The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate and the greatest number of imprisoned people of any country in the world, according to figures compiled by Statista: As of July 2021, approximately 1 million people were incarcerated in the U.S.By comparison, China is estimated to have had a prison population of 1.7 million in 2021 despite having a total population more than four times that of the U.S.Brazil ranks third with about 760,000 incarcerated individuals.The per capita rate of incarceration in the U.S. is 639 per 100,000 as of May 2021; the second-highest rate is in El Salvador at 562 per […]

Tables of Contents What Is a Cyber Crime? Types of Cyber Crime What Is a Cyber Crime Investigation? How to Prevent Cyber Crime Fighting Cyber Crime Is Everyone’s Responsibility In July 2021, hackers targeted Kaseya, a U.S. information technology firm, in a ransomware attack that affected up to 1,500 businesses worldwide, from the U.S. to Sweden to New Zealand. The hackers demanded $70 million to restore the impacted services. Nearly every type of organization — from public schools and health services systems to oil pipelines and beef processing plants — has fallen victim to this type of attack in 2021. […]

Tables of Contents Criminal responsibility definitionHow is the minimum age of criminal responsibility determined?How is a person found to be criminally responsible?Dementia and criminal responsibilityUnderstanding the implications of criminal responsibility The cornerstone of modern criminal law is that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, whether through their own confession or a criminal proceeding. However, many factors come into play when determining whether a person who commits an illegal act is criminally responsible. The criteria for determining whether a person bears criminal responsibility for a criminal act include the person’s competence, their defenses, and whether the prosecution is able […]

Making the right decision in a custody case is crucial to ensuring the child’s wellbeing. However, with limited time for arguments and each parent telling a different story, any bias on the court’s part may lead to a decision that is not in the best interest of the child, including placing them in a home where they are at risk of abuse or neglect. Given these high stakes, in contentious cases judges may order a custody evaluation to be administered by a qualified expert such as a forensic child psychologist. Forensic psychologists are especially valuable in tough cases where grounds […]

Tables of Contents What Is a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate?Types of Domestic ViolenceDomestic Violence FactsWhere to Find Victim Advocate TrainingThe Future of Victim Advocacy Victims of domestic violence need access to lifesaving information and emotional support to navigate the legal system, seek justice, and heal. That’s why domestic violence victim advocates are a vital resource. These professional advocates help victims receive the resources and assistance they need to cope and move forward as survivors. Victim advocacy is a rewarding, complex profession, which requires the development of core interpersonal skills and crisis training experience. Read on to learn more about what […]

In the past several years, criminal psychology issues have become increasingly popular in the media. For example, television series like “The Killing” and “CSI” that portray fictional criminal psychologists have sparked interest in how criminals think. This has led to a marked increase in the number of students who want to pursue criminal psychology jobs. Individuals who wish to begin this career path would do well to develop the knowledge and skills they’ll need to be successful. Completing a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as an online bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology, is an important first step toward […]

DNA profiling is a state-of-the-art procedure that can be used to identify individuals on the basis of their unique genetic makeup. While people may share the same eye and hair color, and may even have similar facial features, they will not have the same DNA. This means the process can be useful in more accurately solving crimes. Forensic scientists can compare DNA found at a crime scene (from blood or hair, for example) to DNA samples taken from suspects. If there is no match, they may be able to rule out that suspect. If there is a match, police will […]