Forensic Briefs

In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic, a leading expert on sexual violence prevention, breaks down the complex process of sexual grooming. She discusses her research on identifying red flags, the five stages of grooming, and how we can take proactive steps to prevent child sexual abuse. 

In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Dan Murrie discusses the growing competency crisis in the U.S. legal system. He explores the rising number of competency evaluations, delays in restoration services, and the systemic factors driving this issue, including mental health care gaps, homelessness, and evolving legal practices. 

In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Gerald Young and Luciano Giromini discuss the complexities of assessing malingering and symptom validity in forensic settings. They examine current research on testing methods, challenges in diagnosis, and the role of psychological assessments in legal contexts, highlighting ongoing debates in the field. 

Dr. Sebastien Rilen explores gender diversity in forensic evaluation, highlighting limited forensic-specific guidance. He offers advice on addressing gender identity in interviews and reports, discusses psychological testing with gender-diverse individuals, and provides considerations for test selection and interpretation.

Dr. Shura overviews validity assessment in the VA and general practice, covering malingering definitions, Slick (1999) and Sherman (2020) criteria, and psychometric approaches like symptom and performance validity tests. He discusses base rates, response style nomenclature, and the adaptive model of malingering.

Lee Vargen explores sovereign citizens' beliefs, helping forensic practitioners understand their unique views. He examines common legal issues, challenges in working with this population, and strategies for risk assessment specific to sovereign citizens.

This discussion examines how forensic clinicians can address personal identities in interviews, including when and how to inquire, relevancy for reports, and key considerations for evaluators before approaching these topics.

Dr. Ashley Batastini discusses remote service provision in forensic and correctional psychology, its history, and research confirming its effectiveness despite skepticism. She reviews studies on psychologist and lawyer perceptions, comparisons of in-person and remote evaluations, and explores new directions for research in this field.

Dr. Giromini discusses the IOP-29, its unique approach to symptom validity testing, and the development of the False Disorder Probability scale. He highlights its cross-cultural performance, multilingual translations, and introduces the IOP-29 Memory Module.

Dr. Smith explores the history of eyewitness identification research, highlighting memory's susceptibility to various influences. He defines key terms like estimator/system variables, lineups, and suspects, and discusses law enforcement's role in improving accuracy and promoting fair procedures. The discussion concludes with witness confidence and accuracy factors.