Interest in forensic psychology has swelled in recent years. This could be in part due to popular television programs such as “Law & Order†and “Criminal Mindsâ€, where criminal profilers demonstrate an uncanny ability to ascertain personality and behavioral descriptions of perpetrators. Although these media portrayals often misconstrue the real role of a forensic psychologist, the field of forensic psychology is indeed an exciting and relatively new field within psychology.
Forensic psychology, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is the application of psychological knowledge to the legal arena, both in criminal and civil matters. This definition emphasizes the application of clinical skills such as assessment, treatment, and evaluation to forensic settings. A broader definition of forensic psychology emphasizes the application of research and experimentation in cognitive and social psychology to legal matters. A good example of this is Stephen Ceci’s research on children’s memory, suggestibility, and ability to testify. This broader, more academic aspect of forensic psychology is often referred to as “legal psychologyâ€.
In practice, a forensic psychologist’s chief duty is providing psychological assessment to individuals who are involved with the legal system. Thus, a forensic psychologist must principally possess strong clinical expertise, as well as knowledge of law and forensics. The clinical skills that lay the foundation for forensic psychology are clinical assessment, report writing, interviewing, case presentation, and strong verbal communication. The general duties involved in forensic psychology include assessment, consultation, research studies, the design and implementation of treatment programs, and expert witness courtroom testimony. With these skills at hand, a forensic psychologist assists in wide variety of legal matters, including:
- Mental status examinations of criminal defendants (insanity, competency to stand trial, ect.)
- Child custody evaluations
- Sentencing recommendations
- Violence risk assessment
- Sex offender risk assessment
- Mental disability (inability to work due to a psychological disorder)
- Expert witness testimony (e.g., explaining a scholarly topic such as memory research to a jury)
- Counseling services to offenders and victims of crime
- Screening and selection of law enforcement applicants
- Evaluation and delivery of intervention and treatment programs for adult and juvenile offenders
In forensic evaluations, a forensic psychologist can be court ordered or referred by an attorney to assist in their client’s case. Depending on the specific legal question they were hired to answer, the forensic psychologist will conduct a clinical interview, collateral interviews (i.e. witnesses, family, friends, attorney, police officers), review records (i.e. medical, criminal, psychological, school), administer psychological tests, compose a report on their findings, and form an opinion to answer the legal question at hand.
The growing and enticing field of forensic psychology is not without its challenges. An initial challenge lies in the nature of forensic assessment. Forensic assessment is often characterized by an adversarial relationship between the psychologist and client, as opposed to a therapeutic one. Furthermore, the setting of a forensic evaluation does not always take place in a psychologist’s office, but can take place in a jail or court room. Lastly, recent court decisions leading to the increased scientific scrutiny of psychological evidence have made training programs and procedures in forensic psychology increasingly rigorous. All forensic psychologists must have either a PhD or PsyD degree from an APA-accredited doctoral program and complete two years of supervised professional experience.
Forensic psychology is a fascinating field that offers broad application and numerous opportunities to the practitioner. Forensic psychologists exercise their expertise in various legal capacities, including evaluation, courtroom testimony, and giving direct treatment. Forensic psychology is growing and definitely here to stay.