Comprehensive and accessible forensic psychology textbook covering unique challenges that forensic psychologists often face clinically, legally, and ethically
Integrating research, cases, examples, and theory for a well-rounded perspective, Forensic Psychology: Research, Clinical Practice, and Applications provides readers with an in-depth and insightful introduction to the clinical practice of forensic psychology, the assessment and treatment of individuals who interact with the legal system.
The text examines not only the criminal aspects of psychology and law but also civil aspects such as civil competence issues, sexual harassment claims, child custody evaluations, and personal injury cases which are often part of forensic practice, encouraging a holistic understanding of the law as a living, breathing entity and examining its ability to be therapeutic or anti-therapeutic for the people most directly affected by it.
With a decidedly practical and student-centered focus, this newly revised and updated Third Edition is written in a scholarly yet engaging writing style, discussing the application of forensic psychology while also helping students get an accurate understanding of necessary training/education and available employment opportunities.
Updates to the Third Edition of Forensic Psychology: Research, Clinical Practice, and Applications include:
- Limitations of human decision making in forensic practice and the potential biases involved in practicing forensic psychology
- A focus on empirically supported clinical practice, rather than aspects of forensic psychology that currently have little empirical support or are more sensational
- Case law and statutory law necessary for readers to be useful to the legal system and the courts
- Unique challenges that forensic psychologists often face clinically, legally, and ethically
Flexible so that instructors can choose chapters as their own interest/expertise dictates and supplement the text as they desire, the Third Edition of Forensic Psychology: Research, Clinical Practice, and Applications is an essential textbook resource on the subject for all students in forensic psychology and related programs of study.
Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
1 What Is Forensic Psychology? An Introduction 1
What Is Forensic Psychology? 1
Is this forensic psychology? 1
The origin of forensic psychology 3
Our definition of forensic psychology 3
History of forensic psychology 4
Major Areas of Forensic Psychology 5
Structure of the legal system 7
The Relationship of the Law and Psychology 9
The conflict between psychology and law 10
Education and Training in Forensic Psychology 10
How do I become a forensic psychologist? 10
Careers in forensic psychology 14
2 Assessment, Treatment, and Consultation in Forensic Psychology 16
Forensic Assessment 16
Important tasks in forensic assessment 17
Core concepts in assessment: Reliability and validity 18
Distinguishing therapeutic assessment from forensic assessment 18
Methods and procedures: Interviewing 19
Methods and procedures: Psychological testing 22
Archival information 25
The use of written reports in forensic assessments and guidelines 26
Treatment in Forensic Contexts 28
Who are we treating? 29
Types of treatment 31
Success of offender programs 31
Successful offender programs 32
Forensic Consultation 33
3 Expert Testimony and the Role of an Expert 36
History of the Expert Witness 37
Admissibility of Expert Testimony 38
Frye standard 38
The rest of the Daubert trilogy 41
Challenges to Expert Testimony 42
Cross- examination 42
Opposing expert 42
Judicial instructions 42
Factors that influence expert witness credibility 43
Criticisms of Expert Testimony 44
Taking over the courtroom 44
Ultimate issue testimony 44
Corruption of science 45
Bias in Human Decision- Making and Forensic Practice 47
Ethics of the Expert 48
Competence 49
Informed consent and confidentiality 50
Financial arrangements 50
Multiple relationships 51
Syndrome Evidence: Controversial Area of Expert Testimony 51
Profile and syndrome evidence 51
4 Psychopathy 55
The Nature of the Psychopath 55
A popular operationalization of psychopathy: The Psychopathy Checklist 56
Use of the PCL- R in the practice of forensic psychology: Field research 60
The Relationship of Criminal Behavior and Violence to Psychopathy 61
General violence and criminal behavior 61
Sexual violence 63
Violence in civil psychiatric patients 63
Violence among intimate partner violence perpetrators 64
What Else Do We Know about Psychopathy? 64
Interpersonal- affective aspects of psychopathy 64
Cognitive and learning deficits (information processing) associated with psychopathy 66
Biological basis for psychopathy 67
Treatment of psychopathy 68
Special Groups and Psychopathy 69
Women 69
Ethnic and cross- cultural issues 71
Children and adolescents 71
Legal and Ethical Issues Involving Psychopathy 72
Capital sentencing and the use of psychopathy 73
5 Violence Risk Assessment 75
Nature of Violence and Violence Risk Assessment 75
Defining violence 75
Violence as a choice 76
Legal Realities of Violence Risk Assessments 77
The Evolution of Risk Assessment 79
Early history of risk assessment 79
Clinical, Actuarial, and Structured Risk Assessments 80
Clinical assessments of violence 80
Actuarial measures of violence 81
Structured professional judgments 84
Risk and Protective Factors 86
Static risk factors 87
Dynamic risk factors 87
Protective factors 89
Accuracy of Risk Assessment 89
Difficulties in risk assessment 90
When are we good at assessing risk? 90
Communicating Risk 91
6 Sexual Offenders 93
What Is a Sexual Offender? 93
Assessment of Sexual Offenders 95
Indirect or physiological measures of sexual deviance 96
Phallometric assessment: Penile plethysmograph (PPG) 96
Alternative indirect and physiological measures 97
Psychological assessment 98
Risk assessment and recidivism 99
Risk assessment instruments for sexual offenders 101
Use of sex offender risk assessment measures in the field 102
Treatment and Management of Sexual Offenders 103
Are sexual offender treatment programs successful? 104
Components of potentially successful programs 105
Special Groups of Sexual Offenders 106
Female sexual offenders 106
Clergy as sexual offenders 108
Online child pornography offenders 108
Sexual Offender Legislation 109
Registration and notification laws 109
Residency laws 111
Sexually violent predator laws 111
7 Civil Commitment 114
What Is Civil Commitment? 114
Criteria for Civil Commitment 117
Mental illness 117
Dangerousness 117
Need for treatment 119
Process of civil commitment 119
Outpatient commitment 120
Empirical examination of outpatient commitment and other changes in commitment laws 121
Coercion of Civil Commitments 122
The impact of coercion on civil commitment 123
Sources and frequency of coercion 124
Right to Make Treatment Decisions and Refuse Treatment 125
Competency to make treatment decisions 125
Psychiatric advanced directives (PAD) 126
Practice of Civil Commitment 126
Assessment and treatment of committed patients 127
Assessment of danger to self 127
Assessment of danger to others 128
Risk factors for commitment 129
8 Criminal and Civil Competence 130
Raising the Issue of Competency in Criminal Proceedings 131
Competency to Stand Trial (CST) 131
Prevalence of CST 131
Procedures in CST 132
Competency evaluations 133
Forensic assessment instruments for competency 135
Other Variables Related to Competence 138
Scope of practice in competency evaluations 139
Restoration of Competency 140
Competency restoration programs 141
Other Criminal Competencies 144
Competency to be executed 144
Competency to waive Miranda rights 144
Competency to refuse the insanity defense 145
Civil Competencies 145
Competency to be treated 146
Competency to execute a will 146
Competency related to guardianship 147
9 Insanity, Criminal Responsibility, and Diminished Capacity 148
The Rationale for Insanity Defense 150
Insanity Standards 151
Wild beast standard 151
The product rule and Durham 153
American law institute (ALI) rule, model penal code, and Brawner 154
Insanity Defense Reform Act (1984) 154
Guilty but mentally ill 155
Challenges to the insanity defense 156
Studies Assessing the Insanity Standards in Mock Jurors 156
Insanity Myths 157
Evaluations of Insanity 161
Common procedures for insanity evaluations 161
Reliability and validity of insanity evaluations 162
Outcomes of Insanity Evaluations 163
Forensic assessment instruments 164
Malingering and insanity 164
Other Issues of Criminal Responsibility and Diminished Capacity 165
10 Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking 168
Defining and Identifying the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence 169
Factors that influence prevalence figures 169
Assessment of Intimate Partner Violence among Intimate Partners 170
Assessing consequences of intimate partner violence 171
Psychological consequences of intimate partner violence 172
Risk Factors and Risk Assessment in Intimate Partner Violence 173
Risk factors for intimate partner violence 173
Assessing risk and recidivism 177
Intimate Partner Violence Treatment 178
Educational and psychological treatment 179
Community- based interventions 181
Criminal justice interventions 181
Sexual Orientation and Gender Differences in the Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence 182
Stalking 183
11 Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice 188
History of the Juvenile Court 189
Processing in the Juvenile Courts 191
Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Offenses 192
Risk factors for juvenile delinquency 193
Juvenile Violence 194
Risk factors for nonsexual violence 195
Risk factors for sexual violence 196
Role of the Forensic Psychologist in Juvenile Courts 197
Evaluating treatment amenability 197
Providing treatment 198
Transfer evaluations 199
Competency evaluations 200
Insanity evaluations 201
Risk assessment 201
Special Issues Regarding Juveniles: School Violence 203
School violence and mass school shootings 203
12 Child Custody 206
Legal History and Assumptions about Child Custody 207
Legal standards and preferences for child custody 207
Additional legal preferences 209
Child Custody Laws and Professional Guidelines 209
Professional guidelines for child custody evaluations 210
Forensic Practice in Child Custody Evaluations 211
Format and methods utilized in child custody evaluations 211
Surveys of clinical practice and psychological testing 213
Difficulties in child custody evaluations 216
Effects of Custody and Divorce on Children 217
Effects of divorce on children 217
Impact of custodial arrangement 219
Positive post- divorce outcomes 219
Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence 220
13 Personal Injury and Discrimination in Civil Law 223
Legal Bases for Personal Injury Cases: Torts and Civil Law 224
General Forensic Practice in Personal Injury Cases 225
Malingering in personal injury cases 226
Typical Injuries Involved in Personal Injury Claims 227
Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 228
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) 229
Chronic pain 231
Common sources of bias 233
Psychological Independent Medical Evaluation 233
Workers’ Compensation 234
Sexual Harassment and Employment Discrimination 236
Glossary G- 1
References R- 1
Name Index I- 1
Subject Index I- 9
