A forensic psychologist plays a valuable role in the criminal justice system, even more so at a crime scene. Though not dealing directly with bodies or physical evidence, a forensic psychology practitioner tries to identify a perpetrator using psychological principles and tools.
Examination of the Crime Scene
Isolation of the crime scene is very important as often witnesses and bystanders can inadvertently cause contamination or the disturbance of evidence. Once this is done, as a forensic psychologist, you will have to note details including the time and date and scan adjacent areas for any clues. You are also responsible for ensuring the safety of other investigators.
Careful examination of the crime scene could provide many insights into the nature of the offender. So, in the case of a homicide, by observing the manner of attack you can guess the mental state of the murderer. Forensic psychology enables you to determine whether such a murderer was frenzied and agitated during the crime or if it was a cold-blooded and rational execution.
Criminal Profiling
Criminal profiling is the single biggest advantage of a forensic psychologist. Here, you are required to use your understanding of human behavior, pathology and motivation to form a psychological profile of the alleged criminal. By carefully observing the crime scene, you can narrow down the offender’s behavioral markers. People are bound by their psychological makeup and this fact forms the basis of criminal profiling.
In forensic psychology work, you are required to use this knowledge to identify the offender with those particular traits. This not only helps in predicting the offender’s future course of action or behavior but also provides information regarding his or her physical appearance.
Forensic psychologists make a huge difference in the criminal justice field and the work is rarely run of the mill. But before you can practice, you need a master’s degree in forensic psychology.
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