{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T19:10:08+00:00","modifiedTime":"2016-03-26T19:10:08+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:08:18+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34038"},"slug":"body-mind-spirit","categoryId":34038},{"name":"Emotional Health & Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34039"},"slug":"emotional-health-psychology","categoryId":34039},{"name":"Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34053"},"slug":"psychology","categoryId":34053},{"name":"Forensic Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34068"},"slug":"forensic","categoryId":34068},{"name":"General Forensic Psychology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34070"},"slug":"general-forensic","categoryId":34070}],"title":"Using Forensic Psychology in Assessing a Criminal Offender","strippedTitle":"using forensic psychology in assessing a criminal offender","slug":"using-forensic-psychology-in-assessing-a-criminal-offender","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"Forensic Psychologists often assess offenders to determine whether they’re fit to plead their case in court, or are likely to be violent in the future. There ar","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<p>Forensic Psychologists often assess offenders to determine whether they’re fit to plead their case in court, or are likely to be violent in the future. There are a number of important issues to be considered in this assessment and these are outlined here:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Family background</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any history of abuse?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Offender ever removed from family?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any criminal close relatives?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Criminal background</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Amount and variety of criminal convictions?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Types of victims? (Particularly their age and gender)</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Education</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Achievements at school? (Or lack of them)</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Age left school?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Literacy skill level?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Numeracy skill level?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Attitudes</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Opinions about crime and criminality?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Justifications of his or her offences?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any processes of denial or minimisation?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Psychological characteristics</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">General intelligence level?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any indications of mental illness?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any indication of personality disorder?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Domestic circumstances</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">History of intimate relationships?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Current intimate relationships?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any children?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Occupational history?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Residential circumstances?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Economic circumstances?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n</ul>","description":"<p>Forensic Psychologists often assess offenders to determine whether they’re fit to plead their case in court, or are likely to be violent in the future. There are a number of important issues to be considered in this assessment and these are outlined here:</p>\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Family background</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any history of abuse?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Offender ever removed from family?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any criminal close relatives?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Criminal background</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Amount and variety of criminal convictions?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Types of victims? (Particularly their age and gender)</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Education</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Achievements at school? (Or lack of them)</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Age left school?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Literacy skill level?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Numeracy skill level?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Attitudes</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Opinions about crime and criminality?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Justifications of his or her offences?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any processes of denial or minimisation?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Psychological characteristics</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">General intelligence level?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any indications of mental illness?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any indication of personality disorder?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\"><b>Domestic circumstances</b></p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">History of intimate relationships?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Current intimate relationships?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Any children?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Occupational history?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Residential circumstances?</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Economic circumstances?</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n </li>\n</ul>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":10063,"name":"David V. Canter","slug":"david-canter","description":"David Canter is a crime psychologist who retired in 2018 as the director of the International Research Centre in Investigative Psychology at the University of Huddersfield in England. He is perhaps most widely known as the founder of the discipline of forensic psychology and one of the pioneers of offender profiling, having introduced its use in the United Kingdom. He has authored more than a dozen books on psychology.","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10063"}},{"authorId":10064,"name":"Ian Rankin","slug":"ian-rankin","description":" <p><b>David Canter</b>, the world-leading crime psychologist, is perhaps most widely known as one of the pioneers of 'Offender Profiling', being the first to introduce its use to the UK. He subsequently founded the discipline of Investigative Psychology and is now Director of the International Research Centre for Investigative Psychology.</p>","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/10064"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":34070,"title":"General Forensic Psychology","slug":"general-forensic","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/34070"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33764,"title":"Forensics","slug":"forensics","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33764"}},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":[{"articleId":175788,"title":"Trig Identities for Pre-Calculus","slug":"trig-identities-for-pre-calculus","categoryList":["academics-the-arts","math","pre-calculus"],"_links":{"self":"/articles/175788"}},{"articleId":147241,"title":"How to Use the 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Using Forensic Psychology in Assessing a Criminal Offender

By: David V. Canter and Ian Rankin and

Updated: 03-26-2016

From The Book: Forensic Psychology For Dummies

Forensic Psychology For Dummies

Book image

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Forensic Psychologists often assess offenders to determine whether they’re fit to plead their case in court, or are likely to be violent in the future. There are a number of important issues to be considered in this assessment and these are outlined here:

Family background
- Any history of abuse?
- Offender ever removed from family?
- Any criminal close relatives?
Criminal background
- Amount and variety of criminal convictions?
- Types of victims? (Particularly their age and gender)
Education
- Achievements at school? (Or lack of them)
- Age left school?
- Literacy skill level?
- Numeracy skill level?
Attitudes
- Opinions about crime and criminality?
- Justifications of his or her offences?
- Any processes of denial or minimisation?
Psychological characteristics
- General intelligence level?
- Any indications of mental illness?
- Any indication of personality disorder?
Domestic circumstances
- History of intimate relationships?
- Current intimate relationships?
- Any children?
- Occupational history?
- Residential circumstances?
- Economic circumstances?

About This Article

This article is from the book:

Forensic Psychology For Dummies ,

About the book authors:

David Canter, the world-leading crime psychologist, is perhaps most widely known as one of the pioneers of 'Offender Profiling', being the first to introduce its use to the UK. He subsequently founded the discipline of Investigative Psychology and is now Director of the International Research Centre for Investigative Psychology.

This article can be found in the category:

General Forensic Psychology ,