SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND VIOLENCE: A SUB‐NATIONAL TEST OF INSTITUTIONAL ANOMIE THEORY*

Messner and Rosenfeld's institutional anomie theory is grounded in the assumption that relatively higher crime rates in the United States are due to (1) the overwhelming influence of economic motives and institutions in society, and (2) the subjugation of all other social institutions to cultural economic interests (e.g., the American Dream). Our analysis is designed to extend the limited body of empirical research on this theory in several ways. First, we seek to test the utility of institutional anomie theory for predicting crime rates across aggregate units within the United States (counties). Second, we draw out the theory's emphasis on instrumental crime and suggest that measures of noneconomic social, political, familial, religious, and educational institutions will be particularly relevant for explaining instrumental as opposed to expressive violence. Third, in contrast to prior research, we develop conceptual reasons to expect that these factors will primarily mediate (as opposed to moderate) the relationship between economically motivating pressures and instrumental violence. Our negative binomial regression analyses of data from the Supplementary Homicide Reports and various censuses indicate that the measures of noneconomic institutions perform well in explaining both instrumental and expressive homicides, but that these measures mediate the impact of economic pressures (as measured by the Gini coefficient of family income inequality) to commit instrumental violence most strongly. Further, we find only very limited support for the more popular moderation hypothesis.     

论系列杀人案件的信息披露工作

侦查工作的成败,很大程度上取决于案件信息占有量和信息利用程度。系列杀人案件的社会危害性大,侦查难度大,必须正确地串并案件,充分利用已掌握的信息,结合对犯罪嫌疑人进行的犯罪心理画像,通过适当的案件信息披露方式来发动群众协助破案,并警示群众自我防护。     

When parents kill their young children: Detroit 1982–1986

The population of 36 parents or parent figures arrested for killing their children or charges, who were under the age of 6 years in Detroit, Michigan, between 1982 and 1986, are described in the context of their deadly acts. This profile of parent-on-child homicide includes demographic and social characteristics of offenders and victims, circumstances of offense, andarrest and court dispositions.     

Cross-national comparison of homicide: Age/sex-adjusted rates using the 1980 U.S. homicide experience as a standard

Cross-sectional studies of crime have typically relied on crude crime rates when making comparisons between countries. Crude rates control for population size but implicitly assume that all members of the population are equally at risk. Empirical studies have shown that, cross-nationally, risk varies by age and sex. Standardization of crime rates removes the confounding effects of variable age and sex population distributions. Since age/sex-specific crime rates are generally unavailable for many countries, the method of indirect standardization is the most desirable technique. Age/sex-adjusted homicide rates for 76 countries are presented, and two comparative measures are suggested. It is shown that while the United States has a higher homicide rate than all but 15 countries; in most cases, the magnitude of the difference, not controlling for age/sex differences, is overestimated. Crude rates underestimate differences between the United States and countries with higher rates of homicide.     

交通肇事罪之争议问题再研究——兼评最高法院的《司法解释》

对交通肇事罪来说 ,尽管刑法有明确规定 ,特别是司法解释对其作了具体、详细的规定。但是 ,值得商权之处也不少 ,这样一来 ,又引起了一些新的、更大的歧义和司法适用上的混乱 ,因此 ,笔者遴选几个争议问题加以研讨 ,以求对些问题作出恰当的理解和处理。     

Exploring the consequences of erratic data reporting for cross-national research on homicide

This paper examines the common practice in cross-national research on homicide of using crime estimates for a multiyear period based on a smaller number of years than theoretically desired because of erratic data reporting for selected nations. Correlations between hypothetical baseline rates and various alternative estimates are examined to simulate the potential consequences of using temporally incomplete data rather than data for the full multiyear period of interest. The results reveal that this common practice is likely to be highly acceptable for certain national samples but less acceptable for others. The paper concludes with suggestions for dealing with potentially problematic cases.     

The effects of weather on homicide

This article examines the correlation between weather features and homicide in. Baltimore, Maryland, over an 8-year span of time. The consistent meteorological-measure of importance is the number of previous days in a row in which the discomfort index (a temperature and humidity measure) has been over the physiologically relevant level of 79. In all cases, however, the variance explained is quite small. The results are used to compare physiological and interactional explanations of weather or heat effects, leading to the conclusion that the repertoire of habits and adaptations available to the individual conditions his or her reactions to physiological stress induced by the weather.     

Identification of mechanical asphyxiation in cases of attempted masking of the homicide

Five homicides are described that had remained unexplained as to the causes of death after gross pathology. Although general signs of asphyxiation were present, they were lacking injuries specific of strangulation or oro-nasal occlusion. The diagnoses of asphyxiation were established by microscopical investigation of the lung and confirmed by subsequent police inquiries. An oro-nasal occlusion was involved in three cases, a strangulation or an oro-nasal occlusion, in another case. The victims were young and healthy. Toxicological investigations remained negative in four cases; one victim was anaesthetized by bromazepam and ether and had a blood alcohol concentration of 80 mg/100 ml. Lung histology and electron microscopy revealed acute emphysema, the development of a haemorrhagic-dysoric syndrome and a microembolism syndrome. With regard to the haemorrhagic-dysoric syndrome, the development of alveolar-interstitial edema is particularly important. This finding may also be diagnosed by light microscopy in semi-thin sections. It is emphasized that the combined action of several pathomechanisms is responsible for the rapid manifestation of the pulmonary lesions. Especially, the haemorrhagic-dysoric syndrome is brought about by the combined action of inspiratory intrapulmonary vacuum and raised intracapillary pressure. The complex pattern allows to compile the diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia even if there is no corresponding injury.     

147例凶杀案的法医学分析

通过对上海地区中147例凶杀案尸检的分析,从案件情况、现场勘察及尸体检验等方面进行归纳,总结了此类案件的共同特点,以期为凶杀命案的检验、侦破提供参考。