• 1 What is forensic and criminal psychology?
• 2 The social context of crime
• 3 Crime and the public
• 4 Victims of crime
• 5 Theories of crime
• 6 Juvenile offenders and beyond
• 7 Theft and other crimes against property
• 8 Violent offenders
• 9 Sexual offenders 1: rapists
• 10 Sexual offenders 2: paedophiles and child molestation
• 11 Police psychology
• 12 Terrorism and hostage-taking incidents
• 13 Eyewitness testimony
• 14 Profile analysis 1: FBI-style offender profiling
• 15 Profile analysis 2: investigative psychology, statistical and geographical profiling
• 16 False allegations
• 17 False and true confessions
• 18 Lies, lie detecting and credibility 1: the psychology of deception
• 19 Lies, lie detecting and credibility 2: the polygraph test and statement validity analysis
• 20 Children as witnesses
• 21 Mental disorders and crime
• 22 Mental, personality and intellectual problems in court
• 23 Judges and lawyers
• 24 Juries and decision making
• 25 Effective prison
• 26 Psychological treatments for prisoners and other offenders
• 27 Assessment of risk, dangerousness and recidivism
• Glossary

‘Up-to-date, clear and comprehensive coverage of the subject in the UK, with a great deal of critical analysis. It is still the best on the market.’

Dr Amanda D. L. Roberts, University of Lincoln

‘A very good overall, general text that introduces students to the key theoretical concepts underpinning forensic psychology…a valuable text for undergraduate study.’

Dr Jill Taylor, Teesside University

‘Howitt’s text has an excellent topic coverage and is closely aligned to the general UG forensic-type syllabus. With so many forensic/criminal psychology books on the market, it is useful to have a go-to text that is accessible. This text covers all the key points…recent revisions mean it is always up to date and has excellent coverage of the headline studies and key talking points in this fast-moving field.’

Dr Gareth Norris, Aberystwyth University

‘This textbook covers all the major areas in the field, and Howitt’s ability to guide students through a tricky terrain by the use of current research findings is extraordinary.’

Professor Leif Strömwall, University of Gothenburg

This sixth edition of Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology provides a clear, comprehensive and engaging coverage of the subject. With a continued emphasis on key empirical findings and the theory stemming from this research, this book will equip you with a deep and contextualised understanding of this fascinating area.

A range of pedagogical features will help you to quickly grasp the key concepts, appreciate the controversies and develop a practical understanding of the wide-ranging topics encompassed by this ever evolving subject.

Fully up to date, and exploring both classic and contemporary research, the book includes:

• Updated throughout, including coverage of radically new ideas about forensic memory, delinquency, burglary, sex offender treatment, and more.
• A strong emphasis on theory and key empirical findings to encourage deeper understanding.
• Important and relevant research studies from a UK and international perspective, explored in depth.
• ‘Key concepts’, ‘Forensic psychology in action’ and ‘Controversies’ to provide students with a broader understanding of the subject.
• A glossary of key terms for easy reference.
• Further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter to help students go beyond the text and discover key resources.

This is an essential textbook for undergraduates studying psychology, applied psychology and criminology, as well as many other subjects for which students need an understanding of how psychology relates to criminal justice and the law.

• Updated throughout, including coverage of radically new ideas about forensic memory, delinquency, burglary, sex offender treatment, and more.
• Strong emphasis on theory and key empirical findings to encourage deeper understanding
• Important and relevant research studies from a UK and international perspective are explored in depth.
• ‘Key concepts’, ‘Forensic psychology in action’ and ‘Controversies’ provide students with a broader understanding of the subject
• A glossary of key terms provides explanations for easy reference
• Further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter help students to go beyond the text and discover key resources

Updated throughout, including coverage of radically new ideas about forensic memory, delinquency, burglary, sex offender treatment, and more.

Significant revision including a thorough line-by-line revision of the text, a simplification of chapter structures for clarity and a complete updating of every section

Continues the emphasis on theory and key empirical findings