Both criminal psychologists and forensic psychologists assist law enforcement professionals in investigating and solving crimes. However, they play different but complementary roles. The major difference between forensic psychology and criminal psychology is that while forensic psychologists specialize in the aftermath of a crime, including evaluating a suspect's mental state or counseling victims and their families, criminal psychologists focus primarily on determining a motive and creating a profile of the perpetrator.
Both criminal psychologists and forensic psychologists assist law enforcement professionals in investigating and solving crimes. However, they play different but complementary roles. The major difference between forensic psychology and criminal psychology is that while forensic psychologists specialize in the aftermath of a crime, including evaluating a suspect's mental state or counseling victims and their families, criminal psychologists focus primarily on determining a motive and creating a profile of the perpetrator.