RFL - culture and diversity in forensic and clinical practice

Culture

A social pattern that is heritage within a society, encompassing values, norms, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions.

Cultural Diversity

A group of diverse individuals from different cultures or societies, taking into account language, religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, age, and ethnicity.

Cultural Bias

Occurs when assumptions are made about behavior based on one's own cultural norms and practices.

Unconscious Bias

A bias that occurs without conscious awareness, representing structures with vulnerabilities to bias.

Forensic Specialist (FS)

A professional who recognizes and values individual and group differences, appreciating cultural diversity in psycho-legal contexts.

COVID-19 Impact on BME Groups

The adverse effects of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd highlighted inequalities faced by black, minority, and ethnic groups.

Risk Assessment Instruments

Tools used for assessing risk, which need to consider cultural diversity, particularly for minority groups.

Cultural Sensitivity

A practice that requires understanding and respecting different cultural experiences and expressions of distress.

Supernatural Explanations of Mental Illness

Alternate explanations for mental illness that may be held by certain cultural groups, such as African American and Native American families.

Cultural Representatives

Individuals from specific cultural backgrounds who can assist in developing responsive treatment processes.

Psychological Career Barriers

Greater obstacles faced by individuals from certain backgrounds at various stages of their psychology careers.

Honour Based Violence (HBV)

A type of violence perpetrated to defend or restore the honor of a family or community, requiring culturally sensitive risk assessment.

Prison Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme

A rehabilitation program that may not align with the values of non-western cultures regarding sexuality.

Culturally Adapted Interventions

Interventions tailored to specific cultural groups that have been proven to be more effective than generic interventions.

Research Diversity

The principle that research samples should reflect the diversity of the population they aim to serve.

Meta-analysis

A statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies, confirming that culture-specific interventions improve outcomes.

Cultural Competence

The ability of clinicians to effectively work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Mental Illness Explanations

Different cultural perspectives on the causes and nature of mental illness.

Service User Engagement

The active participation of diverse service users in the mental health and social care systems.

Equality in Psychology

The commitment to ensuring fair representation and opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds in the field of psychology.