---
title: "Criminal psychology"
description: "Criminal Psychology | Arden University"
canonical: "https://ads.pr1.ops.ads.arden-prod01.arden.ac.uk/psychology-subject-guide/criminal-psychology"
published: 2022-07-28
updated: 2025-05-14
author: "Arden University"
---

# Criminal psychology

WHAT IS CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY?

### ‘What made someone commit a crime?’ ‘What did they do after the crime was commited?’ These are just some of the questions criminal psychology looks to answer to help keep the public safe.

With the nature of their work being so interlinked, criminal psychologists typically work with law enforcement agencies, using criminal profiling to help gain a deeper psychological understanding of suspects. This work can then be used to develop strategies for apprehension and form the foundations of interview topics. They can also provide counselling to help rehabilitate offenders.

The psychology of criminal behaviour has become hugely popular, with the CSI franchise and Serial true crime podcast providing a window into a disturbing world. However, it's important to note, that it's not exclusively focused on murder but rather all kinds of crime - including fraud, terrorism and abuse.

[Read more ](#collapseExtraText)

## Criminal psychologist personality traits

![Attention to detail](https://d2n98vq36tw7n9.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-09/Attention%20to%20detail.png?VersionId=MNbI4ycuMvZGV96wCjuRcl1t7jMiNqT3)

METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL

![Highly Organised](https://d2n98vq36tw7n9.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-09/Highly%20organised.png?VersionId=8Ag3JGFGp6Uef6U.c2WvJPljmHYTnRIC)

HIGHLY ORGANISED

EMOTIONAL SEPARATION

![Communication Skills](https://d2n98vq36tw7n9.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-09/Communication%20skills.png?VersionId=6v39OwwZzVe62YhMqRl8DwpgiOE6TTQV)

GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS

## Our famous criminal psychologists

![Wendy-Carr](https://cdn.arden.ac.uk/s3fs-public/styles/course_hero_low/public/2022-09/Wendy%20Carr%20%28Mindhunter%29-2.jpg)

Wendy Carr (Mindhunter)

Netflix show, Mindhunter, explores the birth of criminal profiling in the FBI during the 1970s. Wendy Carr is a psychology professor brought into the FBI's Behavior Science Unit to help research imprisoned serial killers and build up psychological profiles of them. This is done with the aim to use this information to solve ongoing and future cases. Throughout the series, Carr works with her FBI colleagues to establish an understanding of criminal behaviour.

` ## The potential careers in criminal psychology

Some of the institutions criminal psychologists will often be found working in include police forces, prisons, criminal courts and mental health centres.

They'll often work alongside the professionals in these settings to provide advice on a consultancy basis.

Though fictional criminal psychologists are depicted solving cases at lightning-fast speed, in real life it's much more methodical, with lots of time spent interviewing suspects and offenders.

As well as the law enforcement aspects, criminal psychologists are also heavily involved in the legal arena.

They'll provide testimony to inform court cases and assess whether an offender is mentally fit to stand trial.

With experience, there's the opportunity to share knowledge. An eventual criminal psychology career path can involve lecturing in academic settings like universities.

![](https://cdn.arden.ac.uk/s3fs-public/styles/quote_low/public/2022-09/Criminal-Psy-Careers%20%281%29.jpg)

### What's a criminal psychologist's salary?

The average UK salary is around £50,000 per year. However, when you reach that very top level, earnings can become as high as £95,000 per year.

[ Explore our psychology courses ](https://ads.pr1.ops.ads.arden-prod01.arden.ac.uk/distance-learning-psychology-degrees)

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