I selected the Aiden Fucci (14 years old) and Tristyn Bailey (13 years old) case due to it happening in my hometown and how many people I knew who were personally devastated by the killing of Tristyn Bailey. On Mother’s Day, May 9th, 2021, Tristyn Bailey’s body was discovered with 114 stab wounds at a retention pond near her home. Throughout the search for Tristyn Bailey, Fucci was in the back of a cop car while he posted a selfie on Snapchat with the caption, “Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately”. This was a huge topic of conversation in which people were saying what happened to Tristyn was her fault because she left her house so late and what she was wearing (a cheerleading outfit) when she was killed. A lot of people wanted to say that Aiden Fucci was not competent enough since he was so young at the time and struggled with mental health. People discriminated against a 13-year-old girl due to what she was wearing and used it as one of the reasons why she got killed changing so many people’s impressions of her is disgusting because it left such a gray area, although she snuck out of her house at 1 am isn’t a reason for her to be stabbed 114 times. However, Aiden Fucci was competent and was sentenced to life in prison being charged as an adult. Aiden Fucci did not get away with the death of Tristyn Bailey despite the discrimination being said throughout the case, in future cases all of these things can be used as validation of why it may be okay due to gender and what they were wearing insinuating that they “were asking for this” to happen to them.
As forensic psychology professionals, we are looked at as experts to help promote diversity, reduce bias, and help catalyze positive social change by adhering closely to the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines. According to the APA guidelines under general principles, it states, “Psychologists recognize that fairness and justice entitle all persons to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology and to equal quality in the processes, procedures, and services being conducted by psychologists (American Psychological Association, 2020). These guidelines emphasize the importance of competence, advocating for the fair treatment of all individuals. I feel like nowadays it’s easy for people to claim they struggle with mental health and use that to justify why they did what they did and I’m tired of that but providing mental health services can be beneficial for our community and those in need. By advocating for diversity, reducing bias, and fostering positive social change, I strive to create a more just and inclusive society where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
