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Forensic science career essay
Forensic science career essay
Forensic science career essay
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Andreana Bowins
Forensic Science Technicians
“It is a forensic science technician’s job to help investigate crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence. Forensic science technicians may either be generalists who perform all or many of the duties listed above, or they may specialize in certain techniques and sciences. Generalist forensic science technicians, sometimes called criminalists, perform the duties of crime scene investigators and laboratory analysts. They collect evidence at the scene of a crime and perform scientific and technical analysis in laboratories or offices.” (BLS.2012). “At crime scenes, forensic science technicians analyze crime scenes to determine what and how evidence should be collected, take photographs of
It is important that students who are majoring in forensic science, ensure that the program includes extensive course work in math, chemistry, and biology. (BLS.2012). Forensic science technicians receive on the job training before they are ready to work on cases by themselves. The length of this training may vary depending on the specialty that is chosen. A proficiency exam may be required before the technician can perform independent casework or testify in court. (BLS.2012). Throughout their careers, forensic science technicians must keep up with advances in technology and science that improves collection of evidence.
While interviewing criminals, they may also have to interview their loved ones and the victims. (CIP.2015). It is also common for a forensic psychologist to study a crime scene. Using the evidence, or lack of evidence, at a crime scene helps the psychologist create a criminal profile. “Many forensic psychologists also act as expert witnesses during criminal trials. They will often give testimonies about why a crime may have occurred, or whether or not they believe a defendant was likely to have committed the crimes in question. A forensic psychologist might also have an influence on a criminal 's sentencing.” (CIP.2015). Forensic psychologists typically work in police stations, courthouses, and law firms. Most of their time will also be spent at prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers.
...or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes. You need a high school diploma or equivalent and the annual pay is $56,980. Private detectives and investigators find facts and analyze information about legal, financial, and personal matters. They offer many services, including verifying people’s backgrounds, finding missing persons, and investigating computer crimes. You need a high school diploma or equivalent for this one also, and the annual pay is $45, 740. These jobs are related to a forensic science technician because they all have to do with investigating or helping with a crime scene.
Crime scene investigators, also known as CSIs, have played an essential role in protecting citizens, by proving who is guilty, and who is innocent. CSIs use a large amount of Science and Math skills to solve crimes, resulting in a decent income. They are specialized in forensic science in order to examine crime scenes and recover important evidence (Career Cruising).
Forensic Psychology is a specialized practice by psychologists in areas of clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and neuropsychology. You will be engaged regularly as an expert and primarily proposed to offer professional psychological expertise to the judicial system.
As we grow up, we’re always asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Most of us usually have an answer, but our answer will change as we get older. When I was younger I wanted to be a rockstar, then I wanted to be a hairstylist. Later on, I wanted to be a Lawyer, then a Mortician. Now, I’m for sure on what I want to be. I want to become a forensic laboratory technician. Which is basically a fancy name for someone who helps solve crimes. Forensic science has been around for a while, and since it’s been around, it has grown. It’s grown with technology, so that laboratory technician’s can become better at their jobs. Forensic laboratory technician’s are the ones who can find DNA on a cigarette butt, or even
...work in many areas of forensic science, from emergency wound and trauma care to coroner’s offices. There is also jobs available as a criminalistics which is the person who analyze, compare, identify, and interpret physical evidence says Lerner (Lerner 1-2).
Since then, forensic psychology has been growing and evolving, and forensic psychologists are no longer only working in the courtrooms. Forensic psychology is a broad profession, however, every specification of the profession applies psychology to criminal investigations and the law.
The 20th century was a pivotal time period for psychology. During this time period many sub-disciplines of psychology were created which in essence contributed to the growth and further development of psychology. One of those sub-disciplines of psychology that seems to constantly grow and has gained momentum over the years has been forensic psychology. Although Munsterberg was not the first to suggest that psychology should be applied to the law, instead it was Freud in 1906 during a speech to an Australian judge that there are factors within psychology that should be applied to the law. Although he was the man behind the discovery of forensic psychology and several other sub-disciplines of psychology.
Crime scene investigators have a very important role when it comes to catching criminals and putting them away for a crime they committed. They are also called Forensic Science Technicians. The main role for a crime scene investigator is to investigate crimes and to collect evidence. Most types of evidence being hair, tissue, and fluids like blood or saliva. Basically, they provide evidence that shows information to help either acquit or convict a person of a crime (Crime 1).
Forensic science plays a vital role in the criminal justice system by aiding an investigator’s case with scientific information based on the analysis of the evidence. Each crime scene is unique in its own way and using the evidence collected, forensic experts try to piece it together. An expert is someone who has had enough education, training, and experience to testify to the matter at hand (Harmon 2010). Unlike other witnesses in a case who testify based on first hand knowledge, the expert witness is not required to have firsthand knowledge of a particular case, and in fact, often does not. Rather, the expert witness testifies to the meaning of the facts (Whitcomb et al. 2005). Each forensic expert typically has a background in another scientific discipline, such as biology, physics, chemistry, etc. An expert with a biology background may work with DNA; chemistry may work in toxicology; and physics in blood spatter trajectories. Working separately on their own respected evidence, an investigator is able to collect all their data and set up a case (National Institute of Justice 2013). Usually, these experts will be hired by either the prosecution or defense in a criminal trial, or by a plaintiff or defendant in a civil litigation. The role of the expert witness exists in variants: between criminal and civil courts as well as the prosecution and defense.
Forensic Science has contributed to our world a great deal. People often misunderstand Forensic Science and believe it is much more capable than it really is. As a matter of fact what you see on T.V. is around 80% false or over exaggerated in some way. To Start of, Criminal Investigation is the largest and most known form of Forensic Science. Some of the more known areas include; Fingerprinting, Ballistics, DNA Identification, Fiber Samples, Computer Animation, Documentation analysis, etc. To get this out of the way in the beginning, what you saw on last night’s law and order is far from the truth. Things they do in a matter of hours take months at a time, and most of the time aren’t even plausible concepts.
Forensic scientists work in labs where they examine, identify, and interpret evidence collected in crime scenes. Crime scene investigators collect evidence and pass it to a forensic scientist who uses the items in numerous ways to help catch criminals. Forensic scientists must also record the evidence and any tests ran on it in detail to prove the truth in court. A forensic scientist also has to be able to present his or her physical evidence verbally in court, so a strong communication background is important.
A forensic scientist analyzes different types of evidence from scenes or incidents, writes reports, and testifies in court as an expert witness. Being a forensic scientist is a very detailed oriented profession and they usually work some sort of a lab setting. Occasionally they may visit crime scenes or numerous accidents to help revamp the crime, gather evidence, or preserve data, but this is a very small part of their duties and is usually saved for a crime scene examiner. Forensic scientist may work for the federal or local government, forensic labs, police departments, hospitals, universities or as an independent forensic science consultant. Some specialist in Forensics Sciences are; Forensic Scientist, Forensic Pathologist, Forensic Anthropologist, Forensic Entomologist,
In order to pursue my dream as a Forensic Psychologists I am aware that I have to put in a lot of effort and determination in to school. There are various aspects to pursuing my career such as getting good grades, volunteering in police departments, networking, and doing an immense amount of research on my field. The career I chose requires a lot of my time not only as a student but as an adult. What I mean by this is that from now on, my time is devoted in to acquiring skills and changing my persona in order to be better qualified for the my job. Throughout this road map I will talk about what is a Forensic Psychologist, what are the requirements, skills necessary, what I could do with this degree, the personality types that are best suited for this job, and what are the prospects of moving up.
These technicians are typically the ones who analyze, take photos, make sketches and take detail of the scene. While analyzing there’s always those certain details in a scene that their looking for such as: fingerprints, palm prints, tire/shoe prints, wound imprints on a deceased person, hair, fiber’s and clothing. Different types of forensic scientists specialize in different things, for instance the time of death, cause of death, location of the crime, fingerprints, and DNA can be found using different methods of forensic
“The word ‘forensics’ means “connected with the courtroom”; so forensic science is, therefore, concerned with gathering hard evidence that can be presented in a trial” (Innes 9). Forensic science is a science that is applied specifically to legal matters, whether criminal or civil. “Few areas in the realm of science are as widespread and important as forensic science” (Hunter 12). Forensics is the one science that is most commonly used in everyday life. It is also a branch of science that incorporates other branches of science such as biology, chemistry, and etc. Since it is used almost every day “No one can dispute the importance of the contributions to society made by forensic science; the ability to solve crime is undeniably important” (Hunter 13). Forensic science has given criminal investigation a new edge. “Advances in science have opened the door for more effective evidence discovery, howev...