Forensic psychology / edited by David A. Crighton, Consultant Psychologist and Honorary Professor of Forensic Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK, Graham J. Towl, Professor of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Forensic psychology is a broad and growing area which, at its best, draws on a wide range of psychological theories, concepts and research at the interface between law and psychology. This text sets out to reflect the increasing breadth and depth of this work and the challenges inherent in it. It is intended to be a high-quality international textbook for advanced undergraduate students, postgraduates, practitioners and academics from a range of disciplines. A number of key aims are central to this 3rd edition of the text. Firstly, to strike a balance in covering theory, research and practice, making this useful to students, qualified psychologists and those in other professions who draw on forensic psychology in their practice. Each of the authors has sought to provide the highest quality reviews addressing current theory and practice. Secondly there is a stress throughout on new and emerging perspectives on forensic psychology and the role of research in driving these. In this spirit current controversies have not been over simplified or shied away from. Critiques from within and outside forensic psychology have been included, some of which suggest the need for fundamental changes. As with any other intellectual endeavor using scientific methods it also requires the, sometimes painful, discipline of discarding theories, policies and practices that fail when tested (Kuhn, 2012). In the absence of this discipline, practice in forensic psychology ceases to be part of 'science'. A third theme that runs through this book is the importance of ethical practice and respect for human rights, diversity and inclusion. Forensic psychology generally involves the application of psychology in the context of marked difference in power, where ethical and legal concerns may be acute. Scientific approaches alone are therefore not enough. Major areas of forensic psychology in correctional settings, secure hospitals and social care settings, necessarily involve coercion: involving work with those imprisoned in a variety of settings or facing the risk of punishment within legal systems. Here the power imbalances between different groups are starkly exposed and a good understanding of these ethical issues is essential as a starting point in avoiding abuses of the past. The nature of ethical practice and the need to protect human rights is a theme woven through this text and tackled directly by a number of the authors"--