There are a variety of interesting careers in the field of forensics, which applies scientific techniques to legal settings such as solving crimes. Careers in forensics cover many different scientific disciplines, including pathology (study of disease and injury), biology, anthropology (study of people), odontology (dentistry), engineering, toxicology (study of effects and detection of chemicals and drugs), digital science, and psychology/psychiatry. This article will cover three interesting and unusual forensic careers: forensic anthropologist, forensic psychologist, and wildlife forensic scientist.
A forensic anthropologist at work
Clark, Chip. “Measuring a skull.” Smithsonian Institution, 9 March 2016, https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/photos/measuring-skull
Forensic Anthropologist
Forensic anthropologists analyze skeletal remains to aid in the criminal justice process. They help excavate buried remains, and they contribute to identifying the remains, determining the cause of death, and discovering how long ago the death occurred. They work with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies and often testify as expert witnesses in court.
Using the features of a skeleton, forensic anthropologists can discover clues about the age, sex, height, stature, health, ancestry, lifestyle, and facial appearance of the individual that it belonged to. By looking at the development of the bones and teeth forensic anthropologists can determine the age of the individual at their death, and they can look at the shape of the skeleton’s pelvic bones to determine their sex. Forensic anthropologists can also reconstruct facial features or overlay an image of a missing person on a skull to determine if it belongs to them.
Forensic anthropologists also look for fractures, bullet holes, and cuts in bones as well as unusual bone sizes, shapes, and densities to determine the diseases the individual may have had, and they can determine if the skeleton experienced trauma before, during, or after death. This information can be used to determine the cause of death, or in cases where some of the trauma is from before death, this information can be compared with medical records to help identify the skeleton.
Most forensic anthropologists must have graduate degrees in topics relating to forensics and anthropology. The median salary for forensic anthropologists is around $60,000 per year.
Forensic Psychologist
Most forensic psychologists apply clinical psychology to legal settings, which includes assessing, evaluating, and treating people involved with the legal system. Other forensic psychologists do research and experiments to apply other areas of psychology to legal questions. Forensic psychologists work in many different parts of the legal system including criminal courts, civil courts, juvenile courts, correctional facilities, and investigations.
One of the main responsibilities of many forensic psychologists is to assess people involved in the legal system. This includes evaluating their competency to stand trial, risk of future offenses, insanity, and what treatment offenders might require. The insight that forensic psychologists provide can influence sentencing, treatment, rehabilitation, and release. Forensic psychologists also screen and provide some training to law enforcement officers and prison employees.
Other forensic psychologists might deliver treatment to offenders and prisoners with mental health issues or provide counseling to victims of crimes. Forensic psychologists involved with investigating crime might create a psychological profile of a criminal based on the crime to determine suspects who would be more likely to have committed the crime, or they can analyze the psychology of somebody who has died from an unknown cause to determine if their death is likely to have been a suicide, homicide, or accident. Some forensic psychologists perform research to improve rehabilitation programs, the design of correctional facilities, and the way witnesses and suspects are questioned.
Forensic psychologists must have either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. and two years of supervised professional experience. The salary for forensic psychologists is usually between $70,000 and $90,000 per year.
A wildlife forensic scientist at the US Fish and Wildlife Forensics lab examining a dead condor
Bomgardner, Melody. “Viner, a pathologist, examines a condor before conducting a necropsy.”
C&EN. American Chemical Society, 23 May 2016, https://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i21/CEN-profiles-US-Fish-Wildlife.html
Wildlife Forensic Scientist
Wildlife forensic scientists identify animals and animal products sold illegally and use chemical techniques to analyze wildlife crimes including poaching, smuggling, exotic pet trading, and distributing illegal animal products. They work with wildlife inspectors and fish-and-game wardens and often serve as expert witnesses in trials.
The job of wildlife forensic scientists is to analyze animals, animal parts, and animal products to determine the species and, sometimes, the cause of death. In some cases, a morphological (physical features) analysis is sufficient to identify the animals, and in other cases, genetic analysis is required to determine the animal’s identity. Wildlife forensic scientists spend most of their time in laboratories analyzing samples and developing new ways to identify unusual types of evidence. They have to analyze many different types of evidence including live and dead animals and items such as raw meats, reptile skin handbags, ivory carvings, feathers, and caviar (fish eggs).
Wildlife forensic scientists must have a bachelor's degree in a type of natural science such as chemistry or biology, and many also have a master's degree or doctorate in forensic science. They should also have a background in math/statistics and should have computer skills. The median salary for wildlife forensic scientists is around $60,000 per year.
These are just three of the diverse variety of careers available in forensic science.
About The Author
Marcella is currently a sophomore at Northwood High School. She is interested in biodiversity and animal behavior, and she plans to work in Conservation Biology. She plays the piano and also enjoys reading, baking, and being outside.
Sources
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