1. What is Forensic Psychology: An Introduction
Chapter 1

2. What is Forensic Psychology?
Forensic science
Media portrayals of forensic psychology
“Catching the bad guys”
Only 10% of forensic psychologists engage in criminal profiling
A. The Origin of Forensic
Forum
Center of public affairs in the Roman City States
judicial process

3. Our definition of forensic psychology
Much debate in the field itself about the precise meaning
Any application of the practice of clinical psychology, broadly speaking, to the legal system
Focuses on assessment and treatment of individuals within a legal context
Forensic psychologists and psychiatrists are trained differently

4. History of Forensic Psychology
Lightner Witmer
Chicago Juvenile Psychopathic Institute (1909)
State v. Driver (1921)
Psychologist testified as an expert witness on juvenile delinquency
Jenkins v. United States (1962)
Psychological testimony could be admitted to determine criminal responsibility

5. Major Areas of Forensic Psychology
Criminal law
acts against society
mens rea
Civil law
Wrong against an individual
Torts
Owe a duty, violation of duty, proximate cause of harm, harm occurs

6. Structure of the legal system
Court systems
State Courts
trial courts, circuit courts, supreme courts
Federal Courts
district courts, appeals courts, and United States Supreme Court
Statutory law v. case law

7. Careers in Forensic Psychology
Correctional facilities
State hospitals
Law enforcement agencies
Community mental health centers
Juvenile detention facilities
Private practice
Colleges and universities

8. Relationship of the Law and Psychology
Therapeutic Jurisprudence
“the use of social science to study the extent to which a legal rule or practice promotes the psychological well-being of the people it effects” (Slobogin, 1996, p. 767)
legal rules and actors can produce therapeutic or anti therapeutic consequences

9. Examples of TJ
How does the criminal justice system work to traumatize victims of sexual assault?
Do sentencing guidelines offer mentally ill offenders the best chance of treatment?
Do our civil commitment laws punish or assist those in need?
Does limiting the psychotherapist-patient privilege lead to better therapy?

10. The Conflict between Law and Psychology
Empirical
Experimentation
Descriptive
Probabilistic
Law
Authoritative
Adversarial process
Prescriptive
Certainty

11. How do I become a forensic psychologist?
Admission to a graduate program
Doctorate or masters
Both have advantages and disadvantages
Most people in forensic psychology obtain a doctorate in psychology

12. Models of Training Joint-Degree Programs Specialty Programs
Earn both a degree in the law and in psychology
Specialty Programs
Receive specialized training in forensic psychology
General Programs
Offers broad training with minimal opportunity for specialization in forensic psychology

13. Levels of Forensic Training
Legally informed clinician
Proficient clinician
Specialist clinician