Although criminology and forensic psychology are both used to prevent crime, the nature of the concentrations determines the area of focus for the career. Criminology focuses on studying crime while forensic psychology helps stymie repeat offenses through psychological evaluation and counseling.
Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in behavioral and social sciences surrounding the scientific study and analysis of criminals, victims, and crime. Forensic psychology is applied psychology to areas within the criminal justice system, including psychological counseling of offenders, law enforcers, and victims.
What Is Forensic Psychology?
Forensic psychologists apply their understanding of their psychological specialties to legal situations. In practice Criminal Psychology vs. Forensic Psychology
Criminal and forensic psychologists both work with law enforcement to help solve crimes Salary and Job Outlook For Criminal and Forensic Psychologists
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not report specific data for criminal or forensic psychologists. However While
criminal psychology focuses on criminal behavior,
forensic psychology includes criminal and civil law, work in prisons, at-risk youth counseling, and academic research.
Forensic psychology requires the assessment of a wide array of people, including victims of crime, witnesses, attorneys, and law enforcement.
Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in behavioral and social sciences surrounding the scientific study and analysis of criminals, victims, and crime.
Forensic psychology is applied psychology to areas within the criminal justice system, including psychological counseling of offenders, law enforcers, and victims.
Criminal psychology studies the behaviors, motives, and thought processes of criminals, while forensic psychology applies psychological knowledge to legal matters, including criminal investigations, courtroom procedures, and offender rehabilitation.
Criminal psychologists focus more on criminal behavior; their work can include conducting research, evaluating behavior and writing reports. On the other hand, forensic psychologists’ work often involves civil and criminal law; these professionals may work in prisons, counsel at-risk youth or conduct academic research.
Forensic psychologists also try to determine whether the defendant was mentally stable or insane at the time the crime was committed by them or not. Criminology, on the other hand is the study of criminal behavior at the micro and macro levels, i.e. individual and social levels.
