Roger J.R. Levesque
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190460792
- eISBN:
- 9780190460815
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190460792.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
The right to privacy figures prominently in popular discourse and law. Its popularity, however, is not matched by the respect it receives. A close look at empirical understandings of privacy, how it ...
More
The right to privacy figures prominently in popular discourse and law. Its popularity, however, is not matched by the respect it receives. A close look at empirical understandings of privacy, how it shapes development, and how privacy itself can be shaped, provides important lessons for addressing the critical juncture facing privacy rights and privacy itself. To increase respect for privacy and foster privacy’s effective outcomes, society must capitalize on opportunities to shape adolescents’ use of privacy. Yet, as currently developed, the legal system has difficulty recognizing adolescents’ privacy rights and supporting systems that would shape adolescents’ skills and abilities in ways that would foster respect for privacy. As a result, the system fails to address the needs of adolescents and society. The upshot is that a developmental understanding of privacy essentially asks that the legal system take an entirely different approach to adolescents’ privacy. This book provides the foundation for understanding privacy rights and how they relate to adolescents. It then explores the place of privacy in adolescent development and builds on that understanding to chart ways to better address adolescents’ privacy needs and rights as well as society’s broader privacy interests. It argues that privacy actually is an inherently social phenomenon, one that can and must be shaped more effectively.Less
The right to privacy figures prominently in popular discourse and law. Its popularity, however, is not matched by the respect it receives. A close look at empirical understandings of privacy, how it shapes development, and how privacy itself can be shaped, provides important lessons for addressing the critical juncture facing privacy rights and privacy itself. To increase respect for privacy and foster privacy’s effective outcomes, society must capitalize on opportunities to shape adolescents’ use of privacy. Yet, as currently developed, the legal system has difficulty recognizing adolescents’ privacy rights and supporting systems that would shape adolescents’ skills and abilities in ways that would foster respect for privacy. As a result, the system fails to address the needs of adolescents and society. The upshot is that a developmental understanding of privacy essentially asks that the legal system take an entirely different approach to adolescents’ privacy. This book provides the foundation for understanding privacy rights and how they relate to adolescents. It then explores the place of privacy in adolescent development and builds on that understanding to chart ways to better address adolescents’ privacy needs and rights as well as society’s broader privacy interests. It argues that privacy actually is an inherently social phenomenon, one that can and must be shaped more effectively.
Roger J. R. Levesque
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195320442
- eISBN:
- 9780199893782
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320442.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
There is much controversy about the dangers of a free media when it comes to children and adolescents. Many believe that this constitutional right should be amended, altered, or revoked entirely in ...
More
There is much controversy about the dangers of a free media when it comes to children and adolescents. Many believe that this constitutional right should be amended, altered, or revoked entirely in order to prevent the young from being negatively influenced. Graphic violence, sexual content, and the depiction of cigarette smoking have all come under fire as being unacceptable in media that is geared toward adolescents, from television and movies to magazines and advertising. Yet not much has been written about the developmental science behind these ideas, and what effects a free media really has on adolescents. This book presents a synthesis of all current knowledge about the developmental effects of a free media on adolescents. The author first presents a full analysis of research studies into the media's effects on adolescents in four key areas: sexuality, violence, smoking, and body image. All findings are assessed within the context of normal adolescent development. The author then discusses how this knowledge can be used to inform current standards for the regulation of free speech with regard to adolescents. Both legal restrictions and less formal regulatory bodies (schools, parent groups, etc.) are reviewed in order to present a full picture of the ways in which a free media is constrained to protect adolescents' development.Less
There is much controversy about the dangers of a free media when it comes to children and adolescents. Many believe that this constitutional right should be amended, altered, or revoked entirely in order to prevent the young from being negatively influenced. Graphic violence, sexual content, and the depiction of cigarette smoking have all come under fire as being unacceptable in media that is geared toward adolescents, from television and movies to magazines and advertising. Yet not much has been written about the developmental science behind these ideas, and what effects a free media really has on adolescents. This book presents a synthesis of all current knowledge about the developmental effects of a free media on adolescents. The author first presents a full analysis of research studies into the media's effects on adolescents in four key areas: sexuality, violence, smoking, and body image. All findings are assessed within the context of normal adolescent development. The author then discusses how this knowledge can be used to inform current standards for the regulation of free speech with regard to adolescents. Both legal restrictions and less formal regulatory bodies (schools, parent groups, etc.) are reviewed in order to present a full picture of the ways in which a free media is constrained to protect adolescents' development.
Ilina Singh, Walter P. Sinnott-Armstrong, and Julian Savulescu (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199844180
- eISBN:
- 9780199369607
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199844180.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Forensic Psychology
Many decisions in the legal system and elsewhere depend on predictions of bad behaviors, including crimes and mental illnesses. Some scientists have suggested recently that these predictions can ...
More
Many decisions in the legal system and elsewhere depend on predictions of bad behaviors, including crimes and mental illnesses. Some scientists have suggested recently that these predictions can become more accurate and useful if they are based in part on biological information, such as brain structure and function, genes, and hormones. The prospect of such bioprediction, however, raises serious concerns about errors and injustice. Can biological information significantly increase the accuracy of predictions of bad behavior? Will innocent or harmless people be mistakenly treated as if they were guilty or dangerous? Is it fair to keep people in prisons or mental institutions longer because of their biology? Will these new instruments of bioprediction be abused in practice within current institutions? Is bioprediction worth the cost? Do we want our government to use biology in this way? All of these scientific, legal, and ethical questions are discussed in this volume.Less
Many decisions in the legal system and elsewhere depend on predictions of bad behaviors, including crimes and mental illnesses. Some scientists have suggested recently that these predictions can become more accurate and useful if they are based in part on biological information, such as brain structure and function, genes, and hormones. The prospect of such bioprediction, however, raises serious concerns about errors and injustice. Can biological information significantly increase the accuracy of predictions of bad behavior? Will innocent or harmless people be mistakenly treated as if they were guilty or dangerous? Is it fair to keep people in prisons or mental institutions longer because of their biology? Will these new instruments of bioprediction be abused in practice within current institutions? Is bioprediction worth the cost? Do we want our government to use biology in this way? All of these scientific, legal, and ethical questions are discussed in this volume.
Barbara Jo Fidler, Nicholas Bala, and Michael A. Saini
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199895496
- eISBN:
- 9780199980086
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199895496.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
Interest in the problem of children who resist contact with or become alienated from a parent after separation or divorce is growing, due in part to parents' increasing frustrations with the apparent ...
More
Interest in the problem of children who resist contact with or become alienated from a parent after separation or divorce is growing, due in part to parents' increasing frustrations with the apparent ineffectiveness of the legal system in handling these unique cases. There is a need for legal and mental health professionals to improve their understanding of, and response to, this polarizing social dynamic. This book is a critical, empirically based review of parental alienation that integrates the best research evidence with clinical insight from interviews with leading scholars and practitioners. The text draws upon the growing body of mental health and legal literature to summarize the historical development and controversies surrounding the concept of “alienation” and explain the causes, dynamics, and differentiation of various types of parent-child relationship issues. The chapters review research on prevalence, risk factors, indicators, assessment, and measurement to form a conceptual integration of multiple factors relevant to the etiology and maintenance of the problem of strained parent-child relationships. A differential approach to assessment and intervention is provided. Children's rights, the role of their wishes and preferences in legal proceedings, and the short- and long-term impact of parental alienation are also discussed.Less
Interest in the problem of children who resist contact with or become alienated from a parent after separation or divorce is growing, due in part to parents' increasing frustrations with the apparent ineffectiveness of the legal system in handling these unique cases. There is a need for legal and mental health professionals to improve their understanding of, and response to, this polarizing social dynamic. This book is a critical, empirically based review of parental alienation that integrates the best research evidence with clinical insight from interviews with leading scholars and practitioners. The text draws upon the growing body of mental health and legal literature to summarize the historical development and controversies surrounding the concept of “alienation” and explain the causes, dynamics, and differentiation of various types of parent-child relationship issues. The chapters review research on prevalence, risk factors, indicators, assessment, and measurement to form a conceptual integration of multiple factors relevant to the etiology and maintenance of the problem of strained parent-child relationships. A differential approach to assessment and intervention is provided. Children's rights, the role of their wishes and preferences in legal proceedings, and the short- and long-term impact of parental alienation are also discussed.
Gianni Pirelli, Robert A. Beattey, and Patricia A. Zapf (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- December 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190258542
- eISBN:
- 9780190258559
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190258542.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
The Ethical Practice of Forensic Psychology: A Casebook highlights the ethical standards and guidelines set forth in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologist ...
More
The Ethical Practice of Forensic Psychology: A Casebook highlights the ethical standards and guidelines set forth in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct (EPPCC; APA, 2010) and the more recently published Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (SGFP; APA, 2013). This book provides readers with a practical review of these ethical principles and professional guidelines in the context of forensic case vignettes with corresponding commentary by leaders in the field. It is designed to serve as a resource for a broad audience, including academics, psychology graduate and postdoctoral students, practitioners, mental health counselors, social workers, and legal professionals. Concepts are presented using a best-practices model that encourages and promotes engaging in empirically supported decision-making. This book is distinct from all others published in this area, given its inclusion and integration of the following: (a) review of the ethical standards and guidelines contained in the APA’s EPPCC and SGFP, in addition to numerous types of ethical dilemmas encountered in forensic practice; (b) review of the relevant empirical literature and case law/legal statutes; (c) presentation of ethical dilemmas typically encountered by forensic practitioners in the form of case vignettes, which correspond to each ethical standard and professional guideline; and (d) commentary by experts in forensic psychology in response to each vignette.Less
The Ethical Practice of Forensic Psychology: A Casebook highlights the ethical standards and guidelines set forth in the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct (EPPCC; APA, 2010) and the more recently published Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (SGFP; APA, 2013). This book provides readers with a practical review of these ethical principles and professional guidelines in the context of forensic case vignettes with corresponding commentary by leaders in the field. It is designed to serve as a resource for a broad audience, including academics, psychology graduate and postdoctoral students, practitioners, mental health counselors, social workers, and legal professionals. Concepts are presented using a best-practices model that encourages and promotes engaging in empirically supported decision-making. This book is distinct from all others published in this area, given its inclusion and integration of the following: (a) review of the ethical standards and guidelines contained in the APA’s EPPCC and SGFP, in addition to numerous types of ethical dilemmas encountered in forensic practice; (b) review of the relevant empirical literature and case law/legal statutes; (c) presentation of ethical dilemmas typically encountered by forensic practitioners in the form of case vignettes, which correspond to each ethical standard and professional guideline; and (d) commentary by experts in forensic psychology in response to each vignette.
Bruce A. Arrigo, Heather Y. Bersot, and Brian G. Sellers
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195372212
- eISBN:
- 9780199897247
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372212.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
This book demonstrates how the forces of captivity and risk management dangerously co-habit justice at the self/society divide. This cohabitation is the power to harm (i.e., to reduce being and to ...
More
This book demonstrates how the forces of captivity and risk management dangerously co-habit justice at the self/society divide. This cohabitation is the power to harm (i.e., to reduce being and to repress becoming), for the kept and their keepers, for their managers and their watchers. This harm as “madness” occurs through interactive symbolic, linguistic, materially and cultural intensities. Overcoming these intensities or “conditions of control” for one and all necessitates the cultivation of transformative and dynamic habits of character. Embodying such citizenship makes the evolving praxis of social justice (as fair-minded and dignified, therapeutic and healing, restorative and communal) that much more possible. The theoretical, empirical, and policy dimensions of this thesis are examined by way of judicial decision-making that sustains captivity and risk management in three controversial total confinement contexts. These contexts include developmentally immature juveniles waived to the adult system and found competent to stand trial; psychiatrically disordered inmates placed in long-term disciplinary segregation where said isolation is not deemed cruel and unusual punishment; and formerly incarcerated sexually violent predators subjected to multiple forms of civil detention, re-entry surveillance, and communal inspection. The judicially endorsed harm that follows in each instance extends to victims, offenders, and the communities that bind both groups. The book concludes with a series of provocative, yet sensible, recommendations in theory development; methodology and future research; immediate and emergent praxis interventions; pedagogy and (continual) training; and institutional practice, programming, and policy. These reforms are relevant for the legal, psychiatric, clinical forensic, scholarly academic, bioethical, and human service/social welfare communities. Collectively, these change initiatives suggest several vibrant directions by which to activate captivity’s release, to re-evaluate the risk management thesis, and to experience character’s promise in our lives, in the lives of others, in mental health law, and in all expressions of dynamic human/social cohabitation.Less
This book demonstrates how the forces of captivity and risk management dangerously co-habit justice at the self/society divide. This cohabitation is the power to harm (i.e., to reduce being and to repress becoming), for the kept and their keepers, for their managers and their watchers. This harm as “madness” occurs through interactive symbolic, linguistic, materially and cultural intensities. Overcoming these intensities or “conditions of control” for one and all necessitates the cultivation of transformative and dynamic habits of character. Embodying such citizenship makes the evolving praxis of social justice (as fair-minded and dignified, therapeutic and healing, restorative and communal) that much more possible. The theoretical, empirical, and policy dimensions of this thesis are examined by way of judicial decision-making that sustains captivity and risk management in three controversial total confinement contexts. These contexts include developmentally immature juveniles waived to the adult system and found competent to stand trial; psychiatrically disordered inmates placed in long-term disciplinary segregation where said isolation is not deemed cruel and unusual punishment; and formerly incarcerated sexually violent predators subjected to multiple forms of civil detention, re-entry surveillance, and communal inspection. The judicially endorsed harm that follows in each instance extends to victims, offenders, and the communities that bind both groups. The book concludes with a series of provocative, yet sensible, recommendations in theory development; methodology and future research; immediate and emergent praxis interventions; pedagogy and (continual) training; and institutional practice, programming, and policy. These reforms are relevant for the legal, psychiatric, clinical forensic, scholarly academic, bioethical, and human service/social welfare communities. Collectively, these change initiatives suggest several vibrant directions by which to activate captivity’s release, to re-evaluate the risk management thesis, and to experience character’s promise in our lives, in the lives of others, in mental health law, and in all expressions of dynamic human/social cohabitation.
Joshua Duntley and Todd K. Shackelford (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195325188
- eISBN:
- 9780199893805
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195325188.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
The field of forensic psychology explores the intersection of psychology and the law. The purpose of this book is to examine topics in the field, using the powerful, multidisciplinary, conceptually ...
More
The field of forensic psychology explores the intersection of psychology and the law. The purpose of this book is to examine topics in the field, using the powerful, multidisciplinary, conceptually integrated approach that the natural sciences have embraced for decades with great success. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is the meta-theoretical framework that unifies the field of biology. It unites research with understanding of the development, control, and organization of behavior. The study of humans, which includes all of the social sciences, is part of the field of biology. Darwin's theory provides a powerful meta-theoretical framework that can unify and energize forensic psychology, just as it has the biological sciences. Evolutionary processes undoubtedly shaped physiological characteristics to help solve problems of survival and reproduction. The lungs, for example, with their vast surface area and moist membranes, are marvellous adaptations for extracting oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Natural selection is the only known process capable of shaping complex functional mechanisms. Just as it shaped physiological adaptations with specific problem-solving functions, it also shaped our thoughts and emotions to guide behaviors toward solving recurrent problems of survival and reproduction. With this logic, we can use knowledge of ancestral problems to guide our understanding of how the mind works. Evolutionary Forensic Psychology is a step toward a unified and complete understanding of psychology and the law. It recognizes that crimes such as murder, nonlethal violence, rape, and theft are manifestations of evolutionarily recurrent selection when they gave individuals an advantage in competition for resources. Each of the chapters that comprise this volume has been selected to provide a unified examination of research contributions and future directions of evolutionary forensic psychology.Less
The field of forensic psychology explores the intersection of psychology and the law. The purpose of this book is to examine topics in the field, using the powerful, multidisciplinary, conceptually integrated approach that the natural sciences have embraced for decades with great success. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is the meta-theoretical framework that unifies the field of biology. It unites research with understanding of the development, control, and organization of behavior. The study of humans, which includes all of the social sciences, is part of the field of biology. Darwin's theory provides a powerful meta-theoretical framework that can unify and energize forensic psychology, just as it has the biological sciences. Evolutionary processes undoubtedly shaped physiological characteristics to help solve problems of survival and reproduction. The lungs, for example, with their vast surface area and moist membranes, are marvellous adaptations for extracting oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Natural selection is the only known process capable of shaping complex functional mechanisms. Just as it shaped physiological adaptations with specific problem-solving functions, it also shaped our thoughts and emotions to guide behaviors toward solving recurrent problems of survival and reproduction. With this logic, we can use knowledge of ancestral problems to guide our understanding of how the mind works. Evolutionary Forensic Psychology is a step toward a unified and complete understanding of psychology and the law. It recognizes that crimes such as murder, nonlethal violence, rape, and theft are manifestations of evolutionarily recurrent selection when they gave individuals an advantage in competition for resources. Each of the chapters that comprise this volume has been selected to provide a unified examination of research contributions and future directions of evolutionary forensic psychology.
Brian L. Cutler (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195331974
- eISBN:
- 9780199868193
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331974.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
This book provides a contemporary review of empirical and legal issues surrounding expert psychological testimony on eyewitness identification. The chapters address a variety of topics, including the ...
More
This book provides a contemporary review of empirical and legal issues surrounding expert psychological testimony on eyewitness identification. The chapters address a variety of topics, including the scientific base underlying this form of expert testimony, the typical content and ethical issues regarding the testimony, admissibility decisions at the trial and appellate court levels, research on whether the testimony goes beyond common sense, agreement among experts about the underlying research, and the effects of expert testimony on juror decisions. Additional chapters raise limitations associated with expert testimony and question its appropriateness. These limitations include the shortcomings with respect to the underlying research and other issues associated with admissibility. Several chapters by experienced attorneys provide prosecution and defense perspectives on expert testimony.Less
This book provides a contemporary review of empirical and legal issues surrounding expert psychological testimony on eyewitness identification. The chapters address a variety of topics, including the scientific base underlying this form of expert testimony, the typical content and ethical issues regarding the testimony, admissibility decisions at the trial and appellate court levels, research on whether the testimony goes beyond common sense, agreement among experts about the underlying research, and the effects of expert testimony on juror decisions. Additional chapters raise limitations associated with expert testimony and question its appropriateness. These limitations include the shortcomings with respect to the underlying research and other issues associated with admissibility. Several chapters by experienced attorneys provide prosecution and defense perspectives on expert testimony.
Henry Otgaar and Mark L. Howe (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190612016
- eISBN:
- 9780190612030
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190612016.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
The focus of this book is on how legal professionals, legal/forensic psychologists, and memory researchers can decide when statements or identifications are based on truthful or fabricated ...
More
The focus of this book is on how legal professionals, legal/forensic psychologists, and memory researchers can decide when statements or identifications are based on truthful or fabricated experiences and whether if fabricated, can we distinguish between lies, deception, and false memories. The ultimate focus is to assemble recent experimental work and case studies in which deception or false memory plays a dominant role. That is, in many criminal trials, forensic technical evidence is lacking and triers of fact must rely on the reliability of eyewitness statements, identifications, and testimony. However, such reports can be riddled with deceptive statements or erroneous recollections. Based on such considerations, the question arises as to how one should weigh such eyewitness accounts given the theoretical and empirical knowledge in this field. Topics discussed are, for example, related to the susceptibility to suggestive pressure (e.g., “Under which circumstances are children or adults the most vulnerable to suggestion?”), the fabrication of symptoms (e.g., “How to detect whether PTSD symptoms are malingered?”), or the detection of deceit (e.g., “Which paradigms are promising in deception detection?”). By using this approach, this book unites diverse streams of research (i.e., deception, malingering, false memory) that are involved in the reliability of eyewitness statements.Less
The focus of this book is on how legal professionals, legal/forensic psychologists, and memory researchers can decide when statements or identifications are based on truthful or fabricated experiences and whether if fabricated, can we distinguish between lies, deception, and false memories. The ultimate focus is to assemble recent experimental work and case studies in which deception or false memory plays a dominant role. That is, in many criminal trials, forensic technical evidence is lacking and triers of fact must rely on the reliability of eyewitness statements, identifications, and testimony. However, such reports can be riddled with deceptive statements or erroneous recollections. Based on such considerations, the question arises as to how one should weigh such eyewitness accounts given the theoretical and empirical knowledge in this field. Topics discussed are, for example, related to the susceptibility to suggestive pressure (e.g., “Under which circumstances are children or adults the most vulnerable to suggestion?”), the fabrication of symptoms (e.g., “How to detect whether PTSD symptoms are malingered?”), or the detection of deceit (e.g., “Which paradigms are promising in deception detection?”). By using this approach, this book unites diverse streams of research (i.e., deception, malingering, false memory) that are involved in the reliability of eyewitness statements.
David DeMatteo, Daniel C. Murrie, Natalie M. Anumba, and Michael E. Keesler
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195385809
- eISBN:
- 9780199895311
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195385809.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Forensic Psychology
The continuing development of forensic psychology and psychiatry, combined with several recent decisions from the United States Supreme Court addressing various aspects of the death penalty, has ...
More
The continuing development of forensic psychology and psychiatry, combined with several recent decisions from the United States Supreme Court addressing various aspects of the death penalty, has increased the number of forensic mental health assessments conducted in death penalty cases. Forensic mental health professionals are now conducting assessments at every stage of death penalty proceedings, ranging from pre-trial evaluations to determine eligibility for the death penalty to evaluations conducted post-sentencing closer to the date of the execution. Yet there are surprisingly few comprehensive resources for clinicians who conduct those assessments, students interested in learning about these assessments, and attorneys who work with forensic mental health professionals. This book provides relevant background on death penalty litigation and influential court cases, a discussion of key ethical considerations for clinicians who conduct assessments in death penalty cases, guidance on conducting various types of forensic mental health assessments in death penalty proceedings, and sample forensic reports illustrating best practices.Less
The continuing development of forensic psychology and psychiatry, combined with several recent decisions from the United States Supreme Court addressing various aspects of the death penalty, has increased the number of forensic mental health assessments conducted in death penalty cases. Forensic mental health professionals are now conducting assessments at every stage of death penalty proceedings, ranging from pre-trial evaluations to determine eligibility for the death penalty to evaluations conducted post-sentencing closer to the date of the execution. Yet there are surprisingly few comprehensive resources for clinicians who conduct those assessments, students interested in learning about these assessments, and attorneys who work with forensic mental health professionals. This book provides relevant background on death penalty litigation and influential court cases, a discussion of key ethical considerations for clinicians who conduct assessments in death penalty cases, guidance on conducting various types of forensic mental health assessments in death penalty proceedings, and sample forensic reports illustrating best practices.