Introduction to Forensic Psychology Essentials for Law
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Introduction to
FORENSIC
PSYCHOLOGY
Essentials for Law Enforcement
Stephanie Scott-Snyder
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Names: Scott-Snyder, Stephanie, author.
Title: Introduction to forensic psychology: essentials for law enforcement/
by Stephanie Scott-Snyder.
Description: New York: CRC Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016030828| ISBN 9781498755504 (pbk.: alk. paper) | ISBN
9781315298559 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Forensic psychology. | Law enforcement
Classification: LCC RA1148 .S36 2017 | DDC 614/.15--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030828
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CONTENTS
Preface xiii
Author xv
PART I Background
1 Introduction 3
The Chireno Murder 3
Overview of Forensic Psychology 4
Psychology Training for Law Enforcement 5
2 Overview of Forensic Psychology Concepts 9
What Is Forensic Psychology? 9
Roles of Forensic Psychologists 11
Brief History of Forensic Psychology 12
Criticisms of Psychology by the Legal System 14
Was Freud Right? 14
Laws Versus Values 15
Hinckley and the Influence of Values 17
How Is Truth Determined? 18
The Importance of Psychology in Law Enforcement 19
3 Effective Intervention 21
The Relationship Between Mental Disorders and Crime 21
The Criminalization of Mental Illness 22
Debunking Myths 22
Psychological Disorders and Associated Criminal Behavior 23
Schizophrenia Spectrum and Psychotic Disorders 25
Overview of Schizophrenia 25
Schizophrenia and Crime 26
Delusional Disorder 28
v
CONTENTS
Mood Disorders 31
Bipolar Disorders 31
Depressive Disorders 32
Personality Disorders 34
Police Response to Mental Illness 38
Use of Force 40
Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Mental Illness 41
Intervention Strategies and Best Practices 43
PART II Crimes and Criminals
4 Psychopathy 49
The Great Imposter 49
What Is a Psychopath? 50
Psychopathy, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Sociopathy: Similar
but Not the Same 52
Classifications of Psychopaths 55
Criminal Psychopaths 56
Psychopaths and Sexual Violence 58
Female Psychopaths 59
Aileen Wuornos 60
Psychopaths and Law Enforcement 62
Recognizing Psychopathic Suspects 63
Christopher Porco Homicide Investigation 65
The Interview 65
Gary Ridgway: The Green River Killer 68
Psychopathy as a Brain Dysfunction 70
Interviewing Psychopaths: Best Practices 70
5 Understanding Homicide 73
The History of Homicide 73
Homicide: The Ultimate Act of Violence 75
Degrees of Homicide and Assault 75
Aggression 77
Victim-Precipated Homicide 80
Weapons Used in Violence 81
vi
CONTENTS
Multiple-Victim Murders 81
Spree Murder 82
Mass Murder 82
Sniper Attacks 84
Serial Murder 84
Jack the Ripper 85
Serial Killers 85
John Wayne Gacy 85
Ted Bundy 86
Characteristics of Serial Killers 87
Typologies of Serial Killers 88
Dispelling Myths About Serial Killers 89
Serial Sexual Homicide 91
Female Serial Killers 92
Investigation Strategies 94
6 Sex Crimes 99
Understanding Sex Crimes: A Practical Overview 99
What Is Sexual Offending? 100
Nature and Scope of Sexual Violence 101
Sex Offense Legislation 102
The Jacob Wetterling Act 103
Megan’ s Law 103
The Pam Lychner Act 104
Sexually Violent Predator Act 104
Rape Myths and Rape Culture 105
Characteristics of Sexual Offenders 107
Typologies of Adult Male Rapists 110
Cameron Hooker 111
Classifications of Child Molesters 113
Female Sexual Offenders 114
Risk Assessment and Recidivism 115
Triggers and Their Relationship to Sexual Offending 116
Investigating Sex Crimes 118
Sex Offender Management 120
Polygraph 120
Motivating Change 121
Secondary Trauma in Law Enforcement Professionals 122
vii
CONTENTS
7 Domestic Violence 125
Domestic Abuse in the Media 125
Overview of Domestic Violence 126
Types of Abuse 128
Dating Violence 130
Domestic Violence by the Numbers 131
Nonfatal Domestic Violence 132
Domestic Violence Fatalities 132
Characteristics of Victims and Batterers 134
Battered Woman Syndrome 136
The Ibn-Tamas Murder 137
Cycle of Violence 139
Why Do Victims Stay? 140
Perceptions of Domestic Violence 142
Stigma 142
Cultural Implications 142
Police Response to Domestic Violence 143
De-Escalating DV Calls 144
Interviewing and Safety Planning 147
Preventative Programs 148
PART III Forensic, Police, and Investigative Work
8 Behavioral Profiling 155
Introduction 155
Fact Versus Fiction 155
Why Should We Profile? 156
The “Mad Bomber” 156
An Art, Not a Science 158
DC Sniper Case 158
Stereotypes 159
The Boston Strangler 161
The Efficacy of Profiling: Examining the Research 162
Inductive Versus Deductive Reasoning 164
The Application of Profiling 166
Crime Scene Analysis 167
Profiling Inputs 168
viii
CONTENTS
Decision-Process Models 170
Homicide Classification 170
Motive 170
Victim Risk 171
Offender Risk 171
Potential For Escalation/Serial Offending 171
Temporal Factors 172
Location 172
Crime Assessment 172
Organized- Disorganized Typology 173
The Profile 176
Investigation 176
Apprehension 177
Geographic Profiling 177
9 Eliciting Useful Information 181
Introduction 181
The Significance of a Confession 182
Interrogation 183
The History of Interrogation 184
The Reid Technique 184
Understanding Deception 185
The Accusatory Interrogation 185
Criticisms of The Reid Technique 191
False Confessions 191
Voluntary False Confessions 192
Coerced-Compliant Confessions 193
The Central Park Five 194
Coerced-Internalized Confessions 195
The Paul Ingram Case 195
The Legal Limits of Interrogation 197
Interrogation Versus Interviewing 199
Interview Techniques 200
Eyewitnesses Identification 202
Memory and Eyewitness Testimony 203
System and Estimator Variables 204
Interviewing Eyewitnesses 204
Identification Procedures: Lineups, Show-Ups, and Photo Arrays 206
ix
CONTENTS
10 Working with Victims 209
Introduction 209
Police Perceptions: Domestic and Sexual Violence 210
Marginalized Victims 213
Justice-Involved Victims 214
Prison Rape Elimination Act 214
Substance Users 215
Repeat Victims 216
Trafficking Victims 217
Psychologically Disordered Victims 218
Overcoming Victim Reluctance 220
Recanting 220
Understanding Inconsistencies in Victims’ Statements 221
False Versus Unsubstantiated Allegations 222
Techniques for Interacting With Victims 223
Victim-Centered Investigations 224
Trauma-Informed Interviewing 225
Interviewing Victims with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities 226
Start by Believing 226
Victim Support Units 227
11 Working with Minors 229
Introduction 229
Child Psychopathy 231
Measuring Psychopathy in Juveniles 232
Immaturity and Psychopathy: The Research 232
Criminal Responsibility and Children 233
Juvenile Sex Offenders 237
JSOs Who Offend Against Children 240
The RNR Method 240
Registration of JSOs 241
Child Victims 243
Characteristics of Child Victims 243
Suggestibility 244
Child Abuse Hysteria 245
Kern County 245
Fells Acres Day Care 245
x
CONTENTS
False Accusations, Misrepresentations, and Memory 246
Encoding, Retention, and Retrieval 246
Memory Distortion 247
Forensic Interviewing 249
Arranging a Child-Friendly Interview Space 249
Interviewing Techniques 250
General Guidelines 252
Phases of the Interview 252
12 Threat Assessment 255
Overview 255
Types of Threats 257
Mental Health and Motive 258
Impact of Psychiatric Symptoms on Motivation 260
Offender Profiles 261
Stalking 262
Cyberstalking 263
Stalking Stats 264
Who Can Be a Stalker? 264
Domestic Violence and Stalking 265
Assessing Stalking Threats 266
School-Based Violence 267
What Is Bullying? 267
Effects of Bullying 268
Relationship Between Bullying and Deadly Violence 268
Columbine 269
Virginia Tech 270
Sandy Hook 272
Assessing Threat in Cases of School Shootings and Bombings 272
Terrorism 274
Psychology of Terrorism 275
Responding to Ideologically Motivated Threats 276
Hostage Negotiation 277
Types of Hostage Takers 278
Police Response to Hostage Crises 279
Psychological Strategies for De-Escalating Threats 280
Special Considerations for Police 281
xi
CONTENTS
13 Reentry 283
What Is Reentry? 283
The Challenges of Reentry 283
Recidivism and Reentry 285
Predictors of Recidivism 285
Contextual Factors 286
Parole 287
Eligibility 288
Evidence-Based Practices for Supervision 288
The Impact of Justice Involvement 291
Community Reentry Programs 293
Residential Reentry Centers 293
Assessment Centers 294
Practical Considerations for Officers 294
Motivational Interviewing 295
Trauma-Informed Care 297
References 299
Index 331
xii
PREFACE
Research indicates that there are psychological principles at play in the
situations encountered by law enforcement personnel. This book fulfills
an important need in the ever-evolving field of criminal justice by pro-
viding officers with comprehensive foundational knowledge of forensic
psychology. It places interview strategies, emotional disturbance, homi-
cide, sexual and domestic violence, hostage negotiation, and other critical
scenarios into psycholegal context. This book offers police (patrol officers,
dispatchers, investigators, and correctional/community correctional pro-
fessionals) a working knowledge of psychology, thus assisting them in
better understanding the individuals with whom they come into contact
on a daily basis. This book will help law enforcement to interpret and
anticipate behavior, while responding safely and effectively.
In addition to serving as training material for police professionals,
this text applies to various university courses. It provides students with
strong theoretical knowledge of forensic psychological concepts and
places those theories within the unique framework of their real-life appli-
cation to criminological and policing scenarios.
xiii
AUTHOR
Stephanie Scott-Snyder is a forensic mental health clinician. She has pro-
vided court-mandated therapy to offenders, conducted risk assessments,
worked closely with law enforcement, and provided crisis intervention
to victims of violent crime. She is an adjunct faculty member at two
renowned New York City metro area colleges, where she teaches Forensic
Psychology, Psychology of Law, and Social Psychology, in addition to super-
vising student internships. Scott-Snyder graduated first in her class from
Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Master of Arts degree in Forensic
Psychology and is an associate member of the American Psychological
Association, a lifetime member of Psi Chi the International Honor Society
in Psychology, a clinical member of both ATSA (The Association for the
Treatment of Sexual Abusers) and New Jersey ATSA, and is a Clinically
Certified Forensic Counselor (CCFC) by the National Association of
Forensic Counselors (NAFC). Prior to her work within the criminal justice
system, Scott-Snyder was a Writer-Producer and Creative Director for net-
work television, with specific expertise in true crime projects.
xv
