Thinking of a career that indulges your CSI fantasies? Want to understand the psychology of crime? Whether studying it for the first time or an interested spectator,Forensic Psychology For Dummies gives you all the essentials for understanding this exciting field, complemented with fascinating case examples from around the world.

Inside you'll find out why people commit crime, how psychology helps in the investigative process, the ways psychologists work with criminals behind bars - and how you too can become a forensic psychologist. You'll discover what a typical day is like for a forensic psychologist, how they work with the police to build offender profiles, interview suspects or witnesses, and detect lies!

If you're a student considering taking forensic psychology or just love to learn about the science behind crime,Forensic Psychology For Dummies is everything you need to get up-to-speed on this fascinating subject.

David Canter, the world-leading crime psychologist, is perhaps most widely known as one of the pioneers of 'Offender Profiling', being the first to introduce its use to the UK. He subsequently founded the discipline of Investigative Psychology and is now Director of the International Research Centre for Investigative Psychology.

Foreword xxi

Introduction 1

Part I: Nailing Forensic Psychology: A Moving Target 7

Chapter 1: Discovering the Truth about Forensic Psychology 9

Chapter 2: Exploring the World of the Criminal 29

Chapter 3: Providing Expert Evidence: Forensic Psychology and the Law 51

Part II: Helping the Police Solve Crimes 69

Chapter 4: Interviewing Witnesses and Victims 71

Chapter 5: Exposing Liars and Detecting Deception 93

Chapter 6: Profiling Offenders and Distinguishing the Types of Crimes They Commit 121

Chapter 7: Understanding Victims of Crime and Their Experiences 149

Chapter 8: Preventing Crime: Problems, Processes and Perseverance 169

Part III: Measuring the Criminal Mind 187

Chapter 9: Measuring, Testing and Assessing the Psychology of Offenders 189

Chapter 10: Diagnosing Evil: Measuring the Criminal Mind 207

Part IV: Viewing Psychology in Court 221

Chapter 11: Giving Guidance in Legal Proceedings 223

Chapter 12: Making Sense in Court: Psychological Aspects of the Legal Processes 249

Part V: Helping and Treating Offenders 267

Chapter 13: Intervening to Rehabilitate Offenders 269

Chapter 14: Dealing with Violence 289

Chapter 15: Treating Sexual Offenders 305

Chapter 16: Working with Juvenile Offenders 323

Part VI: The Part of Tens 337

Chapter 17: Ten Professional Requirements for Forensic Psychologists 339

Chapter 18: Ten Stages in Becoming a Professional Forensic Psychologist 347

Chapter 19: Ten Emerging Areas of Forensic Psychology 355

Chapter 20: Ten Cases in Which Forensic Psychology Was Crucial 363

Index 375