Basically, forensic psychology isn’t just limited to criminal law as it also includes civil law.

It can be applied to legal questions such as child custody issues or courtroom dynamics, for example, informing decision making in court or when trying to ascertain the credibility of a witness.

Becoming a Forensic Psychologist

To become a forensic psychologist, you’ll need to start with a degree in psychology with honours or at least a four year degree programme.

But it doesn’t end there. You’ll then have to complete an accredited master’s degree which can either be in forensic or forensic-clinical psychology.

You can expect to be trained on topics such as criminology, legal and courtroom psychology, how to be an expert witness, risk assessment tools and crime theory.

If you just want to try it out at the undergraduate level, NUS, NTU, SUSS and JCU have forensic psychology modules.

• NUS has a module titled Criminal Forensic Psychology
• NTU has the Forensic Psychology of Crime, Terrorism & Disasters module
• SUSS has a module titled Criminal Psychology
• JCU has a module titled Intersections of Psychology and Law: Forensic Psychology

Where do Forensic Psychologists work in Singapore?

Before I go on, you should know that not all psychologists who work in forensic contexts are forensic psychologists.

Psychologists trained in occupational, clinical or counselling psychology do work in these areas as well.

In Singapore, psychologists working in forensic context usually end up in one of these 9 places.

Police Psychology Service Department

First up we have the Police Psychology Services department, in the Singapore Police Force. Police psychologists work in 3 main areas or the 3 ‘O’s.

Organisations:  Where they do pre-employment screening tests and leadership assessments

Operations and Investigations: Where they are on hostage negotiation teams, help detect deception in interviews, develop criminal profiles and support victims of crimes

Officer support: Where they provide services such as peer counselling training, counselling programmes and life-skills building.

Psychological and Correctional Rehabilitation Department

Then there’s the Psychological and Correctional Rehabilitation Department of the Singapore Prison Services.

Prisons psychologists usually work closely with case managers and counsellors to rehabilitate prison inmates and provide consultation to operational leaders.

Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre

Third would be the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre. Psychologists and researchers are hired by the centre to conduct research and training related to crisis leadership, offender profiling, terrorism and extremism psychology, criminal psychology, and the psychology of resilience. 

These are necessary to support training efforts at the Home Team Academy and inform policy making by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

ICA Psychological Services Branch

We also have the ICA Psychological Services Branch where psychologists deal with immigration related matters like researching on deception at checkpoints

Central Narcotics Bureau

The Central Narcotics Bureau also hires psychologists to provide training on detecting deception, research on the psychology of drug addiction and provide advice on preventive drug education.

SCDF Emergency Behaviour Sciences and CARE unit

Psychologists also work at the Singapore Civil Defence Force under emergency behaviour sciences and CARE unit. This unit has three different branches – Care and Wellness Office which is based in the Civil Defence Academy (CDA), Resilience & Personnel Psychology Branch and the Operation Psychology Branch, based at HQ SCDF. 

Counselling and Psychological Services Sections of the Singapore Courts

Then there’s the Counselling and Psychological Services Sections of the Singapore Courts. Psychologists here provide services such as divorce and custody conciliation, custody evaluation, family violence assessment and counselling, co-mediation with judges, mental health-related training, and crisis intervention. 

Clinical and Forensic Psychology Service of the Ministry of Social and Family Development

Forensic psychologists also work at the Clinical and Forensic Psychology Service of the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Here, psychologists either work with children or young persons who have experienced abuse and trauma, assess and treat high risk youth with criminogenic needs or conduct local research and studies.

Lastly there are forensic psychologists at hospitals, the private sector who provide services such as the assessment of mental state, risks assessments or ‘fitness to stand trial’ assessments.

Forensic Law Enforcement and Forensic Clinical Psychology

Most psychologists working in forensic context are working either in ‘forensic-law enforcement psychology’ (FLEP) or ‘forensic-clinical psychology’ (FCP). 

Forensic Law Enforcement Psychology

In Singapore, FLEP-oriented psychologists focus on criminology, investigation support, prevention and enforcement, with some work in specialized personnel assessment and well-being support for law enforcement

Basically they deal with police and law enforcement issues like crime prevention, criminal profiling, negotiations, crisis response, leadership assessment, personnel selection, psychological inventions for intelligence operations, detection of deception, and victim support.

You’ll find roles like these in the police, immigrations, security departments, and the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre.

Forensic Clinical Psychology

FCP-oriented psychologists tends to be clinically-oriented, and their work includes risk assessment, rehabilitation, child abuse, domestic violence, family conferences, and interventions for juvenile offenders, and therapy and treatment of offenders.

You’ll find roles like these in the psychology department at the prisons service, the narcotics department, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Courts psychology branch (CAPS), and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

To learn more on this topic, check out Crime and Behaviour : An Introduction to Criminal and Forensic Psychology by M Khader