Good criminal psychology topics ask why people offend, how victims are affected and why offending stops. Current examples include childhood brain injury, burglary target choices, employer stigma towards people with convictions, coercive control before domestic homicide and heat-related violence. This page lists over 100 topics for dissertations and EPQs.
If you are writing a research paper on criminal psychology, you have a variety of topics and themes to choose from. Do psychopaths have an innate or developed nature? Is there a way to help criminals get better? Why do serial killers commit these crimes?
When writing a criminal psychology dissertation, you might consider one or more of these psychology research ideas. Your research and citations should be accurate regardless of the criminal psychology theme you select.
It is possible to study criminal behaviour, forensics, and crime from every angle. To help you get started and inspire your creativity, we’ve collected interesting criminal psychology dissertation ideas.
Criminal Psychology Dissertation Topics With Research Aims
Topic 1: Sensation Seeking and Self-Reported Violence Among Young Adults in Cities: An Anonymous Survey Study
Research Aim: This study aims to examine whether young adults aged 18 to 25 living in cities who score higher on sensation seeking report more involvement in violent behaviour.
An anonymous online survey using validated sensation seeking and self-reported offending measures will test this link while taking account of peer influence and alcohol use.
Topic 2: Identity Crisis and the Radicalisation of Young People: A Qualitative Synthesis of Published Interview Studies
Research Aim: This study aims to explore how struggles with identity, belonging and purpose feature in young people’s own accounts of becoming involved in extremism.
It will synthesise published qualitative studies with people radicalised in adolescence or early adulthood, including those who later left extremist groups, assess how well the accounts fit uncertainty-identity theory and consider implications for prevention.
Topic 3. A Systematic Review of the Psychological Effects of Wrongful Imprisonment on Mental Health Recovery
Research Aim: This review examines past research to understand how being wrongly imprisoned impacts a person’s mental health. It looks into trauma, trust issues, and emotional recovery after release, aiming to highlight what kind of support people need after experiencing this life-changing injustice.
Topic 4: Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury and Later Offending: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies
Research Aim: This review will examine whether children and adolescents who sustain a traumatic brain injury are more likely to offend later in life.
It will synthesise cohort and registry studies, assess how well they control for confounding factors such as deprivation and consider what the evidence means for prevention and support.
Topic 5: Situational Cues in Burglary Target Selection: A Virtual Neighbourhood Experiment With Student Participants
Research Aim: This study will test how cues such as visible cameras, signs of occupancy and escape routes shape judgements of which homes look like attractive targets.
Student participants will rate and choose houses in an image-based or virtual neighbourhood, and their choices will be compared with burglars’ accounts in published research.
Topic 6: Employer Stigma Towards Applicants With Criminal Records: A Vignette Experiment on Hiring Decisions
Research Aim: This research will test whether disclosing a criminal record lowers hiring recommendations, and whether the type of offence, time since conviction and evidence of rehabilitation change that effect.
Managers or business students will rate fictional job applications that differ only in their conviction details.
Topic 7: Coercive Control Before Domestic Homicide: Testing the Homicide Timeline Against Published Death Reviews
Research Aim: This study will examine whether the stages of the homicide timeline proposed by Jane Monckton Smith, which describes escalating coercive control before intimate partner homicide, appear in published Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews, formerly called Domestic Homicide Reviews.
A documentary analysis will code the presence and order of stages and identify missed opportunities to intervene.
Topic 8: Hot Weather and Violent Crime: Testing the Heat-Aggression Hypothesis With Open Crime and Weather Data
Research Aim: This study will test whether higher daily temperatures are followed by more recorded violent crime, after accounting for day of the week, holidays and season.
It will link open incident-level crime data from a city that publishes dated records with daily weather observations, and weigh psychological explanations such as irritability against changes in routine activities.
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Latest Criminal Psychology Research Topics by Theme
These criminal psychology research topics focus on why people offend, how crime affects victims and how offending ends. They suit literature reviews, analysis of published data, vignette experiments and surveys of adults, so most can be done without contacting offenders or victims directly.
Pathways Into Offending Topics
- Permanent School Exclusion and Later Offending: A Review of UK Cohort and Administrative Evidence
- Peer Contagion in Group Interventions for Young People at Risk: A Review of Evidence on Unintended Harmful Effects
- Childhood Bereavement and Later Offending: A Review of Cohort and Justice System Studies
- Strain, Anger and Self-Reported Minor Offending Among Young Adults: Testing General Strain Theory
- ADHD Medication and Offending: A Critical Review of Population Registry Studies
Offender Decision-Making and Cognition Topics
- Perceived Certainty and Severity of Punishment and Young Drivers’ Intentions to Drink-Drive
- Hostile Attribution Bias and Reactive Aggression: A Vignette Study With Young Adults
- Persuasion Techniques in Romance and Investment Scam Messages: A Content Analysis of Offender Scripts
- Fare Evasion on Public Transport: Perceived Detection Risk and Moral Justifications Among Young Adults
- Crime Scripts for Catalytic Converter and Vehicle Theft: An Analysis of Court Reports and News Coverage
- Opportunity and Dishonesty: Cheating Under Low Detection Risk in a Dice-Rolling Experiment
Victims and Victimisation Topics
- Burglary Victims’ Psychological Responses: Feelings of Violation and Changes in Security Behaviour
- The Victim-Offender Overlap: Self-Reported Victimisation and Offending in a Community Sample of Young Adults
- Ideal Victim Stereotypes: Public Sympathy for Victims Who Are Homeless, Use Drugs or Have Convictions
- Bereaved by Homicide: A Review of the Psychological Needs of Families and the Support They Receive
- Victims’ Motivations for Taking Part in Restorative Justice: A Review of Psychological Outcomes
Desistance and Rehabilitation Topics
- Becoming a Parent as a Turning Point: Fathers’ Accounts of Desistance in Published Qualitative Studies
- Sport-Based Interventions for Young People at Risk of Offending: A Review of Psychological Mechanisms
- Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes: A Review of Evidence on Behaviour Change and Partner Safety
- The Age-Crime Curve: Psychosocial Maturity as an Explanation for Declining Offending in Early Adulthood
- Volunteering and Desistance: Do Helping Roles Support People Who Are Trying to Stop Offending?
Violence and Aggression Topics
- Code of the Street Beliefs, Respect and Retaliation Among Young Adults in UK Cities
- Third-Party Intervention in Public Violence: A Review of CCTV-Based Studies
- Elder Abuse by Family Members: A Review of Perpetrator Risk Factors
- Patient and Visitor Aggression Towards Emergency Department Staff: A Review of Triggers and Prevention
- Intimate Partner Violence in Same-Sex Relationships: A Review of Help-Seeking Barriers
- Sibling Violence: Normalisation in Families and Links With Later Relationship Aggression
Crime, Media and Public Attitudes Topics
- Public Redeemability Beliefs and Support for Rehabilitation Over Punishment: A UK Survey
- Media Framing of Knife Crime and Public Explanations for Youth Violence
- Gender Stereotypes in Public Judgements of Violent Offending: A Vignette Experiment
- Police Crime Appeals on Social Media: Public Willingness to Share and Report Information
- Labelling Language and Attitudes Towards People With Sexual Convictions: Effects on Support for Reintegration
Substance Use and Crime Topics
- Cannabis Use and Drug-Driving: Perceived Impairment and Detection Risk Among Young Adult Drivers
- Anabolic Steroid Use and Aggression: A Critical Review of the Evidence
- Recovery From Addiction and Desistance From Crime: A Review of Shared Processes
- Non-Medical Use of Prescription Stimulants: Student Attitudes to Sharing and Selling ADHD Medication
- Recreational Cocaine Use and Moral Disengagement From Drug Market Violence Among Young Professionals
List Of Free Criminal Psychology Dissertation Topics
- Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Recidivism in Violent Offenders
- The Role of Emotional Dysregulation in Predicting Antisocial Behaviour in Adolescents
- A Systematic Review of the Link Between Psychopathy and Financial Fraud
- The Impact of Social Media Exposure on the Desensitisation to Violent Crime
- Qualitative Research on the Criminal Thinking Patterns of Incarcerated Women
- The Influence of Narcissistic Traits on Cyberstalking Behaviour: A Mixed Methods Study
- An Analysis of Moral Disengagement Mechanisms in White-Collar Criminals
- Quantitative Study on the Effects of Solitary Confinement on Cognitive Functioning in Prisoners
- The Relationship Between Executive Function Deficits and Risk of Violent Crime
- A Meta-Analysis of Neurobiological Correlates of Impulsive Criminal Behaviour
- The Role of Attachment Styles in the Development of Criminal Behaviour in Young Adults
- A Qualitative Exploration of Motivational Narratives in Serial Offenders
- The Influence of Childhood Neglect on Criminal Behavioural Trajectories
- Research Study on the Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Reducing Recidivism
- A Systematic Review of Gender Differences in Psychopathic Traits and Their Criminal Expression
- Quantitative Study on the Correlation Between Machiavellianism and White-Collar Crime
- The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Predicting Non-Violent Criminal Conduct
- The Impact of Witnessing Domestic Violence on Adolescent Criminal Conduct
- An Analysis of Cognitive Distortions in Juvenile Sex Offenders
- Research Study on the Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programmes for Mentally Ill Offenders
- A Qualitative Research Study on the Perceived Causes of Criminal Behaviour in Repeat Offenders
- Quantitative Study on the Role of Substance Abuse in Violent Crime Propensity
- The Impact of Peer Pressure on Adolescent Delinquency: A Longitudinal Study
- The Role of Personality Disorders in Predicting Reoffending Among Incarcerated Offenders
- A Systematic Review of Mental Illness and Its Association With Violent Crime
- Research Study on the Psychological Factors Behind Hate Crime Motivation
- An Analysis of Stress and Coping Mechanisms in Law Enforcement Officers Facing Criminal Behaviour
- The Impact of Paternal Absence on the Development of Criminal Behaviour in Boys
- A Qualitative Study on the Social Construction of Criminal Identity Among Young Offenders
- Quantitative Research on Brain Imaging Patterns in Psychopathic Versus Non-Psychopathic Offenders
- The Role of Self-Control in the Development of Delinquent Behaviour in Adolescents
- An Examination of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Violent Offenders
- A Systematic Review of Predictors of Success in Criminal Rehabilitation Programmes
- The Influence of Antisocial Peers on the Development of Criminal Behaviour in Youth
- Quantitative Study on the Correlation Between Dark Triad Traits and Organised Crime
- The Role of Cognitive Empathy in Preventing Criminal Behaviour in Adolescents
- Research Study on the Psychological Profiles of Arsonists
- A Qualitative Exploration of Cultural Influences on Criminal Behaviour in Minority Groups
- The Impact of Media Stereotypes on Jury Decision-Making in Criminal Trials
- An Analysis of the Link Between Animal Cruelty and Violent Offending
- Quantitative Study on the Effect of Violent Video Games on Aggression and Criminal Thinking
- The Role of Risk Assessment Tools in Predicting Criminal Recidivism
- A Systematic Review of Criminal Profiling Techniques and Their Psychological Validity
- The Influence of Parental Incarceration on the Criminal Development of Children
- Qualitative Study on the Motivations Behind False Confessions in Interrogations
- The Impact of Bullying Victimisation on the Likelihood of Later Criminal Behaviour
- Quantitative Research on the Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Criminal Psychopathology
- The Role of Peer Victimisation in the Formation of Antisocial Behaviour
- A Systematic Review of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Their Role in Criminality
- The Relationship Between Moral Reasoning and Criminal Decision-Making
- Qualitative Research on Female Offenders’ Experiences With the Criminal Justice System
- The Impact of Aggression Replacement Training on Reducing Violent Behaviour in Prisons
- An Analysis of the Relationship Between Sleep Disorders and Impulsive Criminal Acts
- Research Study on Psychosocial Predictors of School Shooting Behaviour
- The Role of Facial Emotion Recognition Deficits in Violent Offending
- Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Parental Supervision and Juvenile Delinquency
- The Psychological Impact of Wrongful Convictions on Exonerated Individuals
- A Systematic Review of Environmental Influences on Criminal Risk-Taking
- The Influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences on the Development of Psychopathic Traits
- Research Study on the Efficacy of Anger Management Interventions in Violent Offenders
- The Role of Shame and Guilt in Criminal Rehabilitation and Behavioural Change
- Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Internet Addiction and Cybercrime
- The Impact of Social Exclusion on Criminal Thinking in Adolescents
- A Qualitative Exploration of the Identity Transformation of Rehabilitated Offenders
- The Role of Group Dynamics in Gang-Related Criminal Activities
- An Analysis of the Psychological Mechanisms Behind Vigilantism
- The Relationship Between Frontal Lobe Dysfunction and Violent Crime
- Research Study on the Use of Virtual Reality in Criminal Behaviour Rehabilitation
- A Systematic Review of Psychological Autopsies in Understanding Homicidal Suicides
- The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in Justifying Criminal Behaviour
- The Impact of Prison Environment on the Mental Health of Inmates
- Quantitative Research on the Correlation Between Pornography Addiction and Sexual Offending
- The Role of Self-Efficacy in Preventing Relapse Into Criminal Behaviour
- Qualitative Study on the Family Dynamics of Serial Killers
- A Research Study on the Psychological Predictors of Road Rage Offences
- The Influence of Dark Personality Traits on Organised Criminal Enterprises
- Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Empathy Deficits and Violent Crime
- The Role of Fantasy in the Development of Serial Criminal Behaviour
- An Analysis of Sociocultural Factors Influencing Female Involvement in Criminal Gangs
- The Psychological Impact of Undercover Operations on Criminal Investigators
- A Systematic Review of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy in Forensic Populations
- The Effect of Community-Based Interventions on Reducing Youth Crime Rates
- Qualitative Research on the Perceived Fairness of the Criminal Justice System Among Offenders
- The Role of Cognitive Flexibility in Desisting From Criminal Behaviour
- Research Study on the Psychological Impact of Long-Term Incarceration
- The Influence of Religion and Spirituality on Criminal Rehabilitation Outcomes
- Quantitative Study on the Role of Aggression in Predicting Domestic Violence Recidivism
Related Psychology Dissertation Topics
This list focuses on Criminal Psychology. For the bigger picture, see our full psychology dissertation topics list — or explore related areas:
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a question about offending, victims or desistance raised in your modules, then read reviews in journals such as Legal and Criminological Psychology or Psychology, Crime & Law to see what remains unresolved.
Choose a design that does not depend on access to prisons or victims unless your supervisor can arrange it.
Popular themes include psychopathy and personality, youth offending, violence and aggression, substance use, victimisation and rehabilitation.
Growing areas include desistance, brain injury and neurodevelopmental conditions among people who offend, coercive control, online fraud and the influence of true crime media on public attitudes.
Yes, if you choose a question you can answer from published research. Review-style topics, such as whether childhood brain injury predicts later offending, suit an Extended Project Qualification well.
Avoid primary research with offenders, victims or people under eighteen, and agree your question with your EPQ supervisor before you start your project log.
Criminal psychology studies why people offend, how crime affects victims and why people stop offending. Forensic psychology applies psychology within the justice system, for example in risk assessment, police interviewing and evidence given in court.
If your question is about courts or assessment, a forensic psychology topic will fit better.
No. Criminology studies crime as a social problem, including policing, punishment and crime rates, often drawing on sociology. Criminal psychology focuses on individuals: the thoughts, emotions, personality and decisions behind offending and victimisation.
Many dissertations combine the two, for example by testing a psychological explanation with crime survey data.
Yes. Complete the free topic form at the end of this page, or on our free dissertation topics page, and a subject specialist will send you a custom topic with an aim and justification.
If you also need a plan, our dissertation topics and outline service starts from £45.
