This book brings together an international group of experts to present cutting-edge psychological research on crime, policing and courts. With contributors from the UK, Germany, Italy, Norway, Cyprus, Israel, Canada and the USA, this volume explores some of the most interesting and contemporary areas of criminological and legal psychology. The Psychology of Crime, Policing and Courts is divided into three parts. Part I explores crime and anti-social behaviour, including the concentration of offending within families, juvenile delinquency, adolescent bullying, cyberbullying, violence risk assessment, and psychopathy. Part II examines policing and the detection of deception, with chapters on interrogational practices, police interviews of children, and modern detection methods. Part III focuses on courts and sentencing, with chapters exploring wrongful convictions, the role of juries, extra-legal factors in sentencing decisions and an examination of sentencing itself. Representing the forefront of research in developmental criminology and criminological and legal psychology, this book is a comprehensive resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying psychology and criminology, with particular value for those studying forensic psychology. This book is also a valuable resource for psychologists, lawyers, social scientists and law enforcement personnel.

As in its first edition, this book offers a conceptual model for understanding the nature of legal competencies. The model is interpreted to assist mental health professionals in designing and performing assessments for legal competencies defined in criminal and civil law, and to guide research that will improve the practice of evaluations for legal competencies. A special feature is the book's evaluative review of specialized forensic assessment instruments for each of several legal competencies. Three-fourths of the 37 instruments reviewed in the second edition are new and thus were not reviewed in the first edition.

Application of the assessment model and reviews of instruments are provided for six areas of legal competence:
-Competence to Stand Trial;
-Waiver of Rights to Silence and Legal Counsel;
-Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity;
-Parenting Capacity - Determination of Child Custody;
-Guardianship and Conservatorship; and
-Competence to Consent to Treatment.

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has long captured the public imagination. Newspaper column inches have been devoted to murderers with psychopathic features, and we also encounter psychopaths in films and books. Individuals with psychopathy are characterised in particular by lack of empathy and guilt, manipulation of other people and, in the case of criminal psychopathy, premeditated violent behaviour. They are dangerous and can incur immeasurable emotional, psychological, physical, and financial costs to their victims and their families. Despite the public fascination with psychopathy, there is often a very limited understanding of the condition, and several myths about psychopathy abound. For example, people commonly assume that all psychopaths are sadistic serial killers or that all violent and antisocial individuals are psychopaths. Yet, research shows that most psychopaths are not serial killers, and, equally, there are plenty of antisocial and violent offenders who are not psychopaths. This Very Short Introduction gives an overview of how we can identify individuals with or at risk of developing psychopathy, and how they differ from other people who display antisocial behavior. Essi Viding also explores the latest genetic, neuroscience, and psychology evidence in order to illuminate why psychopaths behave and develop the way they do, and considers whether it is possible to prevent or even treat psychopathy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The relationship between offender and criminal justice practitioner has shifted throughout rehabilitative history, whether situated within psychological interventions, prison or probation. This relationship has evolved and adapted over time, but interpersonal processes remain central to offender work. However, little work has critically focused upon the challenging task of developing and sustaining positive relationships with offenders. This book addresses this gap, providing an in-depth exploration of the processes which underpin correctional relationships within probation. Through an innovative methodology, it examines how practitioners can enhance their practice by understanding how relationships form, deepen and end effectively. For the first time, it draws on the experiences of offenders and practitioners to uncover the darker side to relationships, identifying how they can rupture and break down. From this exploration, it presents alternative ways in which relationships can be repaired and safeguarded within correctional practice. In essence, this book assists practitioners in becoming successful supporters of change. In an increasingly competitive and politicised climate, this book outlines how political and organisational tensions can impact upon the flow of relationships across the criminal justice system. Uniquely, this book examines how these tensions can be overcome to produce transformative changes. Lewis suggests that therapeutic correctional relationships can thrive within a number of correctional settings and presents the core principles of relational practice and dynamic model of therapeutic correctional relationships to assist in achieving quality and sustainable practice. This book will appeal to criminological and psychological scholars as well as students studying probation and prison practice, offender rehabilitation and desistance.

Gegenstand der Arbeit ist die Darstellung und die kritische Beleuchtung der Situation im Massregelvollzug untergebrachter Frauen. Anhand bundesweiter empirischer Studien konnten erstmals persoenliche Hintergrunde, Lebensumstande und Krankheitsgeschichten psychisch kranker Straftaterinnen umfassend dargestellt werden. Das Hauptaugenmerk der Untersuchung liegt auf der Behandlung der Frauen durch die Gerichte und auf deren Unterbringung in den Massregelvollzugsanstalten. Die Diskrepanz zwischen Recht und Rechtswirklichkeit wird hier besonders deutlich.

Vor Gericht stellt sich haufig die Frage, ob man Zeugenaussagen Glauben schenken kann. Bei der Begutachtung kindlicher Zeugen soll die merkmalsorientierte Inhaltsanalyse zur Beantwortung dieser Frage beitragen. Nach einer kritischen Wurdigung des Verfahrens und bisheriger empirischer UEberprufungen weist die Autorin auf moegliche Schwachstellen hin und entwickelt Verbesserungsvorschlage. In einer methodisch sehr aufwendigen Simulationsstudie wird u.a. untersucht, inwieweit das Verfahren zur Wahrheitsfindung beitragen kann, wenn Falschaussagende nicht frei phantasieren, sondern auf ahnliche Erfahrungen zuruckgreifen koennen. Die Befunde stutzen die Brauchbarkeit der Methodik, verweisen jedoch auf Grenzen ihrer Anwendbarkeit und legen eine Modifizierung des traditionellen Merkmalssystems nahe.

While previous research explored much of what we know about the victim, a deeper explanation of the personality of the predator has been made possible through an intense review of her voices, which alter depending on how she uses self-reference. The case study covers the experiences of a commercial airline pilot, Robert, who was the victim of an elaborate scheme, which began when home use of the internet was still a new technology. Robert's experiences with Connie were made very complex due to her use of cyber-identities that helped create a facade of involvement of others. After conducting his own multi-year investigation without the assistance of law enforcement, Robert determined that Connie was the mastermind behind the fraud scheme. This expanded work includes a detailed presentation of Connie's inner personality as told through her own voices, divergent depending on purpose. The researcher interprets Connie's voices, but the reader is encouraged to consider alternative explanations.

Grendon Prison opened in 1962, originally intended to investigate and treat prisoners whose crimes had recognisable psychiatric causes. Thirty years later, its radical ideas of the rehabilitation of prisoners through psychological or psychotherapeutic treatment have been embraced by the Woolf Report, which clearly committed the Prison Service to a rehabilitation ambition. Based on interviews with prisoners and prison staff, this new study of a `model' prison will be of interest to criminologists, penologists, and prison staff everywhere.

Persistent thieves--criminals who resume committing crimes of burglary, robbery, vehicle theft, and ordinary theft despite previous attempts to stop--are a main focal point of American criminology and criminal justice. Cast as "career criminals," they are also one of the principal targets of the "war on crime" that American governments have waged for more than two decades.Building on a theoretical interpretation of crime as "choice, " crime-control policies and programs justified by notions of deterrence and incapacitation have proliferated. America's urban police departments now have "repeat offender units," and many of the new state sentencing codes mandate lengthy sentences for defendants with previous convictions."Great Pretenders" is based on the author's original studies and previously published research and on more than fifty autobiographies of persistent thieves. Shover uses a crime-as-choice framework and a life-course perspective to make sense of important decisions and changes in the lives of persistent thieves. He shows how the working-class origins of most persistent thieves produce both low legitimate and low criminal aspirations, even as those origins leave them ill equipped to exploit comparatively safe, lucrative, and newer forms of criminal opportunity.In this book Shover describes how many persistent thieves and hustlers identify with crime and pursue a lifestyle of "life as party" in which their choices alternately are made in contexts of drug-using hedonism or desperation. Their estimates of the likely payoffs from crime are severely distorted, and most give little thought to possible arrest. As they get older, however, persistent thieves make qualitative changes in the crimes they commit, and many eventually stop committing crimes altogether.The author highlights some unintended consequences of harsh crime control measures and raises critical questions about the one-size-fits-all approach to crime of recent decades.

You've heard of Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. But have you heard of Amy Archer-Gilligan? Or Belle Gunness? Or Nannie Doss? Women have committed some of the most disturbing serial killings ever seen in the United States. Yet scientific inquiry, criminal profiling, and public interest have focused more on their better-known male counterparts. As a result, female serial killers have been misunderstood, overlooked, and underestimated. In this riveting account, Dr. Marissa A. Harrison draws on original scientific research, various psychological perspectives, and richly detailed case studies to illuminate the stark differences between female and male serial killers' backgrounds, motives, and crimes. She also emphasizes the countless victims of this grisly phenomenon to capture the complexity and tragedy of serial murder. Meticulously weaving data-based evidence and insight with intimate storytelling, Just as Deadly reveals how and why these women murder-and why they often get away with it.

From experts on working with court-mandated populations, this book shows how motivational interviewing (MI) can help offenders move beyond resistance or superficial compliance and achieve meaningful behavior change. Using this evidence-based approach promotes successful rehabilitation and reentry by drawing on clients' values, goals, and strengths--not simply telling them what to do. The authors clearly describe the core techniques of MI and bring them to life with examples and sample dialogues from a range of criminal justice and forensic settings. Of crucial importance, the book addresses MI implementation in real-world offender service systems, including practical strategies for overcoming obstacles. This book is in the Applications of Motivational Interviewing series, edited by Stephen Rollnick, William R. Miller, and Theresa B. Moyers.

With the world's prison population continuing to grow and the number of inpatient beds in psychiatric hospitals on the rise, establishing valid and reliable methods of identifying individuals who will commit violent acts is an important global health and public safety issue. One approach to identifying future offenders is through the use of risk assessment-unstructured and structured methods of predicting the likelihood of antisocial behavior. Although much has been written on the performance of risk assessment in research settings, little is known about current standards of practice and relevant public policy across the globe. International Perspectives on Violence Risk Assessment includes chapters by leading risk assessment scholars in more than 15 countries and explores the topic from a truly international outlook. Using findings from the seminal International Risk Survey (IRiS), the largest qualitative study in the history of the field, current assessment, management, and monitoring practices on six continents are explored. Authors identify and describe the most commonly used risk assessment tools, examine risk communication preferences, and provide recommendations for mental health practitioners, criminal justice professionals, and legal professionals. Finally, authors review the seminal research studies, current practice guidelines, and relevant legal statutes of their jurisdictions. This volume serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in this rapidly evolving field.

Psychological research can provide constructive explanations of key problems in the criminal justice system--and can help generate solutions. This state-of-the-art text dissects the psychological processes associated with fundamental legal questions: Is a suspect lying? Will an incarcerated individual be dangerous in the future? Is an eyewitness accurate? How can false memories be implanted? How do juries, experts, forensic examiners, and judges make decisions, and how can racial and other forms of bias be minimized? Chapters offer up-to-date reviews of relevant theory, experimental methods, and empirical findings. Specific recommendations are made for improving the quality of evidence and preserving the integrity of investigative and legal proceedings.

The question of 'why' and 'how' certain individuals are drawn towards behaving in a way that contravenes the 'Law of the Land' is not an easy one to address. Researchers from various different fields have nevertheless attempted to develop theoretical explanations for the existence of different types of crime and why some individuals commit such acts. Crime and Criminality draws on criminology, sociology, psychology and neuroscience to offer a balanced perspective of crime, the criminal and criminality. Coverage includes: a comprehensive discussion of theoretical approaches to criminal behaviour, including biological, social and 'rational choice' approaches; an analysis of legal and social definitions of crime and how these definitions influence the way specific behaviours are labelled as criminal; an examination of different types of crime and criminals, from delinquents to 'psychopaths' and sex offenders; an exploration of different ways in which crime is predicted, including risk assessment and offender profiling and an overview of investigative techniques. Addressing a broad range of topics and offering a synthesis of competing theoretical explanations of criminality, this book is essential reading for students taking courses in criminology, criminal psychology, criminal behaviour, forensic psychology and psychological criminology.

A man kidnaps his two children, murders one, and attempts to kill the other. The prosecution seeks the death penalty, while the defense employs an unusual strategy to avoid the sentence. The defendant's attorneys turn to more than 100 examples of his artwork, created over many years, to determine whether he was mentally ill at the time he committed the crimes. Detailing an outstanding example of the use of forensic art therapy in a capital murder case, David Gussak, an art therapist contracted by the defense to analyze the images that were to be presented as evidence, recounts his findings and his testimony in court, as well as the future implications of his work for criminal proceedings.

Gussak describes the role of the art therapist as an expert witness in a murder case, the way to use art as evidence, and the conclusions and assessments that professionals can draw from a defendant's artworks. He examines the effectiveness of expert testimony as communicated by the prosecution, defense, and court, and weighs the moral, ethical, and legal consequences of relying on such evidence. For professionals and general readers, this gripping volume presents a convincing account of the ability of art to reflect a damaged and dangerous psyche. A leading text on an emerging field, "Art on Trial "demonstrates the practical applications of an innovative approach to clinical assessment and treatment.

'This book's excellent discussion of the theories and concepts involved in profiling terrorists, including those who are incarcerated, is a major contribution to the academic discipline on these issues.'Perspectives on TerrorismTerrorist Minds: From Social-Psychological Profiling to Assessing the Risk explores the process of terrorist behavioural analysis, from the social-psychological profiling of terrorists to the development of risk assessment tools. Most of the research for this book was conducted in cooperation with the Intelligence Department of the Israeli Prison Service via qualitative, in-depth interviews with leaders of terrorist organisations in Israeli prisons. Once social-psychological profiles were established, terrorist risk assessment tools were developed to allow for better observation and practical management of associated problems.This book fills the gaps in existing literature on the psychology of imprisoned terrorist group leaders through the analysis of individuals' social, professional and personal lives, as well as their attitudes and perceptions. The book also covers the practical aspects of risk assessment based on social-psychological profiling, and discusses relevant tools that have been developed in recent years. It aims to better inform counter-terrorism initiatives and policymaking, as well as improve methods of communication, counter-terrorism, and conflict resolution.

Erfurt, Columbine, Emsdetten - diese Orte sind zum Inbegriff fur "School Shootings," also Amoklaufe beziehungsweise schwere Gewalttaten durch Jugendliche an Schulen geworden. Was haben diese Gewalttaten gemeinsam? Wer sind die Tater? Welche Rolle spielen die Medien und das gesellschaftliche Umfeld? Wie entwickeln die Tater ihre todlichen Phantasien? Frank J. Robertz und Ruben Wickenhauser vom Berliner Institut fur Gewaltpravention und angewandte Kriminologie (IGaK) tragen in diesem anwendungsorientierten Fachbuch zum Thema die unterschiedlichen Aspekte anhand bekannter Falle zusammen: Praventionsmoglichkeiten, Einschatzung von Bedrohungen, Krisenintervention, Umgang mit traumatisierten Schulgemeinschaften und auffalligen Jugendlichen, Hilfestellungen fur Lehrer, Polizisten und Eltern. Ziel ist stets die realistische Gefahreneinschatzung und -vorbeugung. Inklusive Arbeitsmaterialien fur Schulpsychologen, Krisenteams und Lehrerkollegien mit Checklisten fur die Vorbereitung des Ernstfalls.

The DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders reviews and advances this innovative and increasingly popular scheme for diagnosing and evaluating personality disorders. The authors identify the multiple clinical, theoretical, and research paradigms that co-exist in the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) and show how the model can aid the practicing mental health professional in evaluating and treating patients as well as its importance in stimulating research and theoretical understanding of this domain. This work explores and summarizes methods of personality assessment and psychiatric evaluation, research findings, and clinical applications of the AMPD, highlighting its usefulness to clinical teaching and supervision, forensic application, and current research. It is a go-to reference for experienced professionals and researchers, those who wish to learn this new diagnostic system, and for clinicians in training.

The potential of crime prevention, security and community safety is constrained by implementation failure. This book presents a carefully-designed system of good practice, the 5Is, which handles the complexities of real world prevention, this aims to improve the performance of prevention, and advance process evaluation.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison has always been a fighter--yet as a young teen, no one knew she was also a victim. Combining Kayla's powerful story of sexual abuse by her judo coach with science-based information from two renowned therapists, this unique book provides critical guidance for parents and professionals. Learn how to spot the signs that a child or teen is being groomed, why kids stay silent about their trauma, how they struggle with self-blame and the brutal betrayal of a trusted authority figure, and exactly what kind of help they need to recover. No one is more qualified than Kayla and her expert coauthors to explain the impact of child sexual abuse--and what you can do to keep kids safe.

Memory and Sexual Misconduct: Psychological Research for Criminal Justice investigates the veracity of memories of sexual misconduct and the factors that may influence accurate recall, and fundamentally assesses whether psychological science can help the criminal justice system in determining which accusations are likely to be accurate, and which are not. In recent years, the public has been inundated with announcements of sexual assault allegations, in particular against public figures like politicians, businessmen, movie moguls, and professional athletes. Many of these accusations concern events that occurred several years prior to their announcements and trials. Drawing upon a compilation of real-life sexual assault cases and psychological science on recall and sexual trauma, this book provides an analysis of memory reports of sexual misconduct, including inappropriate comments, behaviors, harassment, and assault. It compares these memories with other types of memory, such as flashbulb memories, co-witness conformity memory, and autobiographical memory. Memory and Sexual Misconduct helps readers interpret the role of emotion, the level of detail, and the possible distinction between someone remembering a past event and believing the past event occurred. By providing a thorough evaluation of the likelihood that misconduct memories are accurate and investigating factors that affect this accuracy, Memory and Sexual Misconduct is an invaluable text to both the criminal justice system and the general public, particularly as sexual misconduct allegations of past events continue to come to light.

As statistical prediction becomes ubiquitous in many areas of psychology, a comprehensive guide to navigating these tools is needed, one that covers topics pertinent to those in psychology and the social sciences. Prediction Statistics for Psychological Assessment, by R. Karl Hanson, is the first book to teach students and practitioners the nuts and bolts of prediction statistics, while illustrating the utility of prediction and prediction tools in applied psychological practice. This valuable resource uses real-world examples, helpful explanations and practice exercises to support the use of prediction tools in psychological assessment. Actuarial risk assessment evaluators need to know how prediction tools work, how to evaluate them, and how to interpret their results in applied assessments. Written in a clear and accessible manner, this user-friendly book helps readers understand how to evaluate and interpret different kinds of prediction tools, appreciate the numeric information used in risk communication, and utilize prediction tools to inform evidence-based decision-making.

Why do people commit crime? How effective and reliable is the investigative process? How do jurors decide whether a person is guilty or innocent? How effective is treatment in reducing the risk of reoffending? In this up-to-date edition of his highly informative textbook, Adrian Scott reveals just how much forensic psychology can tell us - not only about offenders and their crimes, but also about the different stages of the criminal justice system. Covering social, psychological, biological and cognitive theories of crime, as well as research and theory relating to the investigative process, the courtroom and the penal system, this book provides in-depth coverage of the major areas within forensic psychology. It is essential reading for curious students seeking an engaging and accessible introduction to this fascinating topic.

Why do we steal? This question has confounded everyone from parents to judges, teachers to psychologists, economists to more than a few moral thinkers. Stealing can be a result of deprivation, of envy, or of a desire for power and influence. An act of theft can also bring forth someone's hidden traits - paradoxically proving beneficial to their personal development. Robert Tyminski explores the many dimensions of stealing, and in particular how they relate to a subtle balance of loss versus gain that operates in all of us. Our natural aversion to loss can lead to extreme actions as a means to acquire what we may not be able to obtain through time, work or money. Tyminski uses the myth of Jason, Medea and the Golden Fleece to explore the dilemmas involved in such situations and demonstrate the timelessness of theft as fundamentally human. The Psychology of Theft and Loss incorporates Jungian and psychoanalytic theories as well as more recent cognitive research findings to deepen our appreciation for the complexity of human motivations when it comes to stealing, culminating in consideration of the idea of a perpetually present 'inner thief'. Combining case studies, Jungian theory and analysis of many different types of stealing including robbery, kidnapping, plagiarism and technotheft, The Psychology of Theft and Loss is a fascinating study which will appeal to psychoanalysts, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, family therapists and students.

For as long as we have been researching human memory, psychologists have been investigating how people remember and forget. This research is regularly drawn upon in our legal systems. Historically, we have relied upon eyewitness memory to help judge responsibility and adjudicate truth, but memory is malleable, prone to error, and susceptible to bias. Even confident eyewitnesses make mistakes, and even accurate witnesses sometimes find their testimony subjected to harsh scrutiny. Emerging from this environment, the Cognitive Interview (CI) became a means of assisting cooperative witnesses with recalling more information without sacrificing accuracy. First used by police interviewing adult witnesses, it is now used with many populations in many contexts, including public health, accident reconstruction, and the interrogation of terror suspects. Evidence-Based Investigative Interviewing reviews the application of cognitive research to investigative interviewing, revealing how principles of cognition, memory, and social dynamics may increase the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. It provides evidence-based applications for investigators beyond the forensic domain in areas such as eyewitness identification, detecting deception, and interviewing children. Drawing together the work of thirty-three authors across both the academic and practice communities, this comprehensive collection is essential reading for researchers in psychology, forensics, and disciplines such as epidemiology and gerontology.