Discussion 1: "Psychology over Public Policy"

Please respond to the following:

• Review the video titled "Choosing an Expert Witness" (7 min 10 s),. Determine two key factors that legal system professionals could use when selecting an expert witness. Next, discuss one fundamental way that an expert can influence the legal system and analyze whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage to the legal system. Provide a rationale for your response.

• Per the text, the need for expert testimony is based on the belief that experts have specialized knowledge that helps jurors understand the particulars of the evidence being presented to them. Find one case (past or current) that utilized an expert witness and discuss how this expert assisted the jury and court process. Discuss the evidence that they were called to clarify and speak as an expert.

Discussion 1: "Gang Prevention"

• Prior research has established that there is a cumulative effect of risk factors on both youth violence and gang membership and as a result risk factors in multiple domains increase the probability of youth violence and gang involvement. Using your textbook reading from Chapter 9, speculate three effects of cumulative risk, including risk in multiple domains, on youth violence, and gang membership. Next provide a 200 to 500 word summary comparing and contrasting the extent of whether the patterns are similar or different for youth violence and gang membership.

• View the video titled, "Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma-Introduction" then in your own words describe three risk factors that depict the extent of exerting violence in kids. Next debate whether or not the risk factors for youth violence are similar or different from those for gang membership. Provide support for your response.