Informative Report

Shaping a Better Tomorrow: Juvenile Forensic Psychology

If you’ve ever watched Criminal Minds, you might think forensic psychologists, or “profilers” as they are commonly called in the show, are responsible for assessing criminal behavior, making a “profile” of sorts, and then physically going out to catch the perpetrator. While this is not exactly what forensic psychologists do in real life, the work they do in terms in behavior analysis is similar. Forensic psychology, as per a google search, is defined as the application of psychological knowledge and methods to legal scenarios. Many sources sometimes refer to forensic psychology as “legal psychology” or “law and psychology”, which is not entirely wrong because forensic psychology is a broad study of the interactions of people (“criminals”) with/and the law. In other words, it is a field that combines the practice and study

Figure 1 (Above) depicts an overview of A Day in the Life of a
Forensic Psychologist

of psychology and the law. The main reason there isn’t a clear cut definition, according to author Marina Tolou-Shams in her article The role of the forensic psychologist in child mental health, is because one, forensic psychologists often find themselves adopting many roles (e.g., evaluator versus treater) and two, the differing legal contexts within which they may find themselves working may vary (e.g., within prisons v. private practices). Forensic psychologists can be found working in a number of places, including but not limited to: colleges/universities, prisons/jails, rehabilitation centers, police departments, law firms, private practices, government agencies, and sometimes even directly with attorneys, defendants, offenders, victims, pupils, families, patients, etc., within the state's corrections or rehabilitation centers. In general, forensic psychologists are responsible for conducting screenings and assessments of prisoners/criminals/accused, investigating psychological disorders among civil and criminal defendants, and examining the mental state of criminals to determine whether or not they are capable of standing trial. However, these roles and responsibilities will differ slightly in juvenile cases because of the different goals of the Criminal Justice System and The Juvenile Justice Systems.

            When talking about the roles and responsibilities of juvenile forensic psychologists, first it is important to understand the major differences in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) vs the Juvenile Justice System. A major differences between the two systems is the terminology in itself. Whereas in the CJS a criminal commits a crime, in juvenile justice, the juvenile delinquent commits a delinquent act. A simple change in terminology makes all the difference, since, leading to the next major difference, the juvenile justice system’s main goal is to rehabilitate the delinquent. According to Tolou-Shams in her research, unlike the CJS, the Juvenile Justice system does not seek to punish but rather to rehabilitate those in question.  This way, rehabilitation and the Juvenile Justice system works to deter/prevent delinquents from becoming adult criminals in the future. This creates a sort of empathetic and lenient environment as opposed to the brutality of the CJS.  These differences help understand why forensic psychologists have to adopt various roles and responsibilities, especially when working with juveniles within the juvenile justice system. In the Juvenile Justice System, forensic psychologists have roles/ responsibilities both inside and outside of the courtroom.

           

Figure 2 (Above) shows the harsh reality and comparison of the
amount of juveniles who have a disorder vs. how many of these
juveniles are not given proper treatment. 

The role of juvenile forensic psychologists in the courtroom is pretty clear: to assist judges (and/or lawyers) in making decisions about juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system. Their work provides courts with information about the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive functioning of a minor as it pertains to the delinquent act committed. Most commonly, forensic psychologists are asked to determine whether or not a juvenile should be tried as an adult in court, if they have a psychiatric/psychological diagnosis and/or should they be on medication, and their opinions on their future risk to society. In some cases, they are asked to be an expert witness. Figure 2 ( upper left) shows the urgent need for forensic psychologists in the juvenile justice system. Juvenile forensic psychologists are especially responsible for detecting and determining mental health problems in juveniles. Forensic psychologists can work with cases and individuals for long durations of time but could also be on a case for one day simply to do evaluations. It’s important, says Shams (2010) that juvenile forensic psychologists conducting court-ordered evaluations are not empathetic. The role of the psychologist is to take an objective, neutral stance. They are trained to be aware of and abide by certain and various legal statues, as their evaluations are presented under oath. As evident, juvenile forensic psychologists have many roles and responsibilities in court – they are the experts that judges (and others) look to when concerning the juvenile and their behavior. While in the courtroom they take a neutral stance, in many instances juvenile forensic psychologists are allowed to form more understanding relationships with juveniles and families.

            Outside the courtroom, while still court-appointed, juvenile forensic psychologists conduct and make reports of different aspects of juveniles in many different settings. Some of these include performing evaluations on juveniles who have committed delinquent acts/ have a “ troubled” history, experienced child trauma or problems at home, pediatric health and growth assessments, long-term evaluation and treatments, and last but not least expressive therapies with said juveniles and families. While this may be more personal than court evaluations, authors Birgden, A. and Perlin, L state in their 2009 article Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison that it is important to know that when sessions are court-appointed and are still reported back to the judge, the sense of neutrality remains, even though the settings changes. But, However, while remaining neutral, juvenile forensic psychologists adopt more understanding, empathetic roles when in cases outside the court room. An example of this would be in family cases, where sometimes bonds are formed between parent/child and the forensic psychologists, especially ones they work with for longer periods of time. It may be more difficult once sentiments are involved, but juvenile forensic psychologists must always remember to keep the best interest of the child in mind. Similarly, in therapeutic services and mental health facilities etc., juvenile forensic psychologists have special roles to their clients. Some of these roles/duties include providing proper treatment and/or medication to the clients they are concerned with when they require it. Also, they are to be trusting and a “safe” space of sorts to the minors, so long as emotions aren’t getting in the way of their court ordered obligations as well. Furthermore, juvenile forensic psychologists can be found working in a number of spaces outsides of the court room such as child protective services, schools, and rehabilitation and detention centers. Their roles reflect the goals of the juvenile justice system as well — to provide services that serve to mold youth into functioning individuals and members of society. Whether inside or outside of the courtroom, whether feelings are completely detached or feelings are involved, regardless of the different duties specific to each role, that is the one goal that remains the same for all juvenile forensic psychologists. That goal is to rehabilitate, and thereby “shape a better tomorrow” (Tolou, 2010).

            As evident, juvenile forensic psychologists have and take on many roles and responsibilities. Unlike general clinical psychologists, juvenile forensic psychologists owe duties to the courts. And unlike general legal psychologists, juvenile forensic psychologists owe duties to their clients. Most importantly, unlike general forensic psychology, juvenile forensic psychology centers around the mission of rehabilitation and intervention. This may be why juvenile forensic psychologists have to adapt so many different roles and responsibilities, as well as both inside and outside the courtroom. With juveniles, intervention and rehabilitation are more likely to succeed, which is why juvenile forensic psychologists have such complex roles, differing from other types of forensic psychologists. Because they “shape better tomorrows” (Tolou),  juvenile forensic psychologists have responsibilities and roles both inside and outside of the courtroom.

Bibliography

Birgden, A., & Perlin, M. (2009). 'Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison': A human rights perspective on therapeutic jurisprudence and the role of forensic psychologists in correctional settings. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14(4), 256-263.

Dishion T.J. (2012) Juvenile Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry: The Movement Toward Data-Based Innovations. In: Grigorenko E. (eds) Handbook of Juvenile Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA

Tolou-Shams, Marina. (2010). The role of the forensic psychologist in child mental health. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, p. 1.