Forensic psychology is the area of psychology that, added to legal knowledge, is applied in the judiciary and in the police to contribute to the resolution of cases.
Forensic psychology uses the knowledge and techniques of psychology to profile the parties involved in the process or investigation, in order to verify their motivations, intentions or any other element that contributes to the case.
As it is a subdivision of psychology, the professional needs to have higher education in the area and further specialization, given that forensic psychology has its own organizations, training and research.
It is worth mentioning that, as with all professions related to Law, its attributions, requirements and characteristics may vary according to the legal system of each country. In Brazil, for example, it is still not common for psychologists to be exclusive to the area, but rather for them to provide this type of service when required.
Forensic psychology can also be called legal psychology, although some authors believe that the second is more comprehensive.
Forensic psychology advances as the instruments and methods of psychology are improved. The important results of this evolution are:
In cases where it is appropriate, forensic psychology works as an auxiliary of justice , so forensic psychologists act in a totally impartial way and their opinions must always be objective, that is, they can favor both parties.
The examples below are not the only situations where forensic psychology is applied. Regardless of the object of the process (right being discussed), the parties have the option of requesting the technical opinion of a psychologist.
In addition, the judge is free to appoint a psychologist to act on the case whenever he or she deems it relevant to the case. However, the most recurrent cases of application of forensic psychology are related:
In cases where the defendant’s insanity is alleged, it is necessary to assess his imputability (capacity to be held responsible). For this, forensic psychology analyzes the psychological profile of the defendant to determine to what extent he has insight into his actions. In these cases, the technical report is crucial to define the sentence.
In legal disputes to decide the custody of the disabled, the forensic psychologist assesses the psychological profile of all parties involved to give an opinion on who should take care of the individual.
In cases in which risks of violence (often domestic) are alleged, the forensic psychologist evaluates the potential victim, the potential aggressor and eventual witnesses to prepare a report that helps the judge in the decision.
In cases where there is a possibility of agreement, it is possible for a forensic psychologist to help the parties find common interests and put an end to the dispute.
In general, the forensic psychologist is responsible for evaluating individuals in legal proceedings, performing psychological analysis and identifying possible criminal behavior.
In addition, forensic psychology investigates the cases in question protecting the rights established by law, and thus responds legally in the conduct of the process.
Among the main functions of this professional are the following:
In general, their performance takes place throughout the judicial process, as it is this professional who must answer the questions and resolve the doubts of other justice professionals, in charge of the case.
Nowadays, the demand for forensic psychology covers several areas and allows many working environments, namely:
In addition, although the main field is criminal law , there are many forensic psychology professionals working in civil law – analysis of possible incapacities for legal possessions – and also in labor law – identification of cases of harassment in work environments.
In most cases, the service of a forensic psychology professional takes place in stages. These, in turn, are fundamental for the organization of cases and for guaranteeing a reliable and truly effective result.
Therefore, what usually happens first – speaking of the application in criminal law – is the collection of data and its interpretation, a possible diagnosis and later the elaboration of a report.
This first step can happen in several ways, all of which are techniques studied, tested and proven by psychology.
Most of the time, this occurs through interviews – supervised – with the individual. It is up to the psychologist to insert the information from the point of view of the possible criminal, for a later diagnosis .
After collecting the information, the psychologist will study the questions – previously requested by the judge himself – and reach some conclusions, which must be handed over to the law professional.
It is at this stage that the psychologist must understand some peculiarities of their performance, considering that there is a difference compared to other areas of psychology, which generally aim at treating the patient’s dysfunction.
As forensic psychology is not intended to help the subject, but to provide greater clarity for the judicial decision, there is less emotional proximity between the psychologist and the “patient”, in addition to a shorter period of time to reach a conclusion. .
The elaboration of a complete report regarding the individual under analysis is of extreme importance in the course of the judicial case, and occurs last.
In short, as we have already mentioned, the forensic psychologist must answer all the questions formulated by the judge, making this document a true expert evidence.
Some rules for creating the report are: scientific rigor and objectivity, in addition to clear language, whose target audience – legal professionals – can understand perfectly.
Based on the analysis provided by the psychologist, the legal professional will lead the process, now with more concrete information and specialized technical assistance regarding the subject.
As we have already shown you, the current demand is high, and it tends to grow even more.
According to the Dissídio portal, the minimum salary for a forensic psychologist can vary between R$ 3000.00 and R$ 6000.00, depending on the region in which the professional is working.
Even within forensic psychology – which is already a specialization – the professional can choose to work in two other fields, even more segmented:
This field is especially focused on the effects, manifestations and aspects related to the behavior of a criminal, his delinquencies and crimes.
On the other hand, this area is more directed to theoretical knowledge applied in the field of Law, which can be unlinked to criminology.
Finally, we will explain who can – and how to become – a professional specializing in forensic psychology.
First, you need to know that a degree in Psychology is essential, since the title of specialization is acquired through a postgraduate degree.
Therefore, only professionals graduated in Psychology can work in this segment. However, make no mistake: if you want to specialize in this course, knowledge and interest in legal issues are also required.
The postgraduate degree in Forensic Psychology at UniBF can be completed from 4 months, and is completely online! Among the subjects you will study are: Introduction to Law, Legal Psychology and Special Topics of Legal Sciences.
For your excellent and comprehensive training, the course provides a complete virtual library, extra materials, online simulations and virtual tutoring. In addition, the TCC (Course Completion Work) is optional!
That way, you can segment your performance and work in this field that is so important these days, in addition to having the chance to take part in contests and get very interesting positions!
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