WHODUNNIT? adventures in Forensic Psychology

• Forensic Psychology is important to the UK legal system
• Forensic Psychologists evaluate reasons why individuals commit crime, and the legal repercussions
• Forensic Psychologists consider the practices of Crime Linkage and Offender Profiling
• Forensic Psychologists review the role of the Forensic Psychologist as an expert witness
• Forensic Psychology involves the intersection of Legal Psychology, Criminological Psychology, and Forensic Psychology
• Roles of a Forensic Psychologist


  • Research for Policy & Practice
  • Assessments
  • Court Evidence/Reports
  • Treatment for Substance Abuse
  • Parole & MH Tribunals
  • Crime Analysis/Offender Profiling
  • Reviewing Eyewitness performance
  • Counter-Terrorism & Hostage Negotiation
  • Intervention for DV/Family Issues
  • Interview Techniques
  • Offender Treatment
• The legal system needs Forensic Psychologists because there are two components of crime in UK Law: Actus Reus (the Guilty Act) and Mens Rea (the Guilty Mind)
• The legal system needs Forensic Psychologists because specific 'Constructs' (criminal defences, legal 'standards', expert witnesses) and general Legal Concepts (the 'Man on the Clapham Omnibus') overlap with their expertise
• Moral Reasoning


  Evaluating whether a crime is 'justified'
• Stages of Moral Reasoning

  • Unilateral & Physicalistic
  • Exchanging & Instrumental
  • Mutual & Prosocial
  • Systemic & Standard
• Social Information Processing


  The cognitive processes involved in interpreting and responding to social situations
• Mental health issues such as Schizophrenia, Depression, and Personality Disorders can play a role in criminal behaviour
• Intellectual disability is less common in offenders compared to the general population, but can still be a factor in some crimes
• Mentally Disordered Offenders


  Offenders with 'any disorder or disease of the mind' as legally defined
• The McNaughton Rules focus on a utilitarian/humanitarian approach to the insanity defence in Common Law
• Psychopathy is a personality 'trait' involving lack of anxiety/stress, social adeptness, and absence of empathy
• Crime Linkage is a technique used to analyse behavioural consistency and distinctiveness to link crimes to the same offender
• Offender Profiling involves deducing characteristics of an offender from crime scene behaviour to estimate future threat and provide investigative advice
• The Rachel Nickell murder case in 1992 involved issues with the use of Offender Profiling by a Forensic Psychologist
• Expert witnesses in court must have relevant skill or knowledge, provide independent and impartial assistance, and meet standards like the Daubert Standard
• Forensic Psychology


  Intersection of psychology and law, aiding legal processes
• Forensic Psychologist


  Professional conducting assessments, profiling, and interventions in legal settings
• Crime Linkage


  Practice connecting crimes based on patterns and evidence
• Offender Profiling


  Analyzing behavior to create a profile of likely offenders
• Expert Witness


  Forensic psychologist testifying with specialized knowledge in court
• Actus Reus


  The 'Guilty Act' component of a crime in UK law
• Mens Rea


  The 'Guilty Mind' component of a crime in UK law
• Criminal Defences


  Legal strategies to defend against criminal charges
• Social Information Processing


  Cognitive steps in interpreting social cues and making decisions
• Moral Reasoning


  Process of evaluating right and wrong in decision-making
• Schizophrenia


  Mental disorder affecting perception, thought, and behavior
• Depression


  Mood disorder with symptoms like low mood and fatigue
• Personality Disorders


  Mental conditions affecting behavior and cognition
• Intellectual Disability


  Below-average cognitive function impacting social skills
• Insanity Defense


  Legal defense for offenders with mental disorders affecting responsibility
• McNaughton Rules


  Criteria for determining criminal responsibility in cases of mental disorder
• Psychopathy


  Key aspect of anti-social personality disorder (DSM-5; 2013)
• Hare Psychopathy Checklist


  Assessment tool for psychopathy (1991)
• Lack of anxiety/stress


  One major element of psychopathy
• Socially adept


  Characteristic of psychopaths