An Introduction to Criminal and Forensic Psychology: The Criminal Mind

Did you know you are more likely to fall victim to a serial killer than you are to win the lottery? (Hicky 1991)

Do you have a burning interest in Psychopaths, serial killers, stalkers, rapists, paedophiles, or offender profiling? If so the fascinating world of criminal and forensic psychology is for you.

The introduction to criminal and forensic psychology is suitable for anyone with a desire to learn about the workings of the criminal mind, what motivates an individual to commit crimes, and how investigators collect psychological clues.

This introductory book will provide you with a comprehensive insight into criminal behaviour and the criminal mind. You will develop your understanding of the major theories that seek to explain criminal behaviour especially in relation to violent and sexual crimes.

Crime and Criminal behaviour is something that affects everyone. The question over the Centuries has been, why do some people commit crime? What are the effects of that crime on the community as a whole?

Those involved in criminal psychology ask these questions concerning behaviours as part of their career and research paths, this question is often asked by the Gardai, Prison services, Offender institutes and the Judiciary in the course of their jobs. This textbook examines the way in which psychology helps us to understand how criminals behave and help us to apply that to the Criminal Justice System (CJS).

Readers will examine different types of psychological theories, and explain criminal behaviour in the context of them “offenders” and us “general public” Readers will investigate these perceptions and how the world sees themselves alongside their perceptions of criminals.
Insanity?
M’Naughton Rule
Forensic Psychology
Criminal and forensic psychology
Hugo Munsterburg
William Marston
Donald Slesinger
Criminal Investigations
Differences between psychopaths and psychotics
Women who kill
What is Psychosis?
Crime analysis
Interviewing, detecting deception and eyewitness research
Expert witness
Serial killers, spree killers, mass killers
Modus Operendi
Signature
Types of Serial Killers
Categories of Serial Killers
Visionaries
Missionaries
Hedonists
Lust;
Thrill;
Theories of criminal behaviour.
Neuropsychology and Crime
Psychoanalysis
Thematic Application Test (TAT)
Biological Theories
Lombroso
Intelligence and Learning in Criminology
Interdisciplinary Criminology
Anomie or Strain Theory
Social Learning Theory
Social Control Theory
Labelling Theory
Radical Theory
Crime addictions
Tolerance
Withdrawal
Craving
Salience
Euphoria / relief / mood regulation
Conflict
Relapse
Addicted to sexual crime
Psychopathy and serial offending
Typologies of killer
Techniques used in criminal profiling
Stages in profiling
Paraphilias
Psychoanalysis in criminal profiling
The traits of an organised killer
The traits of a disorganised killer
How psychologists in Ireland profile offenders
Geographical Profiling
Marauders and Commuter crimes
Profiles v Typologies
Geographical prioritization
Psychology and Crime
Schizophrenia and violence
Psychopathy and violence
Frustration and violence
Expressive aggression
Instrumental aggression
Brain damage
Sexual Offences
Rape
Paedophilia
Cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT)
Terrorism and the Forensic Psychologist
Types of Terrorism
Who do terrorists attack?
So who exactly is a terrorist and what is terrorism?
Weapons of terrorism
Terrorists or Activists?
History of terrorism
Religion and Terrorism
Recruitment of the terrorist
Female terrorist
Profiling a Terrorist
Analysis, Statistics and Forensic Psychology
Research Methods
Methodology
Designing the research
Pragmatic concerns
Research methods
Research biases
Standardisation of the experiment
Descriptive research
Explanatory research
Scales
Structured observations
Unstructured observations
Basic Statistics