Airway obstruction by a ball.

A toddler died as the result of choking on a toy ball that occluded his upper airway. The size of this toy was within the federal safety standards for use by children under the age of three years. Though it has been recognized since 1987 that the minimum safe diameter set by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act may be too small, no change has been made to the regulation (1). In 1995 a comprehensive review of asphyxia related to the size of the foreign object found 4.44 cm diameter and 7.62 cm length a more comprehensive standard (1). Currently federal warning labels are required on some items that contain balls smaller than 4.44 cm to prevent use by children less than three years of age (2). The small parts fixture test in use by the federal government is available as a safety tool for parents to use at home. Unfortunately the "safe" diameter of 3.17 cm is too small to provide assurance that a toy is not a choking hazard.     

Labeling for oral and rectal over-the-counter drug products containing aspirin and nonaspirin salicylates; Reye's Syndrome warning. Final rule

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final rule to amend its regulations to revise the Reye's syndrome warning required for oral and rectal over-the-counter (OTC) human drug products containing aspirin and to require a warning on OTC drug products containing nonaspirin salicylates as active ingredients. The revised warning will inform consumers of the symptoms of Reye's syndrome and advise that aspirin and nonaspirin salicylate drug products should not be given to children or teenagers who have or are recovering from chicken pox or flu-like symptoms. This final rule also finalizes FDA's notice of proposed rulemaking to require a Reye's syndrome warning for orally administered OTC drug products for relief of symptoms associated with overindulgence in food and drink (overindulgence drug products) that contain bismuth subsalicylate that published in the Federal Register of May 5, 1993 (58 FR 26886). FDA is issuing this final rule after considering public comment on the agency's notices of proposed rulemaking and all relevant data and information that have come to the agency's attention.     

Eyewitness Lineups: Is the Appearance-Change Instruction a Good Idea?

The Department of Justice's Guide for lineups recommends warning eyewitnesses that the culprit's appearance might have changed since the time of the crime. This appearance-change instruction (ACI) has never been empirically tested. A video crime with four culprits was viewed by 289 participants who then attempted to identify the culprits from four 6-person arrays that either included or did not include the culprit. Participants either received the ACI or not and all were warned that the culprit might or might not be in the arrays. The culprits varied in how much their appearance changed from the video to their lineup arrays, but the ACI did not improve identification decisions for any of the lineups. Collapsed over the four culprits, the ACI increased false alarms and filler identifications but did not increase culprit identifications. The ACI reduced confidence and increased response latency. Two processes that could account for these results are discussed, namely a decision criterion shift and a general increase in ecphoric similarity.     

Some observations on the link between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency

In order to test the hypothesis that learning disabilities are related to juvenile delinquency, a sample of 1,005 public school and 687 adjudicated juvenile delinquent youths (ages 12 to 17) reported about delinquent behaviors in which they had engaged. The youths' educational records were screened, and, if the presence of learning disabilities could not be discounted, the children were given a series of tests. Every child was classified as either learning disabled or not. The results indicated that proportionately more adjudicated delinquent children than public school children were learning disabled. Self-report data, however, showed no differences in delinquent behaviors engaged in by learning-disabled and non-learning-disabled children, within either the adjudicated or public school samples. Public school children who have learning disabilities reported that they were picked up by the police at about the same rate as non-learning-disabled children, and engaged in about the same delinquent behaviors. Charges for which learning-disabled and non-learning-disabled adjudicated delinquents were convicted followed the same general patterns. In light of these findings, it was proposed that the greater proportion of learning-disabled youth among adjudicated juvenile delinquents may be accounted for by differences in the way such children are treated within the juvenile justice system, rather than by differences in their delinquent behaviors.     

Inducing resistance to suggestibility in children

Thirty 7-year-olds, 30 12-year-olds, and 39 adults were administered the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale, which consists of a story followed by 20 questions, 15 of which are misleading. After subjects were told that their answers were not all correct, the questions were readministered to look for shifts. Approximately half of the subjects in each age group had been warned that the questions were difficult or tricky and that they should only answer with what they confidently remembered. Results indicated that younger children recalled less of the story and were more likely to acquiesce to leading questions than older children and adults. Children also changed more of their answers upon the second questioning. Recall was negatively correlated with both acquiescence to leading questions and likelihood of changing answers, even within age groups. The warning significantly reduced the effect of misleading questions across all age groups.We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Jeffery N. Swartwood in analyzing the data and the staff, parents, and students of St. Jude School for their cooperation.     

Advisability of substance abuse testing in parents who severely maltreat their children: the issue of drug testing before the juvenile/family courts

The authors discuss the advisability of juvenile courts requiring urine testing for parents who severely maltreat (abuse and/or neglect) their children. While urine testing for substance abuse is not sufficient to ensure adequate treatment, it is important as part of the overall substance abuse treatment in a selected group of parents. An objective of this article is to offer specific urine testing guidelines in the context of child maltreatment cases in which the court considers removing children from parental custody to state custody. Although potentially useful, urinalysis to detect abused substances has limitations and is appropriate only in well-defined situations. Effective treatment of the substance-abusing, child-maltreating parent must be multimodal, with treatment of substance abuse as the first and most important step.     

ANOTHER LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH

Kelly and Lamb (2000) recently provided a summary of the attachment literature and a set of guidelines for visitation and custody for young children in divorced and separated families. Here, Solomon and Biringen review the same literature with an eye to critically evaluating these guidelines, especially the suggestion that more, rather than fewer, transitions between parents are appropriate for very young children. Three types of empirical findings raise questions regarding the appropriateness of Kelly and Lamb's guidelines. These include differences in the development of infant-mother and infant-father attachments, young children's sensitivity to overnight separations from the primary caregiver, and the possibility of infant preferences for primary versus secondary caregivers in times of stress. The authors argue that considerably more rigorous research is required before submitting Kelly and Lamb's suggestion to social policy.     

Juvenile Justice in Scandinavia

The main issue is the legal protection of children and juveniles suspected of or convicted for crime. The age of criminal responsibility is 15 years in the countries concerned. Particular juvenile justice systems do not exist in Scandinavia. There are, however, exceptions from the general system in order to maintain needs, interests and rights of children and juveniles. Some common characteristics are described, for instance diversion of juveniles from prison into social welfare measures and the prohibition of placing children in jail. Individual characteristics are pointed out as well. Introduction of secure social institutions as an alternative to imprisonment in Sweden and Denmark is one, mediation processes with children as parties in Finland and Norway is another. It is argued that from the point of view of legality the demands for legal rights are of greatest importance in prosecution and punishment matters, whereas social welfare support is not to the same degree concerned about such questions. Furthermore it is argued that in spite of good intentions the Scandinavian countries challenge the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, by not definitely prohibiting the possibility of a juvenile serving a prison sentence together with adults. It is stated that the distance between constructive pragmatism and destructive loss of principles as legality, equality and proportionality may be short. Crime trends are not linked to the politics: there is no relation between crime rates and political attention to crime. Juvenile justice has increasing political attention these years while the crime rates tend to be stable. In relation not solely to the economy and the Convention but first and foremost in the interest of children and juveniles more thought should be given to scientific experiences about early and appropriate prevention.     

Section 8 orders on the public-private law divide*

While section 9(2) of the Children Act 1989 prevents a Local Authority from applying for a child arrangements order directly, a case file study of residence and contact orders made in 2011 found that a significant number of applications for residence orders in the County Court were supported and sometimes even instigated by local authority children’s services (Harding & Newnham, 2015). The findings of the study demonstrate that residence orders often formed part of solutions offered to the family and can even operate as an alternative to formal public law remedies in situations where the parents are no longer able to provide care, and grandparents or other relatives take over. In these ‘hybrid cases’ private law orders are used to resolve situations on the fringes of public law action and, in some cases, divert cases from voluntary accommodation or formal care proceedings. This article raises questions about whether cases are being diverted to private law remedies in an appropriate manner and argues that closer scrutiny of the practice is required to ensure that the rights of parents, children and kinship carers are appropriately respected.     

Interacting influences on interrogative suggestibility

Purpose. Research using the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales (GSS) has found interrogative suggestibility (IS) to vary as a function of the overall demeanour of the interviewer, warnings about the presence of misleading information, and the self‐esteem of the interviewee, as outlined by Gudjonsson and Clark (1986). The present study attempted to assess how these factors interact. Method. The study had a three‐factor between‐participants design: interviewer demeanour × instructional manipulation × self‐esteem. One hundred and twenty undergraduates took part in the study. Results. Participants reporting lower self‐esteem scored higher on the GSS ‘Shift’ measure than participants reporting higher levels of self‐esteem. Participants faced with a ‘Friendly’ interviewer scored lower on the GSS Yield 1 and Total Suggestibility measures than did those participants faced with a more ‘Abrupt’ interviewer. Participants warned about the presence of misleading information scored lower on Yield 1 and Total Suggestibility. A potentially key finding was that participants who received a warning demonstrated an increased number of Shifts in the Friendly condition compared with those who were not warned. In the Abrupt condition this pattern was reversed. Conclusion. The results supported studies showing that all three variables tested affect levels of IS but further suggested that optimal interviewer support for interviewees' discrepancy detection may be provided either by a relaxed interviewer manner or by warnings alone, but not by both.     

儿童权利的文化解释

In China, the protection of juvenile rights has historically been a secondary consideration, which is often relegated to the status of “goal for the future”. However, the value of juvenile rights and their protection lie not only in the morality of child protection, but also in the role that juvenile rights can play in the development of human rights as a whole. Publicity given to juvenile rights reminds us of the “adult society” standing in complementary opposition to the “juvenile society” that juvenile rights refer to. It is adult society to deal with juvenile rights, so any errors of understanding or failures of equality can lead to children being deprived of the rights. The rational underpinnings of juvenile rights are the weapons with which we can counter the influence of traditional, conservative thinking. These arguments will allow children to assume their rightful role as an independent group whose rights are academically and practically accepted and protected.     

PUBLIC OPINION AND THE FOUNDATION OF THE JUVENILE COURT*

Over 100 years ago, juvenile courts emerged out of the belief that juveniles are different from adults—less culpable and more rehabilitatable—and can be "saved" from a life of crime and disadvantage. Today, the juvenile justice system is under attack through increasing calls to eliminate it and enactment of statutes designed to place younger offenders in the adult justice system. However, little evidence exists that policy makers have taken the full range of public views into account. At the same time, scholarly accounts of calls to eliminate the juvenile justice system have neglected the role of public opinion. The current study addresses this situation by examining public views about 1) abolishing juvenile justice and 2) the proper upper age of original juvenile court jurisdiction. Particular attention is given to the notion that child‐saving and "get tough" orientations influence public views about juvenile justice. The analyses suggest support for the lingering appeal of juvenile justice among the public and the idea that youth can be “saved,” as well as arguments about the politicization and criminalization of juvenile justice. They also highlight that the public, like states, holds variable views about the appropriate age of juvenile court jurisdiction. We discuss the implications of the study and avenues for future research. Why is it not just and proper to treat these juvenile offenders, as we deal with the neglected children, as a wise and merciful father handles his own child whose errors are not discovered by the authorities? Why is it not the duty of the state, instead of asking merely whether a boy or a girl has committed a specific offense, to find out what he is, physically, mentally, morally, and then if it learns that he is treading the path that leads to criminality, to take him in charge, not so much to punish as to reform, not to degrade but to uplift, not to crush but to develop, to make him not a criminal but a worthy citizen.     

Public-Private Venture to HELP Youth in Juvenile Detention

The most reliable barometer on the status of Michigan's children reported a noteworthy decrease in juvenile crime in Calhoun County, Michigan, during the period of time when the W. K. Kellogg Foundation funded a model program for the county's most criminally active juveniles. This article summarizes how the confluence of need and resources led to the development of an exemplary solution to some of the problems facing contemporary juvenile justice programs and services. The irony is not that a public-private venture to develop effective community-based collaboratives proved successful, but that this effort occurred in the local juvenile detention center.     

Constructing Crime against the Elderly in Swedish Crime Prevention Campaigns

The study investigates how crime prevention activities frame the problem of crime against the elderly, regarding character, causes, effects and solutions. Data was collected through participant observations, interviews and analysis of a film produced by a local crime prevention council in Sweden. It is concluded that crime prevention for seniors produces complex and contradicting images of the problem. In situational crime prevention seniors are warned to look out for strangers stalking them or trying to access their homes. Statements that victimization is uncommon among the old are combined with warnings that invoke images of mysterious ever-present perpetrators. In social crime prevention, where causes and interventions of crime are discussed, crime prevention officers link the problem to established social problems such as drug abuse and juvenile delinquency. This way of framing the problem is typical for a Swedish Social Democratic perspective, where lack of community and integration are defined as causes of social problems. It is concluded that warnings to look out for strangers who ask for help may be at odds with this striving towards community.     

The impact of a verbal warning on police consent search practices

This article explores the impact of requiring a verbal warning prior to a police request for consent to search a suspect's automobile. The United States Supreme Court expressed concern that requiring a verbal warning prior to a consent request would make consent searches impossible for the police. Twenty-seven months of motor vehicle stop data (N = 800) was analyzed during periods where a verbal warning was and was not required prior to a consent request. The findings did not support the conclusion that a verbal warning would cause a substantial decrease in consent searches. A slight increase in the volume of consent requests was observed after the police were required to administer the warning.     

The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders in the courts

The DSM is designed with the intention that it will be used in clinical and research contexts, not as a guide for the courts. Increasingly, from DSM to DSM-III-R, the introductory cautionary statement in the manual has warned against its use in the judicial context. The drafters of the DSM faced a choice and might have chosen to address in some greater detail those disordered behaviors that do have legal relevance in that they arise with some degree of regularity in the courts. The following essay examines this choice and its consequences.     

Recommendations for Judicial Action on Adoption Disruption

Abstract Adoption disruption is examined by a brief literature review and by the presentation of findings from a juvenile court case review process. Among the findings is the crucial role played by a juvenile court judge who intervened with emphasis on post-placement services for adoptive families and children, which minimized the risk of the placements to disrupt. Recommendations are offered to assist the juvenile justice system when decisions must be made that will effect unstable adoptive placements.     

Teen Court: A Way to Combat Teenage Crime and Chemical Abuse

Though some controversy surrounds the effectiveness of juvenile diversion programs, at least one program, the Teen Court Program in Odessa, Texas, seems to be having an impact. After 1,987 trials, the recidivism rate is less than 15 percent for traffic offenses and zero for first time Class C and Class B misdemeanors. The success of that program has lead to its expansion, and now the program includes first time drug offenders who not only go through the restitution phase of Teen Court but are required to attend, with their parents, a drug education and prevention workshop. After two years of operation, there has not been one repeat case of drug usage by a first offender referred to Teen Court. The procedures followed in the workshop and the results are discussed.