Criminal Psychology

This textbook provides an accessible introduction to the increasingly popular subject of criminal psychology, exploring the application of psychology to the understanding of criminal behavior, solving crimes, the court process, punishment, rehabilitation, and crime prevention. It will be an invaluable resource for anybody taking courses in this field, in particular students taking the criminal psychology/forensic psychology components of the UK's main A level psychology specifications. Each chapter includes real life applications/case studies, key studies, an evaluation, and a range of knowledge and discussion questions.

This book provides an accessible introduction to the increasingly popular subject of criminal psychology. It explores the application of psychology to understanding the crime phenomenon, criminal behaviour,solving crimes, the court process and punishment rehabilitation. It will be an invaluable resource for anybody taking courses in this field, in particular students taking the criminal psychology/forensic psychology components of the main A-level psychology specifications. The book is fully in line with the new A-level specifications being taught from September 2009. Each chapter includes case studies, keystudies, evaluations and a range of discussion questions. Apart from providing in depth and up-to-date knowledge on criminal psychology, the book is equally up-to-date on trends and issues in criminal justice today.

1. Crime -The Phenomenon: Applying psychology to crime. Approaches in criminal psychology. Are we living in a crime society? How much crime? What is a crime? Definitions, understandings and labels. Counting crime versus understanding crime. Understanding fear of crime 2. Criminal Behaviour: The question of 'why'. Biological and genetic explanations. Personality factors. Moral reasoning. Cognitive distortions. The causes of aggression and violence3. Solving Crimes: The nature of police work. Reassurance policing. Criminal investigation. DNA to the rescue. Psychology and investigative interviewing. Detection of deception. False confessions. Offender profiling 4.Courtroom Psychology: The nature of the criminal trial. Jury decision making. Eyewitness testimony. Extra legal factors: attractiveness, persuasion and stereotypes. 'Looking deathworthy'. False and recovered memories. Miscarriages of justice 5. Sentencing and Punishment: Sentencing as a human process. Punishment in the UK. Does prison work? Working with offenders. The sex offender. Treatment programme. Community orders. Chemical castration

Francis Pakes is Lecturer in Criminal Psychology at the University of Plymouth, UK. Suzanne Pakes teaches A-level Psychology at The Porstmouth Grammar School, UK.