Exploring Profiles and Innovative Strategies for Effective Psychological Transformation in Legal and Forensic Psychology

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 April 2026 | Viewed by 11

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, 18011 Granada, Spain
Interests: gender-based violence; socio-emotional skills; evidence-based psychological therapy; penitentiary psychology; psychological assessment; ethics in psychology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Interests: health sciences; forensic contexts; suicidal behaviors; gender-based violence; psychological assessment; psychological autopsy; bibliometric studies; systematic reviews
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Cartuja Campus, 18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: clinical and health psychology; personality; psychological disorders; gender-based violence; socio-emotional skills; cognitive-behavioral therapy; evidence-based psychological intervention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing complexity of human behavior in contemporary societies highlights the urgent need to deepen our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underpinning both individual and collective transformation. In response to this imperative, the present Special Issue aims to explore a diverse array of psychological profiles and innovative intervention strategies designed to facilitate meaningful and sustained change in forensic contexts (e.g., Gender-based Violence [GBV], cybercontrol, controlling partner, suicidal behaviors, [cyber]aggressors, offenders, cyberviolence, etc.).

For example, GBV remains a pervasive and deeply entrenched global phenomenon, with profound psychological, social, and legal ramifications. Its effective prevention and treatment require more than retributive or punitive responses; they demand a nuanced, evidence-based comprehension of the psychological characteristics of both perpetrators and victims. Equally critical is the development and implementation of transformative interventions that foster behavioral modification, emotional regulation, accountability, and psychological healing.

This Special Issue synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives and empirically grounded methodologies to examine how psychological profiling—incorporating personality traits, trauma histories, interpersonal dynamics, and sociocultural factors—can inform more targeted and efficacious therapeutic approaches. Simultaneously, it addresses how refined understandings of victim profiles—including vulnerability, resilience, social isolation, and empowerment—can guide the design of personalized recovery trajectories and comprehensive support systems.

Contemporary approaches to intervening with perpetrators and/or offenders increasingly prioritize psychological transformation over traditional punitive frameworks. These interventions aim to disrupt maladaptive cognitive schemas, enhance emotional self-regulation, and restructure abusive behavioral patterns. Emerging technological tools—such as virtual reality-based empathy training and mobile platforms for behavioral monitoring—are being employed to cultivate heightened emotional awareness and personal responsibility.

We invite practitioners and researchers to critically engage with the contributions presented in this Special Issue. Through collaborative reflection and innovation, this collection seeks to advance interdisciplinary knowledge and practice in the continuing endeavor to prevent and intervene effectively.

Dr. Ana Isabel Sánchez Gómez
Dr. Raúl Quevedo-Blasco
Dr. María Pilar Martínez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gender-based violence
  • psychological profiles
  • offender rehabilitation
  • victim recovery
  • emotional regulation
  • cognitive–behavioral interventions
  • forensic psychology
  • social reintegration
  • digital technology

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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