Ethical Issues in Forensic Evaluations-Nursing Paper Examples

Ethical Issues in Forensic Evaluations

Forensic evaluations involve collecting information necessary for developing independent opinions supporting police or prosecution theory in the criminal justice system. Arellano-Gutiérrez and Rivera-Heredia (2021) observe that the process is associated with various ethical issues, such as informed consent and non-disclosure of personal information. Disclosure of the information may render the psychologist and data collected biased, affecting justice administration during the trial (Ethical Issues in Forensic Evaluations).

Besides, exploitation also occurs when a forensic psychologist solicits services like sexual relationships or bribery with the promise of turning investigations in favor of the clients (Arellano-Gutiérrez & Rivera-Heredia, 2021). Such exploitation is unethical and could result in inaccurate and unreliable outcomes. Avoidance of harm also affects forensic evaluations.

The psychologist should not delve into issues that may cause long-term harm to an individual, such as reviewing an execution trial. Moreover, the psychologist should be professionally competent in conducting the evaluations (Foster et al., 2019). Inadequate training and expertise may misrepresent the evaluation process and undermine the legal standards and regulations guiding evaluations (Ethical Issues in Forensic Evaluations).

Competence in Forensic Evaluations

Competency in forensic evaluations refers to the skills and abilities that enable the psychologist to efficiently and effectively conduct evaluations based on the available standards of practice. Competent psychologists exhibit skills, experience, and qualifications to conduct comprehensive and detailed evaluations (Arellano-Gutiérrez & Rivera-Heredia,2021). Competence positively impacts forensic evaluations by accurately representing facts and evidence (Vredeveldt et al., 2022). It also enables the forensic psychologist to represent facts accurately and produce reliable results during the evaluation.

Competent psychologists can also make objective conclusions without emotional involvement. Neal et al. (2022) explain that an individual can become competent by researching issues covered in the field of study. The individual can also undergo further training and attend workshops related to the field of specialty. Therefore, forensic psychologists should strive to gain competency, a crucial aspect of forensic psychology and evaluations (Ethical Issues in Forensic Evaluations).

References

Arellano-Gutiérrez, L. A., & Rivera-Heredia, M. E. (2021). Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychology Practice: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis. Psicumex, 11. https://doi.org/10.36793/psicumex.v11i2.380

Foster, E. E., Kelley, S., & Brooks Holliday, S. (2019). Feedback in forensic mental health assessment: A preliminary review of ethics, research, and practice. Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 19(4), 279-292. https://doi.org/10.1080/24732850.2019.1609318

Neal, T. M., Martire, K. A., Johan, J. L., Mathers, E. M., & Otto, R. K. (2022). The law meets psychological expertise: Eight best practices to improve forensic psychological assessment. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, pp. 18, 169–192. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-050420-010148

Vredeveldt, A., van Rosmalen, E. A., van Koppen, P. J., Dror, I. E., & Otgaar, H. (2022). Legal psychologists as experts: guidelines for minimizing bias. Psychology, Crime & Law, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2022.2114476