Forensic psych chp 11

advance medical directives

legal documentation in which an individual indicates the kinds of future medical treatments she will accept should she be incapacitated (and therefore be unable to make treatment decisions) at the time the treatment is needed.

breached duty

The violation, through either negligence or intentional wrongdoing, of a duty that one party legally owes to another party.

civil commitment

The legal process involving the involuntary hospitalization of persons who are mentally ill and dangerous to themselves or others.

civil competencies

This term applies to civil (noncriminal) legal contexts in which the question of mental competence for a specific task is raised.

compensatory damages

The payment or restitution owed to a plaintiff for the damages and harm that have been determined to be caused by a civil defendant.

dangerousness

a propensity to behavior that involves acts of physical violence or threats by one person against another. In some contexts, it is considered more broadly to include antisocial behavior of other kinds, including property damage, theft, and other illegal acts.

duty

the obligation that one party legally owes to another party.

future best interests of the child

the legal standard by which child custody decisions are made in the U.S

harm

The loss or adversities suffered from a victim of wrongdoings.

intentional behavior

Purposeful conduct in which a person meant the outcome of a given act to occur.

joint custody

A legal outcome in which divorcing parents share or divide various decision- making and control responsibilities for their children.

malingering

The deliberate fabrication or exaggeration of physical symptoms in order to gain an advantage.

negligence

behavior that falls below a legal standard for protecting othersfrom unreasonable risks;it is often measured by asking whether a “reasonable person” would have acted as the civil defendant acted in similar circumstances.

proximate cause

an obvious or substantially supported link between behavior and subsequent harm;a necessary element to establish in personal injury litigation.

psychological autopsies

an attempt to determine the mode of death , by an examination of what was know about the behavior of the deceased.

punitive damages

financial compensation awarded to a prevailing party in civil litigation as a form of punishment for a specific act or omission.

risk assessments

The assessment of the probability that a person will behave violently, often accompanied by suggestions for how to reduce the likelihood of violent conduct.

sole custody

awarding custody of a child to one parent only

testamentary capacity

having the mental capacity to execute a will, including the capacity to resist the pressures or domination of any person who might use undue influence on the distribution of the estate of the person writing the will.

tort

a private or civil wrong or injury other than breach of contract, subject to civil litigation.