See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/259636543

C. R. Bartol and A. M. Bartol, Current Perspectives in Forensic Psychology and

Criminal Behavior, Third Edition California: SAGE Publications Inc., 331 pages,
paperback. ISBN 978-1...

Article  in  Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology · October 2013

DOI: 10.1007/s11896-013-9138-6

CITATIONS READS

0 3,175

2 authors:

Holly Ellingwood Kaitlyn Wardrop

Government of Canada 6 PUBLICATIONS   23 CITATIONS   
12 PUBLICATIONS   72 CITATIONS   
SEE PROFILE
SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Crime Linkage View project

Vantage Points: Mock Juror Perception of Body-Worn Video Evidence in Cases Involving Police Use of Force View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Holly Ellingwood on 30 August 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

J Police Crim Psych (2014) 29:52–55
DOI 10.1007/s11896-013-9119-9
D. Canter: Forensic Psychology for Dummies
England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 390 pages, paperback. ISBN 978-1-119-97624-0
Holly Ellingwood
Published online: 3 March 2013
# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Forensic Psychology for Dummies offers readers an account
of what forensic psychology is, and also what it is not. The
book addresses many Hollywood myths about forensic psy-
chology as portrayed in TV series and film to give readers a
realistic view of what this specific area of psychology is all
about. The book contains 20 chapters divided into 6 parts as
well as a helpful index and useful glossary. The author,
Professor David Canter, is an accomplished forensic psy-
chologist who is known widely in the field. He draws on his
personal life experiences as a forensic psychologist to illus-
trate the points made throughout the book. This makes for
an enjoyable, yet instructive read, and it allows readers,
whether familiar with forensic psychology or not, to gain a
better understanding of this exciting field.
While the introduction does a solid job of describing the
format of the book and explaining how it is best used, the
first section, “Nailing Forensic Psychology: A Moving Tar-
get,” launch readers into the world of forensic psychology.
This section addresses many of the myths perpetuated by
Hollywood and gets down to the nitty-gritty of what foren-
sic psychology truly is, whom the field serves, and how. The
first section is comprised of three chapters. In Chapter 1,
Canter explains what forensic psychology is and what it is
not. He also covers issues such as research, field assess-
ments, individual case studies, and theory. Chapter 2 ex-
plores the topic of criminals within a forensic psychology
context. The author examines what makes a person a crim-
inal by exploring the personality, environmental, and cultur-
al factors that can contribute to criminality. The personality
traits and neural disorders that might contribute to criminal-
ity are explored, along with the factors that contribute to a
person desisting from crime. In the final chapter in the first
section, the author explains how forensic psychologists
H. Ellingwood (*)
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
e-mail: hollyellingwood@cmail.carleton.ca
work within the legal system, and when and why they
become involved. This chapter also provides guidelines to
be mindful of when testifying as an expert witness in court.
The chapter touches briefly on various facts about the judi-
cial system, such as how different countries have different
judicial systems. The author also discusses several landmark
cases that have set out when and how a forensic psycholo-
gist can offer expert testimony. The focus is on well-known
cases and includes judicial standards as it relates to forensic
psychologist testimony such as the Frye Test and the
Daubert Standard in the United States. However, little in-
formation is provided on recent court decisions (e.g., the
Daubert-Joiner-Kumho Standard), which would be of inter-
est to the more advanced student of forensic psychology. Of
particular interest in this chapter, even for established foren-
sic psychologists, are the experiences shared by the author
about his time as an expert witness where he specifically
discusses what was required of a forensic psychologist in
that capacity.
The second section of the book aids in answering the
question often asked by students of forensic psychology:
How do forensic psychologists assist in solving crimes?
That question is aptly answered over the course of five
comprehensive chapters. In Chapter 4, Canter addresses
the tasks involved in interviewing witnesses and victims,
and discusses some of the many challenges that forensic
psychologists will face when conducting such interviews.
He emphasises strategies to develop rapport when
interviewing a witness and the importance of how questions
are presented. The author also discusses various aspects of
memory that are important to consider when interviewing
people, such as memory degradation and false memories,
and provides guidelines on how to help witnesses remember
(i.e., cognitive interviewing techniques). The focus then
moves into the subject of interviewing suspects. The author
presents the PEACE framework as a strategic tool for such
interviews – a protocol that is commonly used in the United
J Police Crim Psych (2014) 29:52–55
Kingdom, but is less known to the North American audi-
ence. He finishes the chapter by tackling some of the chal-
lenging issues around child interviewing by discussing the
pitfalls of eyewitness testimony, and by offering up cursory
ways to minimize bias in police lineups.
Chapter 5 tackles the tricky issue of deception and how to
detect it. The author covers various approaches to detecting
deceit before reviewing legal aspects of deception, such as
the issues of corroboration and false allegations. He then
proceeds to discuss false confessions and approaches to
interrogations, including the IEE approach (Improving In-
terpersonal Evaluation for Law Enforcement and National
Security Technique) and the REID interrogation technique
that are commonly used in the United States. Canter con-
cludes the chapter with a discussion of the challenges that
investigators or psychologists might face when examining
written documents (e.g., suicide notes, threat and extortion
letters, and written confessions) and how forensic linguistics
can assist with such tasks.
Fans of TV shows like Criminal Minds will be espe-
cially interested in Chapter 6, which deals with the topic
of offender profiling. The author dispels many of the
common myths perpetuated by the media (e.g., that psy-
chologists rarely get actively involved in an investiga-
tion, unlike the fictional Clarice Starling in the film
Silence of the Lambs) while giving a small taste of what
profiling actually entails and how it is used in real life
investigations. The author uses famous cases, such as
Jack the Ripper, the Mad Bomber of New York, and
the Railway Murderer to give examples of profiling in
use. The chapter briefly touches on some of the theories
underlying profiling, such as the theory of behavioural
consistency and routine activity theory. There is also a
short discussion of geographic profiling and an overview of
the differences in offender behaviour between different
types of property criminals and interpersonal offenders
(including arsonists, rapists, murderers, terrorists, and per-
petrators of organized crime). Although the chapter does
briefly mention the instrumental and expressive typology
when discussing violent crimes, other well-known typolo-
gies of rapists (e.g., Groth and Birnbaum’s typology) and
murderers (e.g., the organized-disorganized dichotomy) are
not discussed. As such, the chapter on offender profiling
only offers a cursory look at the subject, which will likely
be sufficient for novice readers, but frustrating for those
who are familiar with the range of concepts associated with
this technique.
In Chapter 7, readers are introduced to victimology. The
author provides lists of factors that can lead to a greater
likelihood of victimization and discusses many myths sur-
rounding victimology. The majority of this chapter focuses
on the impact of crime on victims, particularly the psycho-
logical impact. Special attention is given to survivors of rape
53
and child abuse, as well as traumatic brain injury. A discus-
sion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is also
presented.
To round off the second section, Chapter 8 introduces
readers to the concept of crime prevention. The author
discusses the challenges associated with crime prevention
and the questionable efficacy of prisons and get-tough–on-
crime policies. Certain strategies that can make offending
more difficult for criminals (or potential criminals) are
presented, such as the zero-tolerance approach. The author
then discusses ways in which psychology is used to help the
police intervene in specific crimes, such as in hostage ne-
gotiations, or to contend with organized criminal networks.
The third section of the book deals with the assessment of
the criminal mind and is comprised of only two chapters.
The first, Chapter 9, introduces readers to many of the
psychological assessments used on non-offender
populations as well as offenders. These include the
Multiphasic Minnesota Personality Inventory (MMPI), ap-
titude tests, IQ tests, cognitive assessments, attitudinal
scales, and DSM-IV criteria to determine mental disorders.
The author offers handy tables as a reference for readers,
which provides the titles of the various assessment instru-
ments and details of their functions. The chapter ends with a
discussion of how such scales are established, tested, and
proven to be effective. As an end note to this chapter, the
author offers helpful advice to forensic psychologists on
how best to create and give psychological tests.
Chapter 10 logically follows from Chapter 9 and offers
an overview of assessment issues, including a discussion of
several scales that are used within the forensic context.
Issues such as malingering, cognitive distortion, and psy-
chopathy are discussed. Risk assessment is also focused on,
with particular attention to sexually violent recidivism. The
chapter ends with a brief look at the Juvenile Sexual Of-
fender Protocol. Unfortunately, what this chapter lacks are
the helpful reference tables provided in Chapter 9. Tables
listing the various assessments that pertain to offenders and
a brief description of their purpose would be a most helpful
reference to those interested in this field.
The fourth section of the book is also a relatively short
section comprising of only two chapters that focus on psy-
chology and the legal system. Chapter 11 contains a review
of legal proceedings and discusses when and how forensic
psychologists provide service to the courts through assess-
ments for insanity pleas, forms of diminished capacity, and
competency to stand trial. The author also includes an
exploration of competency assessments for offenders who
are to be executed. A large part of the chapter examines the
various syndromes that challenge issues of competency and
criminal responsibility in court including PTSD, battered
woman’s syndrome, partner alienation syndrome, pre-
menstrual stress syndrome, and Munchausen syndrome by
54
proxy. For each of these syndromes, the author describes
symptoms and discusses their background. Canter briefly
explains what comprises a psychological autopsy and why
they are done. This is followed by a quick discussion of
when expert testimony is provided by forensic psychologists
in civil legal proceedings. The chapter then closes with a list
of what goes into a forensic psychological report.
While Chapter 11 provides a nice overview of assessment
issues, there was one small problem with the chapter with
respect to the author’s discussion of PTSD. Reference is
made in the chapter to a Canadian court case in which an ex-
military man had violently sexually assaulted a minor and
was initially declared Not Criminally Responsible Due to
Mental Disorder (NCRMD) because of a PTSD diagnosis.
However, that ruling was quickly appealed and overturned;
a decision that was not included in this book. The accused
pled guilty at the new trial and was sentenced to 2 years
incarceration (R. v. Borsch, [2007] M.J. No. 343, (2007)
MBCA 111, [2007] 12 W.W.R. 414, 220 Man. R. (2d) 160,
53 C.R., (6th) 76, (2007) Carswell Man 378).
The second and final chapter in this section, Chapter 12,
contains a brief overview of the legal process and provides
legal definitions that are common and important for forensic
psychologists. Canter acknowledges that legal systems dif-
fer across English speaking western countries, focusing
primarily on the US and UK (with a brief mention of
France), and gives a general overview of the steps that a
case tends to follow in court. The main focus of the chapter
is on jury psychology. The author gives a review of how
juries make decisions and what affects the decision making
process. The chapter also includes a consideration of cross
examinations, what happens when witnesses are given lead-
ing questions, and how psychologists can assist with jury
selection and coaching witnesses.
As the book moves into the final two sections, the author
begins to explore certain forensic issues in more depth.
Section five includes four chapters dedicated to the subject
of offender treatment. Chapter 13 provides more detail
about the efficacy of prisons, which was only briefly
touched on in Chapter 8. The bulk of the chapter discusses
various treatment strategies including behaviour modifica-
tion, group therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, rational-
emotive therapy, and community treatment programs, and
then the author examines factors that are commonly looked
at when evaluating the success of offender treatment pro-
grams. The chapter closes with a list of the challenges when
providing offender treatment, such as legal constraints, of-
fender denial, and institutional constraints.
Chapter 14 deals with the issue of violent crime. Drawing
on information provided in Chapter 6, it differentiates be-
tween instrumental and expressive violence and discusses
motivations behind violent crimes and specific situations
where such violence can arise. The chapter examines the
J Police Crim Psych (2014) 29:52–55
Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA) to predict
domestic violence and then explores how one assesses risk
of future violence. An exploration of different treatment
approaches follows, including anger management such as
CALM (Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage It) and
CSCP (Cognitive Self Change Program). The chapter ends
with a brief discussion about destructive narratives (i.e.,
how an offender defines themselves and their role in the
world around them) and an examination of stalking.
The sensitive topic of sexual offenders is undertaken in
Chapter 15. The author explains the different types of sexual
assault in a useful and easy to reference table and then
discusses various scales that are used to assess risk to
sexually offend, such as the Static-2002 and SORAG. The
author examines the importance of fantasies to sex offenders
and explains phallometric measures. From there, dynamic
risk factors are reviewed, motives for rape are discussed
(such as sadism, anger and opportunity), and rape myths
are confronted. The treatment of sexual offenders is ex-
plored, including difficulties dealing with psychopaths,
and explanations of various approaches to sex offender
treatment are discussed, including the good-lives model,
the risk-needs-responsivety approach, sex offender treat-
ment programmes (SOTP), and chemical castration. The
final topic in the chapter explores child sexual abuse. The
author describes some signs of abuse and he explores ways
that we might prevent abuse from happening.
The final chapter of section five focuses on juvenile
offenders. It looks at the cycle of juvenile crime and how
it can lead to adult criminality. A section is devoted specif-
ically to the topic of juvenile sex offenders. From there,
protective factors for youth are discussed along with the
impact of home and school life. A brief presentation of what
multisystemic therapy is and why it works is given. The
chapter ends with a discussion of school shootings.
In the tradition of all the For Dummies series, each
section of the book is highlighted by entertaining comics
produced by Rich Tennant and includes the final section
found in all For Dummies series: “The Part of Tens”. In this
final section, the author outlines various lists of tens, all of
which are relevant to forensic psychology. First, in Chapter
17, ten professional requirements are provided and briefly
discussed. These include topics such as ethics approval,
codes of practice, and duty of care. Chapter 18 lists and
briefly explains ten steps to becoming a professional foren-
sic psychologist, including the educational steps to take, the
value of direct work experience, and an entertaining section
about obtaining ‘guru status’. Chapter 19 presents ten
emerging areas in forensic psychology such as human rights
cases, behavioural crime linkage analysis, and workplace
violence and harassment. The final chapter, Chapter 20,
concludes the book with a fascinating look at ten cases in
which forensic psychology played a pivotal role. The cases
J Police Crim Psych (2014) 29:52–55
centred on very interesting topics, such as re-enacting an
event to test a claim’s validity, determining the validity of a
false confession, and distinguishing a series of crimes as
ritual murders.
Overall, the author offers a book that covers the basics of
the many areas that make up forensic psychology in a
manner that is easily accessible to people new to the topics
that are presented. The content is therefore easily accessible
and appropriate For Dummies. Canter never goes into any
great depth or draws on a lot of research, but sticks to main
concepts and key research to get across the subject matter to
the reader in a straightforward fashion.
View publication stats
55
One of the many things that make this book interesting
and unique is the addition of the author’s own life experi-
ences. This not only provides for exciting reading; it helps to
enrich the material provided in each chapter. While Forensic
Psychology for Dummies offers only a cursory look at what
forensic psychologists do and how they do it, the book will
be invaluable for those who want to know more about this
exciting field of research and practice. By providing such a
broad overview of the field of forensic psychology, it will
also serve as a useful reference guide for students already
exposed to the field, and even practicing forensic
psychologists.