Christopher Bass

Contributing Faculty
College of Psychology and Community Services
School of Psychology
M.S. Forensic Psychology

Dr. Christopher K. Bass is originally from Washington D.C., a place that he credits with influencing him and his ideas related to ethnocentric research and study. Growing up in the 1980’s he witnessed the crack epidemic firsthand as it changed his once historic neighborhood. The sanctity of a once thriving community lay in shambles as members of his community and immediate family fell to the effects of the “drug decade”. During this period, the interaction between community and the Police were growing tense, as both sides were forging opinions and beliefs of the other that would define and shape its interactions for decades to come. These experiences provided him with the fuel needed to escape the harsh realities and delve into the science of Psychology. Introduced to the field of Psychology in his middle school years, he saw the field as a avenue to reach and impact the minds of inner city youth and communities. He also saw it as a welcomed escape from the burgeoning stereotypes that had begun to rise about inner city youth. As a first generation college graduate, he now has Psychology degrees from both Clark Atlanta University (1992) and the University of Wisconsin (1995, 2000). After earning his Doctorate he began a series of academic appointments and clinical practice along the Eastern United States. An avid scholar, he has published numerous articles, book chapters and books investigating the effects of specific culturally relevant treatment approaches on active and reactive conduct disorder and varying personality disorders. His major influence in the field of forensic psychology was Dr. Jack Apsche who he had the great opportunity to work closely with clinically, learn from scientifically and be mentored by personally. Together, they published a myriad of articles looking at the utilization of Mode Deactivation Therapy in various clinical contexts. It was through this relationship that he began to focus on scholarship devoted to criminology, serial offenders, and adjudicated aggressive and sexually aggressive cases. While his clinical and research area of focus centers on crimes involving sex, has also worked with a number of other clinically recognized mental disorders. Clinically he has served in a variety of posts including; Clinical Director at an Residential treatment facility for adjudicated late adolescent males, Psychologist for the City of Atlanta and Senior Psychological Partner at The Bass Medical and Psychological Consultants firm LLC. His work with Police Departments and other service agencies around the country has provided him with the platform to lecture and speak on cultural considerations in traditional fit-for-duty evaluations, psychological variables related to police and community interaction, adjudicated youth involvement in the criminal justice system, recidivism and alternative approaches for family reintegration and serial offender profiling. He has held faculty appointments on the campuses of Hampton University, Morehouse College, University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University and others. He continues to serve as a faculty member in the Department of Forensic Psychology at Walden University.

Education

PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison

MS, University of Wisconsin-Madison

BA, Clark Atlanta University