Forensic Psychology

Introduces forensic psychology to students and professionals who want to better understand psychology’s expanding influence on the study of law, crime and criminality

Forensic psychology is a constantly growing discipline, both in terms of student interest and as a profession for graduates. This book highlights the often sizeable gap between media myths surrounding forensic practice and reality. Editors Graham Davies and Anthony Beech present an exciting and broad range of topics within the field, including detailed treatments of the causes of crime, investigative methods, the trial process, and interventions with different types of offenders and offences.

Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions, Third Edition covers every aspect of forensic psychology—from understanding criminal behaviour, to applying psychological theory to criminal investigation, analysing the legal process and the treatment of witnesses and offenders. Each chapter has been thoroughly revised and updated with the latest findings. The book also includes two entirely new chapters—one on psychopathy and crime, the other on female offenders. Drawing on a wealth of experience from leading researchers and practitioners, this new edition will interest and enthuse today’s generation of students.

• All chapters thoroughly revised and updated
• Features two brand new chapters
• Supplemented by additional online resource materials, including related links, multiple choice questions, and PowerPoint slides
• Authored by a wide-range of experienced forensic psychology professionals

Forensic Psychology, Third Edition is essential reading for undergraduates’ first encounter with the subject area and is an excellent introduction for more specialised postgraduate courses. 

Graham M. Davies is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Leicester and an Honorary Professor of Forensic Psychology at the Universities of Birmingham and Coventry, UK. His research interests focus on the testimony of children and adults and the support of vulnerable witnesses at court, on which topics he has published 10 books and over 150 articles in scientific journals. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and was the recipient of the Senior Award from the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology for a significant lifetime contribution to Forensic Psychology in 2012.

Anthony R. Beech is an Emeritus Professor of Criminological Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK. He has authored over 180 peer-reviewed articles, 50 book chapters and eight books in the area of forensic science/criminal justice. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and was the recipient of the Senior Award from the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology for a significant lifetime contribution to Forensic Psychology in 2009. He also received the Significant Achievement award from the US-based Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) in 2009.

Contributors xv

Preface to Third Edition xix

About the Editors xxi

About the Companion Website xxiii

INTRODUCTION Graham M. Davies, Anthony R. Beech and Clive Hollin 1

Forensic Psychology 3

How to Become a Forensic Psychologist 13

Professional Organisations for Forensic Psychologists 14

Structure and Content of This Book 16

PART 1 The Causes of Crime 23

CHAPTER 1 Psychological Approaches to Understanding Crime 25
Emma J. Palmer

1.1 Introduction 27

1.2 Psychological Theories 27

1.3 Theories, Evidence, and Crime 31

1.4 Mentally Disordered Offenders 39

1.5 Conclusions 46

1.6 Summary 47

CHAPTER 2 Developmental and Psychological Theories of Offending 55
David P. Farrington and Maria M. Ttofi

2.1 Introduction 57

2.2 Developmental Theories 57

2.3 Case Studies From the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development 63

2.4 Psychological Theories 64

2.5 The ICAP Theory 72

2.6 Conclusions 75

2.7 Summary 76

CHAPTER 3 Psychopathy 83
Steven M. Gillespie and Ian J. Mitchell

3.1 Introduction 85

3.2 Assessment of Psychopathy 86

3.3 Psychopathy and Aggression 90

3.4 Correlates of Psychopathy in Adolescents and Children 91

3.5 Genetic Basis of Psychopathy 92

3.6 Family Factors Associated with the Development of Psychopathy 93

3.7 Attachment, Psychopathy and Offending 93

3.8 Facial Expression Recognition 94

3.9 Psychopathy and Aversive Conditioning 97

3.10 Neurochemistry of Psychopathy 98

3.11 Conclusions 99

3.12 Summary 100

CHAPTER 4 Understanding Risk Factors for Offending: The Contributions of Neuroscience 107
Anthony R. Beech, Benjamin Nordstrom, Adrian Raine and Dawn Fisher

4.1 Introduction 109

4.2 The Development of the Brain 109

4.3 The Social Brain 110

4.4 Risk Factors for Offending 115

4.5 Modifying Environmental Risk Factors 128

4.6 Summary 129

CHAPTER 5 Effects of Interpersonal Crime on Victims 139
Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis and Emma Sleath

5.1 Introduction 141

5.2 Childhood Victimisation 141

5.3 Adulthood Victimisation 152

5.4 Summary 161

PART 2 Investigating Crime 171

CHAPTER 6 Eyewitness Evidence 173
Harriet M. J. Smith, Hannah Ryder and Heather D. Flowe

6.1 Introduction 175

6.2 The Memory Process 176

6.3 Estimator vs. System Variables 177

6.4 Encoding Factors 177

6.5 Storage Factors 183

6.6 Retrieval Factors 189

6.7 Conclusions 192

6.8 Summary 192

CHAPTER 7 Interviewing Witnesses 201
Allison P. Mugno, Lindsay C. Malloy and David J. La Rooy

7.1 Introduction 203

7.2 Shortcomings and Consequences of Traditional Investigative Interviews 204

7.3 The Cognitive Interview (Ci) 206

7.4 Interviewing Vulnerable Witnesses 211

7.5 Summary 223

CHAPTER 8 Interviewing Suspects 231
Erik Mac Giolla and Pär Anders Granhag

8.1 Introduction 233

8.2 What Officers are Advised to Do 233

8.3 What Officers Do 236

8.4 What Officers Should and Should Not Do 238

8.5 Conclusions 247

8.6 Summary 248

CHAPTER 9 Detecting Deception 255
Pär Anders Granhag and Maria Hartwig

9.1 Introduction 257

9.2 Theoretical Approaches to Deception 257

9.3 Objective Cues to Deception 259

9.4 Lie-Catchers’ Performance 259

9.5 Detecting Deception from Verbal Content 262

9.6 Computer-Based Linguistic Analysis 264

9.7 Psycho-Physiological Detection of Deception 265

9.8 Strategic Interviewing in Order to Elicit and Enhance Cues to Deception 269

9.9 New Directions in Deception Detection Research 273

9.10 Training to Detect Deception 275

9.11 Conclusions 276

9.12 Summary 276

CHAPTER 10 Offender Profiling and Crime Linkage 283
Jessica Woodhams and Matthew Tonkin

10.1 Introduction 285

10.2 Crime Linkage 285

10.3 Offender Profiling 292

10.4 Summary 300

CHAPTER 11 Interpersonal Violence and Stalking 307
Louise Dixon and Erica Bowen

11.1 Introduction 309

11.2 Definitions and Terminology 309

11.3 Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence Rates of Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking 313

11.4 Risk Factors and Theories 317

11.5 Subtypes of Perpetrators 322

11.6 Implications for Practice: Risk Assessment 326

11.7 Summary 327

CHAPTER 12 Terrorism 335
Max Taylor

12.1 Introduction 337

12.2 What Are Terrorists, and What is Terrorism? 337

12.3 The Psychology of Terrorism 339

12.4 Becoming, Remaining, Disengaging 342

12.5 Radicalisation 348

12.6 Progression into Terrorist Activities: Autobiographical and Biographical Accounts 352

12.7 Disengagement 354

12.8 Suicide Terrorism and Political Suicide 355

12.9 Assessment of Dangerousness 357

12.10 Summary 358

PART 3 The Trial Process 365

CHAPTER 13 Judicial Processes 367
Jacqueline M. Wheatcroft

13.1 Introduction 369

13.2 Understanding the Justice System 369

13.3 Evidence in Court 372

13.4 Judges as Decision-Makers 379

13.5 Juries as Decision-Makers 382

13.6 Conclusions 389

13.7 Summary 390

CHAPTER 14 Safeguarding Vulnerable Witnesses 399
Graham M. Davies and Helen L. Westcott

14.1 Introduction 401

14.2 Witnesses’ Fears and Perceptions about Going to Court 402

14.3 Preparing Witnesses for Court: Preparation and Social Support in Theory and Practice 404

14.4 Protecting Witnesses at Court Through Special Measures 408

14.5 Still Unmet Needs 415

14.6 Conclusions 419

14.7 Summary 420

CHAPTER 15 Identifying Perpetrators 427
Tim Valentine

15.1 Introduction 429

15.2 The Problem of Mistaken Identification 429

15.3 Eyewitness Identification and Human Memory 429

15.4 Design Requirements of Identification Procedures 431

15.5 Estimator Variables 434

15.6 System Variables 439

15.7 Malleability of Witness Confidence 446

15.8 Official Guidance 447

15.9 Identification From CCTV 448

15.10 Conclusions 450

15.11 Summary 451

CHAPTER 16 The Role of the Expert Witness 457
Daniel T. Wilcox and Leam A. Craig

16.1 Introduction 459

16.2 Taking Instruction 459

16.3 Expert in Content and Process 460

16.4 Evidence on Clinical Factors 463

16.5 Standard of Proof 467

16.6 Providing an Expert Opinion 469

16.7 Giving Oral Evidence at Court 471

16.8 Conclusions 475

16.9 Summary 476

PART 4 Dealing with Offenders 479

CHAPTER 17 Crime and Punishment: What Works? 481
James McGuire

17.1 Introduction 483

17.2 The Sentence of the Court 484

17.3 The Objectives of Sentencing 485

17.4 The Impact of Sentencing 490

17.5 Reducing Offending Behaviour 494

17.6 Psychological Contributions to Offender Assessment and Management 504

17.7 Summary 505

CHAPTER 18 Risk Assessment and General Offender Behaviour Programme Delivery 513
Ruth Hatcher

18.1 Introduction 515

18.2 Risk Assessment within Offender Management 516

18.3 Methods of Assessing Risk 518

18.4 Risk and Need Instruments for Offenders 519

18.5 Treatment Delivery 529

18.6 General Offending Behaviour Programmes 530

18.7 Evaluation of General Offending Behaviour Programmes 533

18.8 Issues Related to Offending Behaviour Programmes 534

18.9 Summary 537

CHAPTER 19 Treating Dangerous Offenders 545
Leigh Harkins, Jayson Ware and Ruth Mann

19.1 Introduction 547

19.2 Types of Dangerous Offenders Typically Treated in a Criminal Justice Setting 548

19.3 Treatment Frameworks 552

19.4 The Evidence Base for the Treatment of Dangerous Offenders 564

19.5 Considerations in Working with Dangerous Offenders 567

19.6 Summary 570

CHAPTER 20 Interventions with Female Offenders 579
Franca Cortoni and Nathalie M. G. Fontaine

20.1 Introduction 581

20.2 Antisocial Behaviour in Adolescent Females 581

20.3 Adult Female Offenders 587

20.4 Summary 595

CHAPTER 21 Interventions for Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities 601
William R. Lindsay, John L. Taylor and Amanda M. Michie

21.1 Introduction 603

21.2 The Prevalence of ID in Offender Populations 603

21.3 ID As a Risk Factor for Offending 605

21.4 Assessment of Offenders with ID 605

21.5 Interventions with Offenders with ID 614

21.6 Autism Spectrum Disorders and Crime 626

21.7 Summary 628

CHAPTER 22 Interventions with Mentally Disordered Offenders 637
Dawn Fisher, Michelle Ginty, Jagjit Sandhu and Nuwan Galappathie

22.1 Introduction 639

22.2 History of Forensic Mental Health Services 640

22.3 Types of Mental Illness/Forensic Behaviours Seen in Forensic Mental Health Services 642

22.4 Legislation Pertaining to Mentally Disordered Offenders 650

22.5 The Role of the Psychologist in Forensic Mental Health Settings 653

22.6 Summary 657

CHAPTER 23 The Rehabilitation of Offenders: Good Lives and Risk Reduction 661
Tony Ward and Gwenda M. Willis

23.1 Introduction 663

23.2 What is the Nature of Offender Rehabilitation? 665

23.3 What are the Features of Effective Offender Rehabilitation? 667

23.4 Desistance From Crime 671

23.5 The Risk-Need-Responsivity Model of Offender Rehabilitation 673

23.6 Limitations of the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model 673

23.7 The Good Lives Model 676

23.8 Summary 682

Glossary 689

Index 705

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