Subscribe to FeedBetty Ray Mydland, Explains The “Science” Behind Forensic Science…
The term “forensic science” is practically a household term these days. With programs such as the CSI series, to the Law and Order programs, and even now that we have reality shows such as Oxygen’s “Snapped”, and Court TV’s“Till Death Us Do Part”, and more, it has educated us regarding forensic science. However, we very seldom hear the term “forensic pathology” and even less “forensic psychology”. Actually, it is the “science” of that term that is varied, NOT the forensic that is varied. In order to understand the terms, we must first understand the word “forensic” itself if we are to understand the “science” of forensics.
The term “forensics” has the same Latin origins as the word “forum” meaning “a room for public debate”. Howitt, Dennis, Forensic and Criminal Psychology, 2nd Edition, 2006, p.2. So, no matter what the specialty of forensics, be it pathology, or psychology, “the science” of the particular discipline is debated in an open forum, particularly a court of law, hence “forensic”.
So, the practice of forensic psychology, and pathology is the application of these individual sciences to answer questions that relate to the legal system, the legal system being the “room for public debate”.
If one is a practitioner of forensic “science” they are applying accepted and/or scholarly methods that substantiate facts regarding the physical evidence. For example unknown chemicals at a crime scene, a dead body, or cadaver, etc. This type of forensic science is also used to determine forged documentation. In essence it is the application of proven methods applied to physical evidence to determine that evidence’s origin and/or use.
Pathology under the auspice of forensics is that branch of medicine that deals with determining the cause of death. The word itself literally means “study of suffering”. The “science” is that of determining what caused death, i.e., in the case of strangulation, there are three basic types that a pathologist can determine. They are manual strangulation,(meaning with bare hands), ligature strangulation, (a piece of material tied around the victim’s neck), and choke holds. The science of pathology allows the pathologist to testify in court (forensic) in regards to a death by “unnatural” causes.
Another area of forensic science is that of psychology. This is quite different than the specialties referenced above. It is the science or study of psychology AKA human behavior, that is used in courts in relation to criminal behavior. The forensic psychologist studies the “theories of crime” from a psychological aspect and applies these theories in court as to why a person may have committed a crime.
So in summation, it is important to remember that pathology, and psychology are “sciences” that when practiced for evidence in the judicial system it then becomes “forensics” because the courtroom is the “open forum for debate” of that specific area of study.
Betty Ray Mydland
Student
Ashworth Criminal Justice Program
