Forensic report writing

Abstract

As the area of specialization of forensic psychology broadens its horizons, it will become increasingly more difficult for clinical psychologists to avoid participating in the forensic arena. As a result, clinical psychologists may be asked to write reports about therapeutic intervention or evaluations in divorce, personal injury, competency, abuse, or criminal proceedings. In this article, the author addresses the issues that the clinical psychologist needs to understand in writing reports that may be utilized in forensic settings. How these reports are affected by the American Psychological Association Ethics Code (APA; 2002), the audience receiving the report, the subject matter of the report, and dissemination of the information are all discussed in this article.