The ethnocultural competence of the forensic psychologist is a methodological requirement for impartial expert assessments in proceedings involving families of Moroccan origin: without adequate transcultural literacy, there is a risk of pathologising behaviours that are normative in the culture of origin or of underestimating genuine indicators of risk.
The integration of ethnocultural competence into the practice of the forensic psychologist constitutes a fundamental and essential methodological requirement for guaranteeing the impartiality and effectiveness of expert assessments, particularly in judicial proceedings involving families of Moroccan origin.
A technical and interpretive bridge for the judge
In the fields of family law, child protection or the assessment of parenting capacity, the forensic psychologist acts as a genuine technical and interpretive bridge, essential to the judge, decoding relational dynamics which, if read solely through a monocultural Western prism, regrettably risk being seriously misconstrued, with very significant consequences as a result.
The Moroccan cultural framework
Moroccan culture, strongly structured around collectivist values, principles of honour, traditional family hierarchies and specific conceptions of parenthood and modesty, directly influences the manifestation of psychological distress, coping strategies and the willingness to submit to the institutions charged with expert assessment.
The dual risk: pathologising or underestimating
Without adequate and thorough transcultural literacy, the specialist runs the risk of pathologising behaviours that are normative in the culture of origin, such as the involvement of the extended family in conflict resolution or the specific modes of expressing grief and trauma, or, conversely, of underestimating indicators of genuine risk, mistaking forms of intra-family violence for culturally acceptable conduct.
From the evidentiary stage to the expert assessment
The intervention of a culturally competent forensic psychologist therefore proves decisive both at the evidentiary stage and at the assessment stage, since it makes it possible to frame the questions put to the expert free of ethnocentric bias, to calibrate diagnostic instruments and clinical-forensic interviews to the linguistic and relational specificities of the family, and to provide the court with a rigorous reading grounded in professional ethics that safeguards first and foremost the best interests of the child and the right of the parties to a fair hearing.
