Millions of people are incarcerated in prisons around the world every year as a result of the actions they commit, which societies consider criminal acts. In contrast to these lawbreakers, there are millions of victims who suffer harm due to these criminal acts.
Crime is a significant concern for all societies, and it may be a more urgent issue for more advanced and civilized societies. For example, the United States of America, being an advanced and civilized country, has high crime rates, with a crime occurring less than a minute. Moreover, the cost of crime prevention in the United States exceeds sixty billion dollars annually.
Psychology is the science that studies human behavior with the aim of gaining accurate knowledge of this behavior. This knowledge revolves around three aspects: the first aspect is the accurate description of human behavior, whether it is normal or abnormal. The second aspect is interpreting this behavior to understand its causes and motivations. The third aspect is attempting to predict this behavior, meaning anticipating how a person's behavior will be in certain circumstances, and then controlling, adjusting, and modifying that behavior.
Since psychology studies human behavior, it intersects with the law, which is the regulation of human behavior. The law consists of a set of rules and systems established by the state, which individuals are obliged to obey and comply with.
The law is the principles established by the authorities or rulers because it is a system of rules that determine human behavior. It states that one action is in accordance with the law while another action is not. The law allows the former and criminalizes the latter. This is what we mean by stating that the law regulates human behavior.
The area where psychology intersects with the law is represented by the field of criminal psychology. Criminal psychology is a branch of applied psychology that focuses on the study of human behavior within the framework of its interaction with the law.
In other words, criminal psychology is a branch of psychology that applies psychological knowledge in the criminal or deviant context, as it applies scientific psychological principles to situations in which humans interact with the law. Thus, the definition and subject of study of criminal psychology are determined.
Like many branches of psychology, criminal psychology has different definitions that researchers have debated to attract the interest of the majority concerned with this specialization.
However, research references indicate that specialized writings in criminal psychology adopt two prominent approaches to defining it, one being broad and the other being limited in scope.
Some literature refers to criminal psychology in a broad sense as the research and application of psychological knowledge to the legal system. However, some refer to a more limited approach, defining criminal psychology as clinical practice within the legal system.
One of the definitions presented for criminal psychology according to the broad approach, as introduced by Bartol, is that criminal psychology is the research efforts to study aspects of human behavior directly related to legal procedures and the clinical practice of psychology within the legal system, which includes both civil and criminal law.
On the other hand, Ronald Roesch states that most psychologists in this field define criminal psychology with a limited scope, referring to the clinical practice performed by psychologists within the legal system. This definition may be too narrow, as it seems to only include what is known as "criminal clinical psychology." Furthermore, it excludes, among other things, clinical psychologists who provide counseling services to prisoners and perform other tasks related to rehabilitation.
The broad definition, on the other hand, not only includes physicians (also known as practitioners) but also social, counseling, cognitive, experimental, and industrial organizational psychologists, as well as school psychologists. Some of them, but not all, are clinical psychologists, and the common link among them all is their contributionto the legal system.
It is clear from the above definitions that criminal psychology is a specialized discipline within psychology. It addresses various issues and conducts research related to criminal behavior, including analyzing the motives, causes, and factors that lead to the commission of crimes, studying the psychological traits of criminals and victims, and evaluating the mental state and competency of individuals involved in legal proceedings.
Criminal psychology aims to provide insights into the psychological aspects of criminal behavior and contribute to the understanding and prevention of crime, as well as the rehabilitation and treatment of offenders. By applying psychological theories, research methods, and assessment techniques, criminal psychologists seek to contribute to the criminal justice system and improve society's response to criminal behavior.
- Do psychological and mental disorders correlate with criminal behavior? In other words, are there psychological or mental illnesses that drive individuals to commit crimes? What types of crimes are committed by individuals with mental disorders?
- If some individuals with mental disorders commit crimes, what is their level of responsibility for their criminal actions? How is the decision to exempt them from criminal responsibility made? And how dangerous is this decision? Who makes this decision? How can we benefit from psychological scientific knowledge in understanding the factors that influence the testimony of eyewitnesses in front of the judiciary and the police? Is this testimony accurate? What factors lead to its distortion? And why do witnesses forget some details when recounting their testimony? Is it permissible to rely on the testimony of children? How can that be done? Similarly, for the testimony of the elderly, are there any considerations?
- Are there modern scientific methods that assist criminal investigators? Accessing the truth is their main concern. Is there any contribution from modern science in this regard? It is said that a lie detector device can indicate whether a witness is lying or telling the truth, not to mention that hypnotism can activate the witness's memory. Are there any differences of opinion about the effectiveness of such modern methods?
- Can crime be fought? Can it be prevented, and can criminals be treated and rehabilitated? To answer this question, criminals are classified into two types: the first includes criminals (responsible for their criminal actions), and these are found in correctional institutions or rehabilitation institutions. The second type includes criminals who suffer from various mental disorders. In reality, all individuals classified in the previous two types need preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative programs. Does that allow the criminal to reintegrate into society as a normal person again?
Despite the fact that criminal psychology has reached an advanced level of scientific methodology and practical implications in Western countries, particularly the United States, it still lacks attention in Egypt, the Gulf region, and the Arab world. Researchers and psychologists have not given it the desired level of attention that can utilize psychological knowledge to serve society and solve its problems in the field of law and criminal justice.
This applied discipline has evolved remarkably during the past two decades of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century until now. The sub-interests of criminal psychology have expanded to include the application of psychological knowledge in fields such as police work, judiciary, prosecution, correctional institutions, and others. This specialization has become a fundamental pillar in the criminal justice system in the United States and many other Western countries.
Therefore, it is hoped that this book will cover the modern and contemporary aspects of interest in criminal psychology, highlighting its significance and importance, which is currently lower than other applied disciplines such as clinical psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, educational psychology, and others. There is an urgent need to benefit from its knowledge and information, especially in this important stage of our dear Arab countries, where we aspire to restore discipline to the Arab streets, organizations, universities, schools, and others, and reduce crime rates and deviance to the lowest possible level, promoting development efforts and the advancement of society in all areas.
The book will include a series of chapters that address modern topics in the field of criminal psychology, including the interpretive theories of criminal behavior in its various biological, social, psychological, and socio-psychological orientations, offender profiling, investigation techniques, criminal interrogation, and judicial testimony.
List of References:
5. Samalouti, Nabil (1983). The Scientific Study of Criminal Behavior. Jeddah: Dar Al-Shorouk.
