From the ?Master List of Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology? document in the Learning Resources, select one advanced issue in forensic psychology

FPSY 8400: Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology Week 1: Master List of Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology

© 2025 Walden University, LLC Page 1

Master List of Advanced Issues in

Forensic Psychology

Instructions: For the Week 1 Discussion, you must choose one advanced issue in

forensic psychology from the list below. For the Week 1 Assignment, you must also

choose one advanced issue in forensic psychology from the list below. The issue you

choose for the Week 1 Assignment will also be the issue you examine for your Final

Project due in Week 10. The Week 1 Assignment focuses on the “Issue Description”

component of your Final Project. Note: The issue you identify for the Week 1 Discussion

can be the same issue you select for the Week 1 Assignment and Final Project, or you

may choose a different issue for each from the list below.

1. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

a. Discuss challenges facing forensic psychology professionals for one of the

following areas: diversity, equity, or inclusion.

b. Focus must entail the role of the forensic psychology professional and not just a

selected forensic population.

2. Social Determinants of Health in Forensic Settings and/or Populations

a. Select only one determinant factor for the focus of your project.

3. Insanity Evaluation (select only one of the following issues)

a. Parole hearings

b. Sentencing decisions

c. Civil commitment cases

4. Expert Witness Qualifications and Witness Testimony (select only one of the

following issues)

a. Effective vs. ineffective practice

b. Licensure vs. non-licensure and qualifications in your home state

c. Consulting

d. Testifying

e. Empirical evidence

5. Differentials of Instrumental vs. Expressive Crime

FPSY 8400: Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology Week 1: Master List of Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology

© 2025 Walden University, LLC Page 2

a. If you select this issue, you should not discuss known or media-populated

cases.

6. Crime Scene Analysis (for this issue, you must include all the following):

a. Staging

b. Undoing

c. Posing

d. Signatures

7. Trait/Characteristic Differentials of Psychopathic vs. Sociopathic Offenders

a. If you select this issue, you should not include or discuss specific offenders

(e.g., Ted Bundy, Joseph Couch, Adam Lanza, etc.)

8. Interview Techniques for Psychopathic vs. Sociopathic Offenders

9. Terrorist Recruitment (select only one of the following):

a. Recruitment techniques

b. Influence of social media

c. Threat minimization

d. Terrorist profile (Note: Do not discuss known historical figures)

10. Working with Juvenile Offenders (select only one of the following)

Note: As this program is not designed for licensure, please do not discuss treatment)

a. Evaluating levels of dangerousness

b. Types of facility placements available (e.g., group residential care, detention,

maximum security, etc.)

c. Best Practices in Interviewing

d. Recidivism

e. Delinquency Prevention

11. Human Trafficking and/or Prevention (select one or more of the following):

Note: Sex trafficking, whether child or adult, is not an approved topic for the Final

Project.

a. Forced labor

b. Debt bondage

c. Domestic servitude

d. Forced marriage

FPSY 8400: Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology Week 1: Master List of Advanced Issues in Forensic Psychology

© 2025 Walden University, LLC Page 3

e. Recruitment and use of child soldiers

f. Trafficker profile (Note: Do not discuss sex traffickers)

12. Prison Populations (Select one of the following)

a. Historical event (e.g., federal investigation for sexual misconduct at Julia

Tutwiler Prison for Women)

i. Discuss how a forensic psychology professional could establish a

prevention program to mitigate future events—be detailed and evidence-

based

b. Crime within prisons (e.g., inmate on staff assault, etc.)

c. An overview of a state or federal prison located within your region. Overview

must include the following:

i. Type of inmates housed (e.g., violent, min/max security, death row, sex

offender, etc.) (Note: Do not identify offenders by name)

ii. Demographics

iii. Programs offered and eligibility (e.g., sex offender rehabilitation for first-

time offenders, anger management, GED classes, etc.)

iv. Locate at least one publicly available facility ethical issue (e.g.,

investigation of misconduct, mistreatment, violation of inmate rights,

public Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) violation/investigation, riots,

etc.). Discuss how a forensic psychology professional could establish a

prevention program to mitigate future events—be detailed and evidence-

based.