Addressing key topics in each of three major course areas–criminal behaviour, forensic psychology, and psychology and law, this book represents cutting-edge research and theory to demonstrate the ways that psychology has contributed to the understanding of criminal behaviour and policies of the criminal and civil justice systems. The Fourth Edition addresses key topics in each of the five major subareas of the field–police and public safety psychology, legal psychology, the psychology of crime and delinquency, victimology and victim services, and correctional psychology.

New to this edition:

31 NEW articles provide cutting-edge research in police, legal and correctional psychology, as well as the psychology of criminal behaviour and victimization. An introductory section opens the book with two articles that offers a discussion of undergraduate and graduate training in forensic psychology along with a suggested list of core competences for education in the field. Police and public safety section focuses on current controversies such as false confessions, interrogation tactics, and eyewitness identification. Concise summaries of current research relating to violence risk assessment, child abduction, and correctional assessment and treatment. NEW articles specifically relating to juveniles offer discussions around the teenage brain, risk taking, and treatment for juvenile offenders. An updated victimology section includes topics of great interest to young adults such as hate crimes, intimate partner violence, and dating violence. References have been moved to the end of each article so that readers can easily locate sources for further research.