Criminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals, all that partakes in the criminal behavior.
It is related to the field of criminal anthropology. The study goes deeply into what makes someone commit crime, but also the reactions after the crime, on the run or in court. Criminal psychologists are often called up as witnesses in court cases to help the jury understand the mind of the criminal. Some types of Psychiatry also deal with aspects of criminal behavior.
Psychological criminology is the science of behavior and mental processes of a criminal. Focuses on individual criminal behavior and how it is acquired, evoked, maintained, and modified. Environmental and personality influence on criminal behavior are considered along with the mental processes that mediate that behavior.
Read more about Criminal Psychology: Psychology's Role in The Legal System, Profiling, Psychological Treatment
Famous quotes containing the words criminal and/or psychology:
“A criminal trial is like a Russian novel: it starts with exasperating slowness as the characters are introduced to a jury, then there are complications in the form of minor witnesses, the protagonist finally appears and contradictions arise to produce drama, and finally as both jury and spectators grow weary and confused the pace quickens, reaching its climax in passionate final argument.”
—Clifford Irving (b. 1930)
“A large part of the popularity and persuasiveness of psychology comes from its being a sublimated spiritualism: a secular, ostensibly scientific way of affirming the primacy of “spirit” over matter.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)