PSYCHOLOGY OF THE OFFENDER TEST 07 REVIEW PYSHOLOGY OF THE POLICE Officer selection:1) Traits: -incorruptible (high moral character)-well-adjusted (carryout stressful duties)-people oriented (service to others)-free of overly emotional reactions -dedicated -disciplined (able to function within a chain of command)-logical 2) The interview:-structured interviews are more reliable than nonstructured interviews. -personal interviews are most widely employed tool for selection 3) Situational tests: -incorporate tasks that are similar to those which will be undertaken by the officer-less favored-involve tasks such as report writing and other common duties 4) Psychological tests:-objective -MMPI most often used-Inwald Personality Inventory designed specially for high-risk occupations… better predictor of job performance than MMPI5) Fitness for duty evaluations:-the administration must balance protecting the legal rights of the officer and protecting the public from a potentially impaired officer. Crisis intervention1) Mental Illness: -mental illness has become a primary responsibility of the police -more likely to arrest mentally ill-Crisis Intervention Team (CIT): special training to increase officer and consumer safety while trying to redirect the mentally ill from the judicial system to the mental health system -Informal police intervention: does not lead to arrest or hospitalization. Usually involves referring to family/friends 2) Myths of Domestic Violence: -Family violence is only perpetrated by men-Family violence is confined to the mentally ill-Family violence is confined to “poor people”-Battered women like being hit… otherwise, they would leave.-Alcohol and drugs are the real cause of family violence*immediate arrest of batterers seems to reduce recidivism the most 3) Hostage situations: (types of hastage-takers)-trapped criminal (a person is trapped by police while committing a crime.. uses anyone available as a hostage to bargain for freedom)-takeover of prisons-persons suffering a mental disorder/experiencing serious emotional problems -Terrorism*Stockholm syndrome… most likely to occur when hostages are purely “instrumental”. The Police Officer’s Job: -Enforcing the law… accounts for about 10% of work. -Maintaining order…. 3 of every 10 requests-Providing services in community… main job of police. Stress and the Police: (causes)-Physical and psychological threats-Evaluation systems -Organizational problems and lack of support… s is the most influential cause of police stress/burnout.PSYCHOLOGY OF GANGSThe most common type of gang are “turf” gangs. Warning signs of gang affiliation: -hand signs between young peers-unique clothing preferences -unusual drawing/graffiti REPRESSED/RECOVERED MEMORIESMemories which are detailed/highly emotional are not necessarily “real” memories. They can be fabricated. -false memories can be implanted -many psychologists use memory trigger techniques, but agree that not all recovered memories are reliable. 1) Repressed memories-highly emotional reaction-serve a protective function -are very controversial (may not even exist!) 2) Problems with repressed memories:-lawsuits have been dropped because the person pressing charges admitted memories were false-repressed memories can cause problems/animosity between family members. “Take sides”-therapists have been sued for malpractice (implanting false memories).3) Stages of memory:-Perception = initial viewing of event-Storage = encoding of the event for later use-Retrieval = recalling the event at a later date JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDEUsually justifiable homicides occur against male strangers-criminal homicides usually occur between family/friends1) Moral responsibility argument: -the only time it is morally acceptable to kill is if the person gives consent or tries to take your life without your consent. 2) Most citizen homicides are:-a response to a crime which is thought to be occurring-in urban
View Full Document
Unlocking...