INTRODUCTION TO
FORENSIC
PSYCHOLOGY
BY: DIMUTHU PASQUAL
Introduction
Singapore has been called one of the safest places in the
world. The Economist Safe City Index, for instance, ranked
Singapore second out of over 60 cities in the world, only
behind Tokyo (The Economist, 2017)
Is criminal behaviour manifested differently here?
Is the manner of managing crime and disorder different from
other parts of the world?
Case #1:
Jeffrey Choi, a Singaporean man, stole a pink brassiere off a clothes rack
outside a neighbour’s flat. He crept on the floor with the bra in his hands.
He sniffed the bra for a while before getting up, putting it in his sling bag
and walking away. A neighbour saw him and called ‘999’. Choi was
arrested and taken back to his flat, where police found 155 bras and 151
pairs of panties in his room! They were arranged by size and colour along
a chromatic scale. Choi said he had picked them up over the years as he
had developed a liking for collecting undergarments. What made him
obsessed with undergarments, which are basically cloth? Was it the
association with sex? What did he do with them? Where did he hide them?
Case #2:
Jack Able, an Austrian man, kept his daughter as his sex slave for
24 years in the basement of his house. Elaine was imprisoned
from the age of 18 in the cramped 18-square-meters cellar,
during which she was raped repeatedly by her father. There were
no windows and she could not escape. She gave birth to eight of
his children while being held captive, with three of them ending
up trapped in the cellar with her! She escaped one day to tell her
tales of horror. How could a father do this to his biological
daughter? Why did he do this?
Case #3:
Allen Menzies, a 25-year-old Scottish man, became obsessed
with the film Queen of the Damned and its main character, the
vampire queen Akasha. On the day that he killed his friend,
Menzies claimed that his friend had made an insulting remark
about Akasha and he had just snapped. He struck his friend on
the head at least 10 times with a hammer before stabbing him.
He then drank some of his victim’s blood and ate part of his
skull.
Questions to think….
Is this a kind of vampirism?
Was he mentally ill? Why do crimes like these occur?
Is it nature or nurture?
Is it biology that pushes one to be obsessed with underwear?
Is it poor parenting?
Is it bad friends who teach us about vampirism?
Is there too much violence on television and social media?
What is Crime?
Larry J. Siegel explained that “crime is a violation of
societal rules of behaviour as interpreted and expressed by
the criminal law, which reflects public opinion, traditional
values and the viewpoint of people currently holding social
and political power” (Siegel, 2010).
This definition discusses ‘violations of rules’ but also that these rules
are reflective of current societal values.
Therefore, in the past, there may have been acts, which were not
criminalized because society did not deem them serious enough.
Some examples would be stalking, marital rape or child abuse which
were not criminalized at various points in times in various countries.
The question of what makes a behaviour criminal, at a point in time, is
a complex one which involves the history and evolution of law.
Another definition of crime is that, “crime is anything your legislature
says it is!”
Criminal law defines what is crime.
If your lawmakers say that riding a bike above 80 miles per hour (mph)
or eating supari too much is a wrongdoing and thus, a crime, then it
would be!
Sometimes, crimes may involve ‘acts of omissions’, and crime has been
defined as ‘an act or omission punishable by law’
Crimes and violations
Legal systems distinguish between crimes and behaviours for
which someone can get punished.
The American Law Institute’s Model Penal Code
distinguishes ‘crimes’ from ‘violations’.
o Violations include behaviour that legal systems count as rule-
breaking (not criminal), such as regulations that are breached.
Are deviant behaviours crimes?
Sometimes, crime is defined in terms of the reactions it invokes.
Deviant behaviours evoke reactions from others.
Deviance includes behaviours which we can call criminal, but it
is broader in scope, and mainstream society considers this odd.
However, as they say, ‘to be a creep is not criminal’.
The issue, however, is about who defines what deviancy is.
Is it sections of powerful people in society judging others? The vocal minority?
Do the laws represent the people’s concerns?
Furthermore, what is considered deviant now may not be so in the years
to come.
What is Criminal and Forensic Psychology?
‘Criminal and forensic psychology’ is an emerging field of psychology, which
involves the use of psychology to advance our understanding of the causes of and the
management of crime and legal issues.
Forensic psychology’ can be defined as the scientific research and application of
psychology as a discipline to criminal justice, civil justice, legal, and courtroom
settings.
It is both a field of application and research. This means there is a place for it in both
industry and academia.
It can be applied beyond the fields of criminal law to civil law, legal questions (e.g.,
child custody issues), and courtroom dynamics (e.g., credibility as a witness, or
decision making in court).
Thanks to popular television shows and social media, we know about the criminal
applications of psychology more than the other areas. (Lie to Me, Criminal Minds,
Silence of the Lambs, and The Negotiator).
However, criminal psychology is more than that; and in most formal forensic psychology
training at the postgraduate level, there is usually discussion on Forensic–Legal
Psychology and Courtroom Psychology.
Some of the broader issues that may interest us in legal psychology would be the
following questions:
Why do false confessions occur?
How reliable are eyewitness testimonies for use as evidence in court?
How do judges make decisions in the courts?
How can child witnesses be used more effectively in courtroom settings (which can be frightening to children)?
Working as a Forensic Psychologist
First to complete a degree in psychology (usually up to honours level or at least a four-year degree program),
after which you will have to complete an accredited master’s degree in forensic or forensic–clinical
psychology.
Some employers will only consider those with postgraduate degrees, while others will employ those with a
good honours degree with plans to send them for postgraduate training later on.
Aspiring students should obtain a specialized degree in forensic psychology if they want to be a specialist in
this field.
You will usually be trained in criminology, legal psychology, courtroom psychology, how to be an expert
witness, risk assessment tools, and crime theory among relevant forensic and legal topics.
Police and military officers who are considering a post-graduate training in forensic or investigative
psychology can opt to undertake a master’s level, Psych.D, or Ph.D. programme, where the entry criteria
places a heavier focus on their relevant experience as law or security enforcers, and may not require them to
have basic degree in psychology (although they would still need a first degree).
It is good practice for aspiring forensic psychologists to look up the ethical guidelines of practice in forensic
psychology, country’s law and societal guidelines.
Reference
Howitt, D. and Howitt, D., 2009. Introduction to forensic and criminal
psychology. New York: Prentice Hall.
