Professional Documents
Culture Documents
February 2007
A very warm welcome to the February edition of the All About Forensic
Psychology Newsletter. A belated Happy New Year to you all; the holiday
season seems a long time ago now but I hope you all had a great one.
All the forensic psychology newsletters contain graphics that most of you will
be able to see, along with links that you can access should you wish to do so.
If you can only see text, this means that your e-mail software cannot read
HTML (this just means that the newsletter cannot be read as if it were a web
page). You'll still get all the content, although it won't be as easy on the eye,
for instance you'll see a series of code where the graphic would be.
The biggest story to break at the end of last year, particularly within the UK
was the Suffolk serial killer case. The case related to the murder of five
prostitutes. The bodies of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol and and Anneli Alderton,
were all found in rural locations around Ipswich in Suffolk between the 2nd
and the 10th of December. On the 12th of December two more bodies were
found which were later identified as the missing prostitutes Paula Clennell and
Annette Nicholls.
What was unprecedented about this case was the speed at which events
unfolded. A local television station reporting on the Suffolk murders
interviewed one of the victims Paula Clennell in the week before she
disappeared. In the course of just three weeks, the story broke, further
murders were committed and Stephen Wright was arrested and formally
The All About Forensic Science Website was launched on the 10th January and
has grown considerably over the last few weeks. Highlights include:
A forensic science notice board page used to post details of Forensic Science
Job vacancies, Forensic Science Internships, New Forensic Science Degree
Programs etc.
A free resources page showcasing the very best forensic science and
eductional resources available over the Internet.
Expert Article
Dr. Cronin is a licensed clinical psychologist who has held academic positions
in Europe (University of Maryland, Munich Campus), Australia (Flinders
University of South Australia) and the United States (Transylvania University
and Saint Leo University).
For this edition of the newsletter Dr. Cronin addresses the issue of forensic
degrees. Within this must read article, the frequently asked question as to
what degree is best for employment within forensic psychology is tackled.
Students frequently asked what degree is best for employment in the field of
forensic psychology. The answer to this question depends on how one defines
forensic psychology along with an individual’s career goals. Although the type
of degree is important with regards to obtaining a licensed to practice
psychology, it is equally important to develop the specific skills needed to
function as a forensic psychologist.
Some authors use a very broad definition for forensic psychology, stating that
it encompasses anything that has to do with psychology and the legal system.
Others define forensic psychology within a more applied context. In 2001, the
American Psychological Association formally recognized forensic psychology as
a specialty within the profession. In the “Petition for the Recognition of a
Specialty in Professional Psychology,” forensic psychology is defined as the
“professional practice by psychologists within the areas of clinical psychology,
counseling psychology, neuropsychology, and school psychology, when they
are engaged regularly as experts and represent themselves as such, in an
activity primarily intended to provide professional psychological expertise to
the judicial system” (Heilbrun, 2000, p.6). This narrow definition adopted by
the American Psychological Association views forensic psychology as a
specialty within the applied areas of psychology and is the definition used in
this article.
(http://www.apa.org/crsppp/archivforensic.html, 2004).
This set of skills is consistent with the APA’s definition of forensic psychology
and places the emphasis on the development of solid clinical skills. Although it
is necessary to have specialized training in areas of law and forensic
psychology, these competencies have traditionally come after the development
of clinical expertise. Therefore, anyone wishing to pursue a career in forensic
psychology should first develop strong clinical skills in assessment,
understanding psychopathology, report writing, diagnostic interviewing, and
case presentation.
Doctoral Degrees
between clinical and counseling psychology has gradually become blurred over
the past two decades. Clinical psychologists are trained to diagnose and treat
individuals with serious mental illness such as major depression and anxiety
disorders. Counseling psychologists receive much of the same training as
clinical psychologists. Counseling psychologists are generally train to work with
individuals who are struggling with adjustment issues in life, such as moving
away from home, transitioning through a divorce, or adjusting to a new
location. However, the distinction is not as great as it was in the past and
there is now a great deal of overlap in populations served by the two
specialties.
in the specialty.
Although many states allow licensure at the master’s level, these mental
health professionals may not use the title of psychologist. This title is
regulated by all the states and can only be used by individuals with a
doctorate. The one exception is a school psychologist, who is usually
credentialed at the master’s level.
A master’s degree in psychology requires one to two years of school after the
bachelor’s degree. Although an individual with a master’s degree cannot
present himself or herself as a psychologist, they may be able to practice in
various states under the title of licensed professional counselor, licensed
mental health counselor, or other such titles. Thus, a master’s degree in
counseling or clinical psychology may allow one to practice independently,
depending on the jurisdiction. The master’s degree could then open the door
to working in the specialty of forensic psychology.
References
Heilbrun, K.S. (2000, July 20). Petition for the recognition of a specialty in
professional psychology. Submitted on behalf of the American Board of
Forensic Psychology and the American Psychology-Law Society to the
American Psychological Association.
Resource Central
Quality Links:
Degree Directories:
Unfortunately because of the amount of SPAM that was being added to the
board registered users can no longer post directly.
If you would like to make a post, you can still do so through the link provided
on the board and I will add all the appropriate messages as soon as possible.
And Finally
I really hope that you have enjoyed reading the February edition of the All
About Forensic Psychology newsletter. If you think your friends might be
interested in taking a look, please feel free to forward it to them.
If you would like to contact me about anything to do with the wonderful world
of forensic psychology, you can do so via the following link.
Contact Me
Hopefully the next edition of the newsletter will be sent out in the next month
or so.
Until then, wishing you and your family all the very best.