Criminal Psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the attributes and circumstances of the crime scene and the criminal. And a criminal psychologist is a professional psychologist who studies the behaviour of the criminal and the circumstances that caused the crime. The term is also known as forensic psychologists who work under the system of law and justice and provides a brief description in and around the crime scene. As the number of crime rates is increasing in India, also the scope for criminal psychologists is increasing.
Criminal Psychology Courses –
The course Criminal Psychology is a subdivision in the field of psychology also some part of science. It is all about studying the techniques to study the nature, behaviour and causes of crime and learning the actions and thoughts of a criminal. Following are some of the courses for Criminal Psychology –
- Diploma in Forensic Psychology
- Diploma in Criminal Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Psychology
- Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Psychology
- Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Psychology
- Bachelor of Science in Criminology
- Master’s in Criminal Psychology
- Master’s of Science in Criminology
- Master of Arts in Criminal Psychology
- PGDM in Criminology
Eligibility –
A student can either apply in a law college, any institution or university that offers a diploma or degree courses on Criminal Psychology. For a Diploma or Bachelor’s degree, a student has to pass the level of class 12 and for a Master’s degree, a student should have an undergraduate degree from any valid university or an institution that is affiliated to a university.
Nature of work –
The Criminal Psychologists sometimes visit the crime scene to study deeply about the conditions around the place, also, to know the level and intensity of the crime that has occurred. Later, psychologists try to make a conversation with the criminals in order to investigate the mental state of the suspect during the time of the crime. They study and create the required report based on the behaviour of the criminals during interrogation and the information provided by the suspects. Sometimes, criminal psychologists take counselling of the minor criminals and suggest therapies if needed, which helps them in recovering from the traumas that are caused due to the incidents occurred. Criminal psychologists have to understand the state of mind by learning the behavioural pattern of the criminal during the time of the crime and after. Finally, the reports created will be submitted to the officials for further investigation.
Skills Required –
Opting Criminal Psychology requires abundant courage and a sense of understanding of the behavioural aspects of the subject. Because the criminologist has to conduct a complete study on the causes and intensity of the crime, that has occurred and also, the behaviour of the suspect. The criminal psychologists should be well versed in handling critical situations and the skill of problem-solving for the reason that all the suspects or criminals will have different mindsets and behavioural thoughts. Also, communication skills should be excellent which will be helpful in taking the criminal into consideration and finding out the required information.
The scope for a career in Criminal Psychology is increasing due to the rise in the rate and the level of crimes that are occurring in the country. The pattern of studying every criminal or the crime scene differs, hence a criminal psychologist should always think in every possible way and different to understand the scale of the situation. Hope so, this article has helped the students gain some knowledge about the field of criminal psychology who are interested in taking up criminal psychology as a career
