criminal psychology

Criminal psychology is the scientific study of the psychological causes of crime and of offenders' behaviour, thoughts and motives in relation to crime and society's response to it. The field sits at the intersection of psychology, criminology and the justice system, and in a Danish context it is a professional or academic concept rather than one defined in legislation.

In practice, criminal psychology addresses questions such as why people commit crime, which personality traits and life circumstances characterise offenders, and how psychological knowledge can contribute to understanding and preventing criminal behaviour. This involves the study of everything from impulse control and lack of empathy to social, developmental and biological factors.

Applied criminal psychology forms part of a range of professional settings: the investigation of crimes, offender profiling, risk assessment of reoffending, treatment of convicted persons and advising the justice system. Psychological assessments can have direct significance for how a person is dealt with within the Danish justice system — for example in connection with forensic psychiatric reports (mentalerklæringer) and the assessment of criminal responsibility.

In broader, popular usage — as it typically appears in true crime podcasts, books and articles — criminal psychology serves as a framework for explaining complex criminal minds: from serial killer Ted Bundy's manipulative personality structure to the fake doctor's ability to deceive those around him over time. Here the aim is to make criminal behaviour comprehensible without necessarily excusing it.

Criminal psychology is not regulated or defined in any specific provision of Danish law, but the insights of the field shape legislation, case law and the wider social understanding of what drives people to commit crimes.