research was large, and investigated many police officer related shootings and unnecessary risk involvements.

The ethical behavior of a forensic psychologist is often a subject of speculation. Two forensic psychologists who are both respected professionals of the same field of expertise may one day find themselves contradicting each other in a legal court. Other types of psychologists, such as clinical psychologists, rarely find themselves in similar dilemmas.This kind of situation led to an early creation of standards of ethical behavior in forensic psychology.

These standards do not contradict the general standards of moral conduct of all psychologists, but they do provide guidelines for psychologists who are regularly engaged in providing expert psychological knowledge during legal proceedings and all events that involve psycho-legal issues. Some of the major aspects of these guidelines reveal distinct differences from the standards of ethical practice of clinical psychologists.

Non-Maleficence versus Impartiality

The testimonies of forensic psychologists are sometimes used and manipulated by lawyers to convince a jury to deliver a guilty verdict. Thus, the non-maleficence principle in clinical psychology is transformed into an impartiality principle in forensic psychology. During his testimony, the forensic psychologist is ethically bound to disclose not only the methods used in a psychological evaluation, but also the limitations of such methods and all existing theories that may support or contradict these methods.

Integrity versus Trustworthiness

In forensic psychology, all psychological evaluations must be documented as they are subject to judicial scrutiny. Compared to those in clinical practice, forensic psychologists adhere to higher standards of documentation because their conclusions are sometimes used in legal proceedings

Beyond Justice

The forensic psychologist needs to anticipate all sources of conflicts of interest before agreeing to become an expert witness, even if the only service required is to demonstrate the mental competence of the defendant.

During the course of their practice, forensic psychologists must adhere to higher ethical standards of behavior due to the nature of their profession.

Careers in forensic psychology can be a very exciting path to choose as there are many ways this type of work is done within the realm of the law.

Psychology that is used within the law system is what a career in forensic psychology is all about. Forensic psychologists not only help with jury selection but they also are the ones who talk with criminals for those that are using the insanity defense. They also talk with the attorneys, treat the criminals who are found to be mentally ill, and also work within the civil law parameters.

In order for someone to become a forensic psychologist they have to have courses in criminal justice and psychology as the root of their education.

In the career field of a forensic psychologist there are several options in which way to take your career. You can choose to be a researcher in helping with the building of prisons and correctional facilities, review eyewitness testimonies and help interrogation methods to become more efficient, or the traditional path of training, law enforcement and corrections.

A forensic psychologists day at work can go a couple different ways depending on the work they are having to conduct. Most forensic psychologists tend to do a lot of research during their days however they can also help attorneys to select and narrow down a jury pool. By helping to select the jury they can interview the potential jurors and then give their opinions as to whether or not their views will be a bias towards the case they would be presented with.

There are very rewarding views of being a forensic psychologist that include helping others, opportunities, changing an environment such as a prison, recognition and personal fulfillment.

To specialize in the field of forensic psychology it is highly recommended to get a masters or doctorate degree as it is difficult to do so with only a bachelors degree.

Being a forensic psychologist can be a thrilling career to have but you absolutely have to be passionate about what you are doing

Since the creation and release of the popular CSI series, there has been a dramatic rise in people majoring in forensic psychology. Why? The television show itself! The show gives a detailed view into the world of forensics, thus, giving the viewer a realistic approach to what forensic psychology is all about.

The show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, gives a realistic view into the lives of forensic psychologists. The show itself is based on actual cases that have stumped the professionals and how those cases were eventually solved. All while giving you a look into the lives of the scientists themselves offering excellent character development and an interesting show.

The forensic psychologist can be trained in several fields of psychology, including clinical, social, and organizational. Training in these fields along with judicial training is what it takes to be a forensic psychologist. The forensic psychologist must be able to testify as a creditable witness in the court system. A forensic psychologist must set themselves apart from the perpetrators.