Criminal Psychology

This course will examine risk violence for violence (e.g., situational, neuropsychological, developmental), as well as theories of criminal behavior (e.g., personality theories, biological theories, learning theory, attachment theory). We will then examine different types of homicidal offenders, sexual offenders, stalkers, and firesetters to see how these theories might be applied to real-life cases.

By the end of the course, you will have a better idea as to why people commit such acts of criminal violence and be able to apply specific theories to particular cases.

In the course, you will be provided with lectures and links to additional resources, recommended literature, useful videos, and PDFs to provide further information.

The course is conducted by Dr. Ben F. Cotterill, who completed his MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology and PhD in Psychology in the UK. Following this, he worked as a lecturer in the UK, teaching MSc courses in forensic psychology, and then moved to the US to develop a course on forensic psychology at a university in South Carolina.

This is an outline of what we will cover:

- Situational Risk Factors for Violence

- Neuropsychological Risk Factors for Violence

- Developmental & Learning Risk Factors for Violence

- Firesetters

- Homicidal Offenders & Serial Killers

- Sexual Offenders & Stalkers

- Psychopathy