Psychology and Crime: An Introduction to Criminological Psychology

The second edition of this classic text, originally published in 1989, has been completely rewritten, to comprehensively cover the vital role that psychological theories and methods continue to play in the understanding and management of crime. Crime is an expensive aspect of society, and each year millions of pounds of public money is spent on services such as the courts, police and probation services, and prisons, while the human costs in terms of pain, fear and loss is incalculable. The book analyses the application of psychological findings to an expansive range of crimes such as arson, sexual and violent crime and crimes committed by people with a mental disorder. It also looks at the use of psychology in the work of the police and the courts, and in its concluding part, discusses the role of psychology in crime reduction strategies such as situational crime prevention and offender rehabilitation. This book will be of value to students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, in psychology, criminology, sociology and related subjects. It will also provide a valuable resource for professional training courses and those planning careers in the criminal justice system.