Case Study Analysis and Findings

Running Head: LEGAL PSYCHOLOGY AND VICTIMIZATION 1

LEGAL PSYCHOLOGY AND VICTIMIZATION 2

Legal Psychology and Victimization

Lisa Braden

CRJ 522: Psychological Factors in Criminal Justice

Professor Blake Lafond

January 18, 2022

Introduction

Criminal psychology is one of the rising disciplines in the justice system. There is no doubt that psychology does play a crucial role in every discipline of life. However, the specialists are also known as forensic psychologists or criminal profilers within the criminal justice system. Psychology, like law, are two constituted disciplines. They each have their objects, logic, scientific and practical corpus, researchers, and practitioners. Each of these fields of knowledge has its resources and factors of progress and tends to evolve independently. It seems, however, that elements likely to favor the development of psychology and law or, more modestly, to improve their office could be found by each of these disciplines in the other. The impression becomes stronger when one considers that the law can also be understood as a science and psychology as an instrument for regulating individual conduct. The report discusses the role of criminal psychology and psychologists in profiling criminals and helping in determining sentences.

Analysis and findings

Initiated at the end of the 19th century, particularly under the French psychologist Alfred Binet (1857-1911), the study of the relationship between psychology and the law found particular illustration in the medical and penal fields. Numerous works have thus been devoted to the subject in Europe and across the Atlantic (psychology and law, psycho-legal studies, legal psychology, forensic psychology, etc.). The discipline consists of the systematic study of the relations between psychology and law, understood broadly.

The role of the psychological profile of the offender and the victim

New York, 1956. For sixteen years, the police have been unsuccessfully tracking down a bomber terrorizing the city. Distraught, the investigators turned to psychiatrist James Brussel. By analyzing the letters sent by the author of the explosions and basing himself on his knowledge of the psychology of the criminals, the doctor establishes a profile. The wanted man lives in a northern suburb of the city; he is of Slavic origin, he has never had a girlfriend, has had problems with his hierarchy and will wear a closed double-breasted jacket at his arrest. George Metesky is quickly identified as the perpetrator. This is one of the thousands of examples now that shows the role of criminal psychologists in understanding and arresting offenders (Bartol & Bartol, 2018).

The profilers help the police in determining the mental state of the criminals. They also help in evaluating their circumstances and understanding them. For forensic psychologists, criminals are more than just the people who committed a crime. They want to understand the offenders, their reasons for committing a crime and the circumstances leading to their crimes.

The contribution of the psychological dimension to criminal investigations came late. In the early 2000s, the gendarmerie created a department of behavioral sciences. In 2009, the police took the plunge in turn with the integration of psychologists within the Central Office for the Suppression of Violence against Persons (OCRVP). Far from the clichés conveyed by the series and their profilers whose gifts sometimes border on the supernatural, psycho-criminology is a complex subject. Profiling techniques are only one aspect of this discipline. Their job as these specialists is to bring another look by studying the psychological factors and processes of criminal action (Petherick, 2020).

Role of psychologists in sentencing (jury and court cases)

The criminal profilers have an obligation to protect the rights of each client they see. The contribution of psycho-criminology does not stop at the time of the investigation. The issue of follow-up and probation of people placed in justice, or crime prevention are all important areas of study for which the discipline wants to introduce another perspective. For example, with regard to the prevention of domestic violence, the procedures used are not at all suitable. There is no consideration of the complex object that is this violence. Although each crime is different, our knowledge of enactment processes can help us anticipate. Research and work in criminology show us that forensic psychologists intervene when the author finds himself in a kind of impasse (Bartol & Bartol, 2019).

Thus, during a court trial or jury, the role of the psychologists is in getting the right sentences. This can help decide if an offender is mentally challenged or a psychopath, who makes a huge difference (Crighton & Towl, 2015). In addition to allowing the understanding of criminals, the psychologists help the victims' families. They help them cope with the crime and make peace with the situation.

“The impact of the crime on the victim's mental health is often greater than any material consequences. Lost possessions can be replaced, and a broken leg can heal in months, but the psychological wounds remain. Research indicates that rape victims show more post-traumatic psychological symptoms than victims of other types of violence or property crimes” (Ruback, & Thompson, 2001). However, the reaction to victimization depends not only on the seriousness of the crime but also on the situation of the victim and his perception of the event.

All the work carried out on jury decision-making shows the difficulty, in view of the multiple influencing factors at stake, of understanding it completely and correctly for researchers and participating in it serenely for practitioners. This difficulty is particularly significant for jurors who have to process and integrate a large volume of information, as legal information is not always well understood by them, as many researchers and justice professionals point out (Gudjonsson, & Haward, 2016). Added to this cognitive load is also an emotional load linked to the facts exposed during the trial and the legal obligation to deliver justice while often feeling that they do not have the competence to do so.

Conclusion and Discussion

Overall, criminal psychology plays a role in understanding the offenders, victims, and their sentencing. Since the past few decades, forensic psychologists have been getting more involved in the criminal justice system. Psycho-criminology is certainly an undeniable aid to the investigation but be careful not to expect too much. The myth of the psychologist who arrives at the crime scene and will, in three sentences, determine the culprit only exists in the series, with either a total rejection on the investigators' part or the feeling that the psychologist is a kind of magician. Faced with a subject as sensitive as justice and security, ideological divisions prevent genuine reflection. The psycho-criminological analysis shows that all is not black or white. The work of the psychologist is not to excuse, of course, but to better understand to allow justice to have a fairer answer. Finally, considering the psychological aspect brings back humanity, which everyone does not accept.

References

Bartol A., & Bartol C. (2019). Introduction to forensic psychology: Research and application (5th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2018). Introduction to forensic psychology: Research and application. Sage Publications.

Crighton, D. A., & Towl, G. J. (2015). Forensic psychology. John Wiley & Sons.

Gudjonsson, G. H., & Haward, L. R. (2016). Forensic psychology: A practice guide. Routledge.

Petherick, W. (2020). Forensic victimology in child sexual abuse. In Child Sexual Abuse (pp. 161-178). Academic Press.

Ruback, R. B., & Thompson, M. P. (2001). Social and psychological consequences of violent victimization. Sage.