Stacey L. Shipley

The Confusion Over Psychopathy (I): Historical Considerations

This article is the first in a two-part series on psychopathy. Psychopathy is an elusive and perplexing psychological construct. Problems posed by this mental disorder are linked to changing historical interpretations impacting the current clinical community’s general understanding of it, especially in relation to Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Accordingly, the researchers provide a thorough analytical review of the major transitions associated with psychopathy’s historical development. This assessment demonstrates where and how the nomenclature, meaning, degree of social condemnation, and prognosis for this mental disorder have changed. Ultimately, this article clarifies much of the uncertainty surrounding this misunderstood psychological construct.

The Confusion over Psychopathy (II): Implications for Forensic (Correctional) Practice

This article is the second in a two-part series on psychopathy. The first article systematically, although provisionally, reviewed the major transitions associated with psychopathy’s historical development, focusing on how changes in nomenclature, meaning, degree of social condemnation, and prognosis significantly affect the current understanding of this mental disorder. This article assesses the most pressing forensic practice issues stemming from the convoluted history of psychopathy. In particular, this article comments on assessment concerns related to the convergence and divergence of the antisocial personality disorder–psychopathy continuum, on diagnostic and treatment concerns related to countertransference and misdiagnosis, and on courtroom testimony concerns related to competent forensic evaluations particularly when clinical assessments of sexually violent predators are administered. On this latter point, this article explores the limits of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised, especially in regard to predicting accurately violent sexual recidivism. Ultimately, this article clarifies much of the confusion surrounding psychopathy and forensic (correctional) practice.

Serial Killers and Serial Rapists

This chapter reviews the typologies for serial murder and serial rape. The aim here is to showcase the principal conceptual models that have accounted for these two forms of criminal behavior in the extant literature. Additionally, however, the chapter considers where and how the typologies on serial rape and murder could be integrated, especially with respect to offender motivations, cognitions, biological predispositions, fantasies, impulses, and personality structures. Along these lines, several points of continuity and discontinuity are featured. The chapter concludes by speculating on the relevance of the proposed exploratory analysis, particularly in relation to future research efforts that seek to explain and prevent both forms of violence based on scientific model making, theory testing, and empirical validation.

Juvenile/Family Forensics

This chapter provides an overview of the legal issues and professional guidelines involved in custody evaluation and determination. It also focuses on that impact of family law and custody concerns on children and adolescents. The legal system is frequently asked about the issue of child custody when divorcing parents cannot agree on a coparenting plan or when one partner feels the other lacks adequate parenting skills or may pose a physical threat to the child. Judges, attorneys, and families often turn to mental health professionals to help educate the court and to provide recommendations about custody determinations. Activist groups for childrens rights have begun to recommend amendments that could potentially help protect their rights. The National Task Force for Childrens Constitutional Rights began writing an amendment to the United States Constitution that would grant children protections— such as: the right to a safe home, the right to adequate health care, the right to an adequate education, and the right to the care of a loving family, or a substitute as close to a loving family as possible. In addition, the amendment would provide children with the right to an attorney in any legal matter affecting their interests.

Adult Forensic Evaluation

The chapter explores the leading academic research and current public policy in the court and legal system, focusing on controversial, ongoing, or emerging criminal forensic evaluation issues. These adult practice issues include: (1) competency to stand trial; (2) psychological tests and forensic assessment instruments in the courtroom; (3) mental state at the time of the offense; (4) violence risk assessment; and (5) competency restoration and insanity acquittees. Relevant case and/or statutory law, evidence-based science, and future research directions are presented and reviewed. The chapter’s pedagogy includes instructional vignettes and case illustrations, topical practice updates, international trends, applicable websites and their summary descriptions, and a critical chapter review.

Adult Forensic Consultation

The chapter explores the leading academic research and current public policy in the court and legal system, focusing on controversial, ongoing, or emerging criminal forensic consultation issues. These adult practice issues include: (1) jury selection; (2) the forensic psychologist as expert witness; (3) intellectual disability and criminal defendants; and (4) forensic consultants in criminal mitigation. Relevant case and/or statutory law, evidence-based science, and future research directions are presented and reviewed. The chapter’s pedagogy includes instructional vignettes and case illustrations, topical practice updates, international trends, applicable websites and their summary descriptions, and a critical chapter review.

Juvenile Issues in Policing and Correctional Psychology

The chapter explores the leading academic research and current public policy in police and correctional psychology, focusing on controversial, ongoing, or emerging juvenile forensic issues. These juvenile practice issues include: (1) dealing with troubled youth; (2) policing juvenile gangs; (3) adolescent female prostitutes; (4) juveniles in adult jails; (5) juveniles on death row; (6) juvenile boot camp; and (7) suicide among incarcerated juveniles. Relevant case and/or statutory law, evidence-based science, and future research directions are presented and reviewed. The chapters pedagogy includes instructional vignettes and case illustrations, topical practice updates, international trends, applicable websites and their summary descriptions, and a critical chapter review.

Violence in the Family

The chapter explores the leading academic research and current public policy in criminal forensics, focusing on controversial, ongoing, or emerging family practice issues. These family practice issues include: (1) family violence; (2) maternal filicide; (3) domestic violence; and (4) family trauma and the cycle of crime. Relevant case and/or statutory law, evidence-based science, and future research directions are presented and reviewed. The chapter’s pedagogy includes instructional vignettes and case illustrations, topical practice updates, international trends, applicable websites and their summary descriptions, and a critical chapter review.

Adult Issues in Corrections/Correctional Psychology

The adult prison population presents society with a complex set of issues and controversies requiring thoughtful, manageable, and effective responses. The assorted tools of the psychological sciences and the law are increasingly called upon to make sense out of difficult correctional questions affecting the lives of prisoners and the community of which they are a part. Public policymakers must create stringent requirements and assurances that it is in the inmates best health interest before an inmate is medicated. Legal standards involving mental health care provisions are among the most composite regulations affecting jails, jail policy, and public policy. Court decisions regarding the provision of medical care to jail detainees, criminal responsibility for an illegal act, and treatment of the mentally ill in jail play a vital role in legal standards related to the administration of mental health treatment and medication of prisoners. Jails and prisons are filled with high-risk individuals to include those who abuse substances, the mentally ill, the indigent, young adults, and those facing a major life stressor. To prevent suicide in the correctional systems, prevention and intervention programs are necessary. Once identified, special housing needs, mental health treatment, and increased supervision can be implemented for those inmates at risk for harming themselves. However, without proper identification, no preventative measures can be put into practice.

Adult Issues in Policing

State and federal law enforcement personnel investigate crimes that are committed by troubled individuals. This has led to the criminal profiling of offenders. The profiling is defined as a technique, which serves to identify the major personality and behavioral characteristics of an offender based on an analysis of the crime the offender committed. This process generally involves seven steps: (1) evaluation of the criminal act itself, (2) comprehensive evaluation of the specifics of the crime scene(s), (3) comprehensive analysis of the victim, (4) evaluation of preliminary reports, (5) evaluation of the medical examiners autopsy protocol, (6) development of a profile with critical offender characteristics, and (7) investigative suggestions predicated upon construction of the profile. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has done a great deal of research in the area of criminal profiling. Special agents in the FBI have developed, through archival and current case information, typical characteristics likely to be found in particular types of offenders. More common techniques of profiling offenders come from acquiring detailed information from a criminal population convicted of committing the same or similar crimes.