Introduction
The usage of DNA technology in forensic science is related to certain ethical issues that attract much attention of publicity (Sujatha, 2006). DNA typing technology gives forensic science an opportunity to uncover the information considered by the society “intensely private” (DNA typing and society, n.d., par.1). Some specialists are concerned about the fact that the usage of DNA typing technology can put a threat to the person’s right to privacy and, in such way, violate ethical standards. Such a claim does not appear to be well-grounded, as the technology is supposed to be used only for forensic procedures related to revealing the facts about the suspects. However, the abuse of DNA information can present a real threat to forensic ethics, as the development of information technologies is a factor that makes long-term storage and fast spread of information possible (Clarke, 1999). To diminish the concerns about this issue, forensic experts should develop an effective scheme for preventing unauthorized access to databanks and disclosure of information. Besides, ethical concerns about the use of this technology are related to a lack of confidence in its reliability and the possibility of receiving misleading results by using it. Therefore, ethical issues related to the use of DNA technology in forensic science can be overcome if it is appropriately tested to provide enough evidence of its preciseness and absence of the possibility of mistakes and if the effective system of preventing the misuse of such information is developed.
The use of modern technology has a huge impact on providing ethical treatment in forensic settings. It gives an opportunity to make many procedures more time- and cost-effective. The use of technologies excludes the possibility of human mistakes and benefit forensic psychologists. However, to prevent the negative influence of the usage of technologies, the specialist should put much effort into preventing the leaking of information and abuse of the collected private data.
Global Issues
One of the current global issues faced by modern society is globalization (Moises, 2009). It influences many aspects of people’s lives, and forensic psychology might be affected as well.
The impact of globalization on forensic psychology is related to the need to adjust to new conditions of the globalized world. Globalization gives the population great opportunities of living in a world without borders and moving to different countries. More and more countries face the intensive diversifying of their population as many nations mix and match (Shah, 2013). The highly diverse population forces forensic psychologists, as well as other specialists providing treatment for individuals, to search for methods of adjusting their methodic to the needs of people with various backgrounds and world-views. Forensic psychologists are supposed to be able to treat people coming from different countries and grown under the influences of various cultures and religions. Such situation promotes the necessity to use the individual approach to providing the most effective treatment. Modern forensic psychologists need to be aware of cultural diversity to be able to establish effective communication and provide essential procedures adjusted to the unique characteristics of each of the individuals.
Besides presenting certain challenges to forensic psychology, globalization benefits it by enabling specialists from all over the world to share their attitudes and findings and find the most efficient and optimal methodology based on the global experience. Therefore, globalization enables scientists to use all advantages of the globalized world to cooperate and interchange innovations and improvements. Such tendency gives huge opportunities to forensic psychologists eager to move forward to mastering their knowledge and skills by using the experience of specialists across the globe.
Effective Testimony Writing
Effective testimony writing is crucial for providing an objective, well-grounded, and precise forensic assessment (Otto & DeMier, 2014). Efficient testimony writing relies on certain principles that should be applied in practice. Clarity, certainty, and specificity are among the most important of them.
Clarity is the fundamental principle of testimony writing, as the primary goal of expert testimony is to assist the trier in the exploration of the most relevant facts that present significant value for dealing with the issue (Jackson, 2008). To apply this principle in practice, I might avoid the complexity and technicality of the testimony and try to present the information in such a way that it is simple enough to be clear to the triers and precise enough to be considered relevant and well-grounded.
Specificity is another principle that should guide testimony writing. This principle is related to the need to be well-informed about all specifics of the type of case that is investigated. In other words, effective testimony writing requires the author to have extensive knowledge of the typology of cases and use this knowledge in practice to apply the individual approach based on the typical specifics to each of the cases. For example, while writing a testimony for a custody case, I might pay special attention to the need to present parents’ strengths and weaknesses so that the judge can analyze the solution that is the best for a child (Heilbrun, Marczyk, & DeMatteo, 2005).
Certainty is one of the most important principles guiding all forensic activities including testimony writing. Forensic specialists need to avoid relying solely on one source of data and use multiple sources to obtain the necessary facts (American Psychological Association, n.d.). The strategy of corroborating the important data whenever feasible benefits the reliability of testimonies. For example, I might search for all possible variants of obtaining relevant data on the case and analyze it carefully to be sure that the testimony reflects hundred percent real facts.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology. Web.
Clarke, R. (1999). Ethics and the Internet: The cyberspace behaviour of people, communities, and organisations. Web.
DNA typing and society. (n.d.). Web.
Heilbrun, K., Marczyk, G., & DeMatteo, D. (2005). Forensic mental health assessment: A casebook. New York: Oxford University Press.
Jackson, R. (2008). Learning forensic assessment. New York: Routledge. Moises, N. (2009). Globalization. Foreign Police, 171, 28-34.
Otto, R., & DeMier, R. (2014). Forensic reports & testimony. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Shah, A. (2013). Free trade and globalization. Web.
Sujatha, B. (2006). DNA typing: A technology of fear. Development, 49(4), 28-32.