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The field of forensic psychology explores the intersection of psychology and the law. The purpose of this book is to examine topics in the field using the powerful, multidisciplinary, conceptually integrated approach that the natural sciences have embraced for decades with great success.

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is the meta-theoretical framework that unifies the field of biology. It unites research and understanding of the development, control, and organization of behavior. The study of humans, which includes all of the social sciences, is part of the field of biology. Darwin's theory provides a powerful meta-theoretical framework that can unify and energize forensic psychology, just as it has the biological sciences.

Evolutionary processes undoubtedly shaped physiological characteristics to help solve problems of survival and reproduction. The lungs, for example, with their vast surface area and moist membranes are marvelous adaptions for extracting oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Natural selection is the only known process capable of shaping complex functional mechanisms. Just as it shaped physiological adaptations with specific problem-solving functions, it also shaped our thoughts and emotions to guide behaviors toward solving recurrent problems of survival and reproduction. With this logic, we can use knowledge of ancestral problems to guide our understanding of how the mind works.

Evolutionary Forensic Psychology is a necessary step toward a unified and complete understanding of psychology and the law. It recognizes that crimes such as murder, non-lethal violence, rape, and theft are manifestations of evolutionarily recurrent selection when they gave individuals an advantage in competition for resources. Each of the chapters that comprise this volume has been selected to provide the first unified examination of important research contributions and future directions of Evolutionary Forensic Psychology. ... Read more

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In recent decades, courts have turned increasingly tomental health professionals to assist them in evaluating the manyfactors that are relevant to laws concerning the care and protectionof children and termination of parental rights. At the same time, thelegal system has challenged the role of experts by setting highadmissibility standards for scientific integrity and objectivity inforensic consultation and assessment practice. The purpose of thisbook is to lay the foundation for solid conceptual and methodologicalapproaches for mental health professionals in offering effectiveresponses to legal standards and to the needs of individuals regardingcare and protection issues. Although termination of parental rightscases are the predominant focus of the book, attention also is givento consultation and evaluations for service planning purposes, theimpact of maltreatment on children, diagnostic and treatment planning,issues of family process, amenability to treatment, potential familyreunification, and post-termination pre-adoption questions.

Offering ways to integrate theory and research into practice, this volume provides conceptual models for consultation and assessment that make it relevant for a number of related disciplines. It will be of special interest to forensic mental consultants and evaluators, attorneys, judges, child protective system administrators and workers, and policy makers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best Book on this topic
This is the best book so far on this topic.I found the chapters on theory and research were comprehensive but easy to digest.

A good original source for care and protection evaluations.
This book provides a strong foundation for assessment in care and protection matters, and it is full of practical advice.It is a good text for graduate students studying forensic psychology, and for seasoned psychologists, psychiatrists, lawyers, and judges who practice in this area. ... Read more

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Of all the steps in the Supreme Court's decision-making process, only one is visible to the public: the oral arguments. By carefully analyzing transcripts of all the oral arguments available to the public, Professor Wrightsman provides empirical answers to a number of questions about the operation of oral arguments. This book provides a model for understanding the dynamics of judicial decision making from an empirical perspective. ... Read more

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A comprehensive overview of forensic psychology as it applies to the civil and criminal justice systems in the UK, which draws on the international evidence base, with contributions from leading international experts

• Designed to cover the British Psychological Society training syllabus in forensic psychology, meeting the needs of postgraduate students
• Chapters are each written by leading international experts, and provide the latest research and evidence base practice for students
• Ideal for qualified practitioners as a resource for continuing professional development
• The text is written in a style designed to support and direct students, and includes specific learning aids and guides to further study
• Linked to an online site providing additional learning materials, offering further aid to students

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The Evolution of Mental Health Law chronicles a relatively new field t hat has developed around the goals of protecting the rights and needs of people with disabilities, defining the proper sphere of individuali zation in criminal justice, and drawing boundaries between science and morality in decision making. The editors have brought together leadin g specialists from the field's many domains, including lawyers, health policy specialists, forensic psychologists, law professors, psychiatr ists, and sociologists, who share their theoretical insights and empir ical research of significant developments in mental health law and pol icy in the past 25 years. ... Read more

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PTSD, pain syndromes, traumatic brain injury: these three areas are common features of personal injury cases, often forming the cornerstone of expert testimony. Yet their complex interplay in an individual can make evaluation—and explaining the results in court—extremely difficult.

Psychological Knowledge in Court focuses on this triad separately and in combination, creating a unique guide to forensic evaluations that fulfills both legal and clinical standards. Its meticulous review of the literature identifies and provides clear guidelines for addressing core issues in causality, chronicity, and assessment, such as:

- Are there any definable risk factors for PTSD?

- How prevalent is PTSD after trauma?

- How do patients’ emotions relate to their pain experience?

- Are current pain assessment methods accurate enough?

- What is the role of pre-existing vulnerabilities in traumatic brain injury?

- What exactly is "mild" TBI?

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This manual presents lawyers with advice on understanding the applications of psychology in law. It seeks to help the reader analyze psychological reports, determine the strengths of arguments presented, and understand the various types of psychotherapies and biological treatments. ... Read more

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The essays in this book bring together research from the social sciences (psychology in particular) that bears upon the trends contributing to family law policy and practice as it is now in New Zealand. Anyone interested in these areas will find the book useful. It will be especially valuable for judges hearing and deciding cases, for counsel representing children, and for those formulating government policy. ... Read more

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Offender profiling has been developing slowly as a possible investigative tool since 1841 and the publication of Edgar Allen Poe's The Murder in the Rue Morgue. In this book, detective C. Auguste Dupin demonstrates the ability to follow the thought patterns of a companion while they stroll through Paris for 15 minutes without speaking a word. Today profiling is an important investigative tool. Nevertheless, it often represents a less than educated attempt to provide law enforcement agencies with detailed information about the behavior of an unknown individual who has committed a crime. Criminal Psychology and Forensic Technology: A Collaborative Approach to Effective Profiling introduces alternative approaches to improving the way crimes are investigated and offender profiles are generated. It shows forensic evidence experts how to work with profilers to combine discrete data into a more meaningful picture. The contributors address both their own specialty, such as anthropology, and then demonstrate how working in conjunction with criminal psychologists can provide more effective offender profiles.This book is unique in that it provides you with an array of articles that fuse aspects of criminal psychology and several forensic science methods in a collaborative effort to improve profiling. Written in a format that is simple and straightforward, it utilizes actual case studies to show how specific procedures relate to police investigations.The only book on the market that shows a team approach to criminal profiling, Criminal Psychology and Forensic Technology: A Collaborative Approach to Effective Profiling is a reference perfect for students interested in learning criminal profiling techniques and professionals wishing to sharpen their skills. Whatever your reason for choosing this book, it will enlighten you about alternative investigative tools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Criminal Psychology and Forensic Technology:A Collaborative Apporach to Effective Profiling.
This is a scholarly written book filled with details,mapping charts, andexcellent walk throughs of statistical analysis.This is a must read for anyone interested in the field of Forensic profiling.The writer also compiled an excellent reference section at the conclusion of each section of his writing. This book is well worth a reader's time.

Not at the price
This book is NOT for the lay reader.You must have a grounding in statistical analysis to appreciate the research articles.Nonstatistical articles include a nice one on forensic archaelogy, three on ethics and two on cybercrime that essentially say there is a hacker subculture out there.The book has only one article with Godwin's four way classification scheme.A person who wants to learn that would be better off buying his other book (which I have not read).This book is a textbook and I've had much better textbooks. FYI Although I have taken many of the Justice and Paralegal courses at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, I have no background in law enforcement whatsoever. ... Read more

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Memories are the ultimate foundation of testimony in legal settings ranging from criminal trials to divorce mediations and custody hearings. Yet the last decade has seen mounting evidence of various ways in which the accuracy of memories can be distorted on the one hand and enhanced on the other. This book offers a long-awaited comprehensive and balanced overview of what we now understand about children's and adults' eyewitness capabilities--and of the important practical and theoretical implications of this new understanding. The authors, leading clinicians and behavioral scientists with diverse training experiences and points of view, provide insight into the social, cognitive, developmental, and legal factors that affect the accuracy and quality of information obtained in forensic interviews.

Armed with the knowledge these chapters convey, practitioners in psychology, psychiatry, social work, criminology, law, and other relevant fields will be better informed about the strengths and limitations of witnesses' accounts; researchers will be better poised to design powerful new studies.

Memory and Suggestibility in the Forensic Interview will be a crucial resource for anyone involved in elucidating, interpreting, and reporting the memories of others.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great book for practitioners and researchers alike
This is a great review of the most current research and witness interviewing and suggestibility that should be read by anyone doing research in the area or interviewing (child) witnesses. ... Read more

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Why do some men commit sex offenses? While the question might seem straightforward, the answer is anything but. In this book, the authors review and critique existing theories and the supporting literature on why adolescent and adult males commit such acts as child molestation, voyeurism, indecent exposure, rape, and other violent offenses against adults and children. Chapters explore a range of theories of etiology, including biological, cognitive, behavioral, social learning, personality/psychodynamic, and evolutionary theories, as well as theories that incorporate two or more of these viewpoints. The authors then present their original integrative theory of sex offending, and the ways it could influence prevention and treatment.

This book acknowledges that women can and do perpetrate sex offenses but focuses exclusively on developing a theory for male sex offenders. Scientists across psychology sub-disciplines and mental health professionals treating sex offenders will benefit from this book, as will law professionals working with this population. Public health officials and other policymakers charged with prevention and community awareness about sex offending will also find much food for thought in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An insightful and thorough discussion of the etiology of sexual offending behavior
This is an excellent resource for evaluators, researchers, and treatment providers working with sex offenders.This book offers an inclusive analysis of past theories of sex offending and then offers a well grounded, comprehensive, and integrated model that can be used as a guide for future research, treatment, and evaluation.This model offers a means of conceptualizing disordered sexual behaviors in such a way as to guide future treatment and prevention models in a logical and cohesive manner.This is truly a step in the right direction for conceptualization of sex offender research, treatment, and prevention.

A work of academic excellence from beginning to end
The collaborative work of Jill D. Stinson (Clinical Psychologist and Researcher at Fulton State Hospital -- a maximum-security forensic institution in Missouri), Bruce D. Sales (Professor Psychology, Sociology, Psychiatry, and Law, University of Arizona), and Judith V. Becker (Professor of Psychology and psychiatry, University of Arizona - and former President of both the International Academy of Sex Research and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers), "Sex Offending: Causal Theories To Inform Research, Prevention, And Treatment" is a comprehensive, articulate, effectively organized and superbly presented combination of review and critique of current theories (along with supporting literature) on the reasons adolescent and adult males commit sex offenses that range from child molestation and rape, to voyeurism and indecent exposure, along with other types of violent offenses against children and adults. "Sex Offending" provides an informed and informative survey of theories that include biological, cognitive, behavioral, social learning, personality-psychodynamic, and evolution concepts, as well as combinations of these factors. "Sex Offending" then presents the authors own and original integrative theory of sex offending, how it may influence future research, as well as prevention and treatment efforts with sex offenders. A work of academic excellence from beginning to end, "Sex Offending" is an invaluable, seminal, and strongly recommended addition to professional and academic library Psychology & Psychiatry reference collections and supplemental reading lists. ... Read more

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"Expertise in Court: Perspectives on Testimony" is the second of a two-volume set on the "Psychology of the Courtroom". The authors, a renowned group of psychology and legal scholars, offer definitive coverage of the use of psychological expert testimony and evidence in a variety of legal contexts. They explore the controversies that surround it, from questions of its admissibility to its effects on eventual juror decisions. A wide range of topics are covered including system and estimator variables in eyewitness identification, expert testimony on psychological syndromes, the insanity defence and sexual harassment, how child sexual abuse is used by the courts, and recent research on false confessions. They also provide a comparative analysis exploring how different types of psychological expert testimony and evidence are used by different countries' legal systems. All the chapters conclude by making specific recommendations for how psychological research and information could be better utilized by courts around the world. ... Read more

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This work aims to provide an in-depth overview of forensic psychology, bringing together a team of leading authorities in the field to demonstrate the scope and techniques of forensic psychology in key areas of research, policy and practice. The aim is to go beyond the introductory texts on the subject to challenge perceptions, to raise questions for research and to pose problems for practice, to inspire and to stimulate, demonstrating the ways in which forensic psychology can aid the practice of criminal justice. ... Read more

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This comprehensive volume deciphers investigative process and practice, providing an authoritative insight into key debates and contemporary issues in crime investigations

• Provides critical examination of investigative practice by focusing on the key issues and debates underpinned by academic literature on crime investigation
• Outlines the theoretical explanations that provide an understanding of crime investigation and the context in which investigators operate
• Illustrates the practical relevance of theoretical contributions to crime investigation
• Places clear emphasis on the multi-disciplinary nature of crime investigation

Product Description
The Psychology of Criminal Justice integrates aspects of psychology's contributions to criminology and to socio-legal studies within a single narrative framework. It does this by describing the interpersonal and group dynamics of decision-making at key stages in the processing of accused persons from the time an alleged offence is committed to the moment sentence is passed.

The book bears directly on many current debates concerning the ability of the criminal justice system to deliver reliable verdicts. It recognizes the interdependence of decision makers in the system and addresses questions at an appropriately social-psychological level. The book examines systematically and critically the dynamics of criminal decision-making, the response of victims, the assumptions, attitudes and behavior of police officers, the conduct of court proceedings, the performance of witnesses, the strengths and weaknesses of juries, and the sentencing of magistrates and judges. Discussions of law and morality, the attribution of blame in court and in everyday life, and the achievement of justice in interpersonal and organizational contexts, provide a definitive account of the social psychology of law in the context of criminal justice.

Problems with our adversarial system of justice have led to the establishment of a Royal Commission on Criminal Justice. It is commonplace to seek a scapegoat in the behavior of one or other protagonist in the system - especially the police. It will become clear to readers of this book that breakdowns of the system are a product of persuasive interpersonal and intergroup processes of organization, reaching well beyond the behavior of any one agent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Psychology of Crimnal justice
This is a very easy to read book ,and is sutiable for those who do not have any background in Criminology or Law . The book is designed so that it goes in order from what makes criminals all the way to victim/offender interaction to the crimnial justice system itself. At the same time you can choose to read individual chapters of your choice without having to have read the chapter before . Thus it makes it an excellent reference book.

The author explores how social psychology fits in with the criminal system and it does and excellent job of doing so.The best thing about this book is it sites experimental evidence and also theories. In fact its packed with experimental evidence. Having finished the book , I was more aware of the injustices that can potentially occure in the coutroom. There are different factors which make a person more liable to prosectution. For example your gender, social class and educational achievments all have a role in determining the sentencing or how well the jury or judges believe you.

This book is great for starters in Psychology and Law or Forensic Psychology. In fact it's an interesting read on its own , even if your not studying Psychology , Law or Criminology. ... Read more

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Many hospital emergency departments are overcrowded and short-staffed, with a limited number of available hospital beds.It is increasingly hard for emergency departments and their staff to provide the necessary level of care for medical patients.Caring for people with psychiatric disabilities raises different issues and calls on different skills.
In Emergency Department Treatment of the Psychiatric Patient, Dr. Stefan uses research, surveys, and statutory and litigation materials to examine problems with emergency department care for clients with psychiatric disorders.She relies on interviews with emergency department nurses, doctors and psychiatrists, as well as surveys of people with psychiatric disabilities to present the perspectives of both the individuals seeking treatment, and those providing it.
This eye-opening book explores the structural pressures on emergency departments and identifies the burdens and conflicts that undermine their efforts to provide compassionate care to people in psychiatric crisis.In addition to presenting a new analysis of the source of these problems, Dr. Stefan also suggests an array of alternatives to emergency department treatment for people in psychiatric crisis.Moreover, the author proposes standards for treatment of these individuals when they do inevitably end up in a hospital emergency department.
Emergency Department Treatment of the Psychiatric Patient presents a thoughtful and thorough analysis of the difficulties faced by people with psychiatric disabilities when seeking emergency medical care.It is essential reading for anyone working in a hospital emergency department, as well as health care policy makers, and advocates and lawyers for people with psychiatric disabilities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

great book for my ethics paper
this book is an excellant resource for my ethics paper on the moral distress ER nurses experience when psych patients present to the ED for pyschiatric issues. I believe this to be a huge concern of how we take care of these patients due to dwindling resources/hospitals for this patient population. This population is growing for every ED but they can be very time consuming and are often our repeat customers.It's difficult to practice compassion when you are working in a very busy ER, waiting room full of sick patients and in comes (any repeat pt's name)again.

Great Resource for System Change
I needed a thorough description and discussion of the issues around discrimination against persons with mental illness in Emergency Rooms as well as suggested remedies.

This text provided both.

As an advocate for system change, reading this text is a must.
In fact I have not been able to find any other worthy readings on this topic.

This book should be required reading for all ER physicians and public policy makers and administrators looking for ways to improve health care systems.

Excellent!
This is an excellent read for anyone concerned about the state of Psychiatric Patients in the Emergency Department. Don't expect your administrators to be happy you are reading this!

Pros and Cons
I work in Healthcare Security at a large trauma center and I have extensive contact with active and retired police with my job.I also have police academy training, extensive law enforcement training, and a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Temple University.This is a VERY important topic, and no one wants to be the entity to deal with mentally ill people.Everyone wants to put the problem on another entity.The book was well written, well organized, and has a ton of useful and current (2006) legal information that I was looking for. The one problem with the book is the clearly slanted liberal views of the author.She is from Connecticut, and while I hate to be stereotypical, in my twenty years being in the criminal justice/security field, certain states are known for being especially slanted in their law enforcement views and/or liberal, such as Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Connecticut.Connecticut is a state known for many people with extremely liberal views.Security and Police are seen as a necessary evil, and generally not supported by the people in the state.The book leans extensively towards limiting involvement with security and police and everything being handled "intellectually."This is a serious flaw in the book, since while 95% of the time things can be managed verbally by healthcare personnel, to not accept and support the 5% of the time security and police are needed to manage issues in a "hands-on" way is not at all realistic or correct.If readers can take the liberal interpretation/presentation of some of the information with a "grain of salt", then the book is excellent and highly recommended. ... Read more

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Preventing Sexual Violence: How Society Should Cope With Sex Offenders systematically critiques the current treatment of sex offenders in an effort to determine how best to prevent reoffending without infringing on the rights of citizens. The book offers the latest data about sex offenders and the novel and powerful legal measures enacted to prevent sexual violence. ... Read more