Partners in crime: integrating forensic psychotherapy into criminological discourse

Jump, Deborah ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5525-6693 and Gray, Paul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1546-9333 (2024) Partners in crime: integrating forensic psychotherapy into criminological discourse. The International Journal of Forensic Psychotherapy, 6 (1). ISSN 2632-0118

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Abstract

This paper advocates for the integration of forensic psychotherapy into criminology to deepen our understanding of criminal behaviour, particularly serious youth violence. Despite historical interest in psychoanalytic explanations for criminal behaviour, the exploration of unconscious motivations has been marginalised. Our paper emphasises the need to consider both inner psyche and external social factors by drawing on contemporary theorising in the field of psychosocial criminology and forensic psychotherapy. By presenting the case study of Rob, a young person with a history of violence, we highlight the role of forensic psychotherapy in better understanding the motivations behind an individual’s violent behaviour. By adopting a case study approach, we highlight the limitations of solely attributing offending behaviour to structural inequalities. This paper therefore calls for a broader consideration of forensic psychotherapeutic modalities in criminological thinking to offer more comprehensive explanations for serious youth violence. This shift towards a more holistic understanding holds promise for more effective prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the field of youth justice.