Forensic Psychology

The top-down approach uses crime scene evidence to place an offender into a pre-built category. Investigators then predi

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

The bottom-up approach builds a picture of an unknown offender by analysing patterns in crime scene evidence. Psychologi

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Geographical profiling uses the locations of a series of crimes to predict where an offender most likely lives or works.

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Lombroso argued that criminals are born, not made. He claimed you could identify a criminal by their physical appearance

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Some researchers argue that genes and brain structure can make a person more likely to commit crimes. These biological f

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Eysenck argued that some people are born with a personality type that makes them more likely to commit crime. Three pers

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Cognitive explanations argue that faulty thinking patterns cause criminal behaviour. Offenders process social situations

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Some offenders think about situations in distorted ways that make offending feel justified. Two key distortions are misr

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Differential association theory argues that people learn to commit crimes from others. Spending more time with pro-crimi

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Psychodynamic explanations argue that offending comes from unresolved conflicts in the unconscious mind. Early childhood

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Custodial sentencing means sending someone to prison. Courts use it for several different reasons, and imprisonment also

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Recidivism means reoffending — when a person who has already been convicted of a crime goes on to commit another crime.

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Behaviour modification uses rewards to change offenders' behaviour inside prison. Psychologists design programmes that r

Forensic Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Anger management teaches offenders to control their emotions and behaviour. Restorative justice brings offenders face-to

Forensic Psychology