Forensic Psychiatry

3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1007246BNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Volgtijdelijkheid: De student is ingeschreven in de Bachelor Criminologische Wetenschappen en heeft reeds 20 studiepunten verworven binnen de Bachelor Criminologische Wetenschappen en een credit voor het studiedeel “Psychologie”. Hiernaast is de student ingeschreven op het studiedeel “Criminologische psychologie”. Of de student is ingeschreven in het voorbereidingsprogramma Criminologische Wetenschappen. Of de student is ingeschreven in de bachelor criminologische wetenschappen met studieduurverkorting. Of de student is ingeschreven in het schakelprogramma Criminologische Wetenschappen. Of de student is ingeschreven in de Master in de Rechten en heeft reeds 20 studiepunten van de opleiding Master in de Rechten verworven. Of de student is ingeschreven in de Bachelor Politieke Wetenschappen en heeft in deze opleiding reeds 30 studiepunten verworven alsook een credit voor “Algemene psychologie”. Of de student is ingeschreven in de Bachelor Sociologie en heeft in deze opleiding reeds 30 studiepunten verworven alsook een credit voor “Algemene psychologie”.Of de student is ingeschreven in de Bachelor Psychologie en heeft reeds 20 studiepunten verworven binnen de Bachelor Psychologie en een credit voor het studiedeel "Psychologie". Hiernaast is de student ingeschreven op het studiedeel " Sociale Psychologie".

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Department

Criminology

Educational team

Chris Dillen (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
60 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

The course sets out to situate the role of the psychiatrist as part of the legal system by way of a series of practical examples (psychiatry reports for the benefit of penal courts, insanity and competency to stand trial and treatment in forensic context, medicolegal evaluations of liability, workers compensations, …). General forensic psychiatric concepts on aggression, sexuality and related pathology, the role played by sexual pathology in various criminal offences, will be discussed.

All this is based on the VUB course Forensic Psychiatry and pre-recorded lectures.

Three contact moments of 3 hours each with the students are provided:

A first contact moment at the start of the semester outlines de working principles en outset of the course, as well as an introduction in forensic psychiatry in general.
A second contact moment will take place in the middle of the semester after individual study of the course and videos. Questions can be introduced via ‘discussions’ in Canvas. During this contact moment these questions will be answered and more in depth discussion in an interactive way can take place. Also will video’s be shown that can’t be presented on Canvas because of copyright issues.
A third contact moment will be at the end of the semester, where the second half of the course and video’s will be discussed after introducing questions via ‘discussions’, and more information on the exam will be communicated.

Course material

Practical course material (Recommended) : Forensische psychiatrie, Boeken over algemene of meer specifieke themata en richtinggevende artikels, nota's kritische bespreking hieromtrent
Practical course material (Recommended) : Forensische psychiatrie, Enkele standaardwerken worden aanbevolen.
Course text (Required) : Forensische psychiatrie, Dillen, VUB, 2220170006703, 2019

Additional info

Video recordings of lectures from a previous academic year are available via Canvas. They must be seen as one with the course by the VUB Cursusdienst.

Books on general or more specific topics and guiding articles, notes of the critical review of such books and articles will be presented.

Digital lectures will be available for working students. More information will be communicated via the course unit platform in Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

Students acquire theoretical and practical insights into the relationship between law/psychiatry, exploring biopsychological influences, criminal behaviour.

Graduates have an interested, independent, and curious attitude towards gaining and building knowledge in the forensic domain.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Exam Multiple Choice with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Multiple choice exam with correction for guessing (standard setting).

Students will have a max. of 2 hours to take the exam.

Exam questions:
1. What is a criminogenese?

The story of how the accused committed the crime
The criminal life history of the accused
The explanation of how the accused with his/her personality and psychopathology committed the crime on that specific moment in time
The study of the objects found on the crime scene

2. Mullen and Pathé distinguish different types of stalkers. Give the different types presented by these autors:

Rejected, resentful, domestic, non-domestic, erotomanic
Love obsessional, simple obsessed, erotomanic
Rejected, intimacy searching, erotomanic, resentful, incompetent seducer
Resentful, rejected, intimacy searching, love obsessional, obsessed love group

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context