Psy 510 Contemporary and Ethical Issues in Psychology - Forensic Psychology

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Adolescent Psychology

The essential purpose of juvenile psychology or adolescent psychology is to encourage understanding of developmental issues, sociocultural impacts, and biological influences that cause poor mental health in adolescents. With this increased knowledge, adolescent psychologists can then go about devising strategies for improving the welfare and functioning of pre-teen and teenage children as it pertains to everyday life, education, and interaction with peers and family (Fisher, 2013).

Adolescent psychology is an area in which clinical or counseling psychologists can choose to specialize. Typically, adolescent psychologists deliver psychological services to children between the ages of 12 and 18, however, this is not always the case. Some adolescent psychologists will treat younger children, and likewise treat young adults. Treating adolescents requires a great deal of understanding of human development, as well as a good grasp of social and cultural influences that impact an adolescent’s behavior. Understanding family influences and an adolescent’s role in his or her specific family is additionally required.

Usually, adolescent psychologists focus on problems that are common to the developmental period. Many psychologists will identify and treat emotional or social issues, biological vulnerabilities, cognitive deficits, and stress related to developmental changes of adolescence. Adolescent psychologists will also treat significant mental health issues, including psychoses, neuroses, and personality disorders (Bartol & Bartol, 2012). Some adolescent psychologists will work exclusively with a population, such as special education students, children with autism, or adolescents that have been abused or neglected in some way.

To treat adolescents, psychologists in this area of specialization will often have expertise in administering and interpreting assessments. Development of intervention strategies (i.e. behavior management) and prevention programs (i.e. bullying prevention) are also common tasks taken on by adolescent psychologists (Bartol & Bartol, 2012). Because of the multifaceted nature of many problems during the teenage years, adolescent psychology typically involves consultation and collaboration with other professionals who work with adolescents, specifically pediatricians and other healthcare providers, juvenile probation officers, and public and private school officials.

Controversy in adolescent psychology, falls within the perimeters of the child not knowing his or her Miranda rights. Being confused or not understanding the process, the child may confess to something he or she did not do. Depending on the crime, with evidence pending and the confession on record, the child may be charged as an adult and serve time in a real prison, instead of a detention center (Fisher, 2013). Juveniles and the court system brings harsh media coverage, which, ultimately sparks the situation even more.

Professional Competence

As this discussion detailed, forensic psychology is an extremely thorough and exhaustive, but gratifying field. It can be remarkably challenging to achieve a goal through so many ethical legal conditions. Careful thought and understanding in legal processes, plus, knowing code of ethics is a must. A professional must be competent in the clinical aspects of the specialty and be aware of the boundaries within their personal issues and responsibilities (Kalmbach & Lyons, 2006).

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2011). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2012). Introduction to Forensic Psychology Research and Application (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.

Bartol, C. R. (1996). Police Psychology: Then, Now, and Beyond. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23(1), 70-89. doi:10.1177/0093854896023001006

Fisher, C. B. (2013). Human Rights and Psychologists' Involvement in Assessments Related to Death Penalty Cases. Ethics & Behavior Journal, Volume 23, Issue 1. Pages 58-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2013.749761

Heilbrun, K., & Brooks, S. (2010, August). Forensic psychology and forensic science: A proposed agenda for the next decade. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 16(3), 219-253.

Kalmbach, K. C. & Lyons, P. L. (2006). Ethical Issues in Conducting Forensic Evaluations. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 2(3).

Kocsis, R. N. (2006, August). Validities and Abilities in Criminal Profiling: The Dilemma for David Canter’s Investigative Psychology. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 50(4), 458-477. doi:10.1177/0306624X06289179

Morgan, R. D., Beer, A. M., & Fitzgerald, K. L. (2007, January). Graduate Students Experiences, Interests, and Attitudes toward Correctional/Forensic Psychology. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(1), 96-107.