What is the difference between forensic psychology and criminology

Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Criminal psychology deals with the examination of wills, responses, thoughts, and the intentions of the offender behind the crime. Forensic psychology is concerned with the connection between the legal system and the application of psychology in it. Students who aspire to join a BSc course in criminal psychology must have passed their graduation in either arts or science. Focuses on understanding the psychological motives behind the crime.

Interviewing criminals to know about their family background and early life. Evaluating the scene of crime, witnesses, victims, and assessing these elements concerning the suspects of a crime, Profiling of the offender to help law enforcement agencies to apprehend the offender after a crime is committed.

Study and analyze thoughts, and state of mind after committing a crime. Analyze the after-effects of the offense and impacts upon its victims. To get your license, you usually have to complete supervised, postdoctoral clinical work, pass a licensing examination, pass an ethics test and have no criminal record. Licensing requirements vary by state. To get licensed in Minnesota, for example, you must have 2, hours of postdoctoral supervised clinical work, according to Forensic Psychology Edu.

After passing a national licensing exam and a ethics test, you can ask the board of psychology to allow you to practice. Criminologists with an undergraduate degree usually work as probation officers, prison guards and criminal investigators.

Many of those with a postgraduate degree become authors, lecturers, researchers, college professors and consultants. Criminal psychologists who want to see patients typically get a clinically-focused Doctor of Psychology Degree, or Psy.

Forensic psychologists help rehabilitate offenders through therapy, anger management and other counseling services. They also perform mental evaluations to determine if a suspect is competent to stand trial and may testify in court or assist attorneys with jury selection or witness preparation.

They also interview witnesses and victims, especially in sensitive cases such as crimes against women or children. Criminal psychologists may work in private practice and act as consultants for law enforcement agencies, or they may work full time at police departments and other legal facilities. Forensic psychologists often work for law enforcement agencies or at prisons or other correctional or treatment facilities.

They also work for government agencies and at colleges and universities, where they teach or conduct research. There are multiple possible jobs available for those wishing to work in this field, including forensic psychologist and forensic psychiatrist.

While each of these roles requires a doctorate, with an online Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology , graduates can pursue entry-level work in corrections, law enforcement, social work, or psychiatry. Criminal psychology and forensic psychology are both strongly connected to law enforcement. Each profession supports investigations, whether criminal or civil. Professionals in each of these fields benefit from academic study and practical experience in criminal justice.

When comparing criminal psychology vs. From the education required to what their daily work looks like, there are some points of divergence between these two paths. Although both criminal and forensic psychologist roles require advanced education, there are many opportunities for those who do not want to earn a PhD or PsyD.

In contrast, the criminal psychology field focuses more specifically on understanding the mind of a criminal. Criminal psychology courses often include abnormal behavior, substance abuse patterns, behavioral statistics, and adolescent psychology. While criminal psychology focuses on criminal behavior, forensic psychology includes criminal and civil law, work in prisons, at-risk youth counseling, and academic research.

Forensic psychology requires the assessment of a wide array of people, including victims of crime, witnesses, attorneys, and law enforcement. Graduates of forensic psychology degree programs can also become jury consultants, juvenile offenders counselors, expert witnesses, and more.

Those who go on to earn an advanced degree may become forensic psychologists or even forensic psychology professors. Graduates of criminal psychology programs work specifically with criminals and those investigating them in the justice system, as opposed to victims or juries.

Aspiring criminal psychologists may find work in corrections, criminal profiling, and psychology. In each of these fields, criminal psychology majors are able to flex critical thinking and observational skills to meet legal protocol as well as work with individuals with mental health disorders, keeping them safe, as well as the community at large. Geriann Brandt: Welcome, and thank you very much for your interest in Maryville University.

My name is Gerriann Brandt. I am a former St. Louis County police officer here in the state of Missouri, and I am also the director of the criminal justice criminology program here.