The public has developed fanciful ideas about forensic psychology as the science of catching criminals by understanding their thought patterns. Many prospective students also have the impression of forensic psychologists as flying into different states and tracking down criminals through psychological clues. Dr. John Denboer enjoys imagining himself as having such a career, but as a retired professional forensic psychologist, he wants to forward a more realistic definition of forensic psychology.
The American Psychological Association offers the broad-stroke definition of forensic psychology, saying it revolves around using psychology in the legal field. Some experts and institutions, in a bid to make this applied field grounded and therefore teachable, define it as the use of clinical specializations on legal institutions and the people involved with the law. But the definition Dr. John Denboer is most taken with is the use of psychological research and experimentation in the legal arena, since forensic psychologists should not be isolated to just its procedures. The theories of psychology must still inform actual forensic psychology practice, like the one he’s doing with juveniles involved with the law.
Although Dr. John Denboer talks about how forensic psychology can also help psychology as a whole make strides into the human psyche, he adds that a forensic psychologist's skills in procedures are likewise as important as their grasp of theory. A forensic psychologist will always be making psychological assessments and evaluations, making reports, and prepping for case presentations and their own expert witness testimony if called into court. Forensic psychologists will figure in various legal aspects like child custody evaluations, skill and competency evaluations of the elderly and people involved with the justice system, assessing potential threats at schools, screening police applicants, evaluation of juvenile delinquents, and evaluating degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder.
We may be entering the golden age of forensic psychology, thanks in large part to popular culture. Although its real-world counterpart may not satisfy the adventurous picture its film and television image provide, it can save lives and change lives for the better for real, enthuses Dr. John Denboer.
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| Image source: https://www.theexpertinstitute.com/ |
The American Psychological Association offers the broad-stroke definition of forensic psychology, saying it revolves around using psychology in the legal field. Some experts and institutions, in a bid to make this applied field grounded and therefore teachable, define it as the use of clinical specializations on legal institutions and the people involved with the law. But the definition Dr. John Denboer is most taken with is the use of psychological research and experimentation in the legal arena, since forensic psychologists should not be isolated to just its procedures. The theories of psychology must still inform actual forensic psychology practice, like the one he’s doing with juveniles involved with the law.
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| Image source: Online Schools Report |
Although Dr. John Denboer talks about how forensic psychology can also help psychology as a whole make strides into the human psyche, he adds that a forensic psychologist's skills in procedures are likewise as important as their grasp of theory. A forensic psychologist will always be making psychological assessments and evaluations, making reports, and prepping for case presentations and their own expert witness testimony if called into court. Forensic psychologists will figure in various legal aspects like child custody evaluations, skill and competency evaluations of the elderly and people involved with the justice system, assessing potential threats at schools, screening police applicants, evaluation of juvenile delinquents, and evaluating degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder.
We may be entering the golden age of forensic psychology, thanks in large part to popular culture. Although its real-world counterpart may not satisfy the adventurous picture its film and television image provide, it can save lives and change lives for the better for real, enthuses Dr. John Denboer.
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