What is grievance thinking and how can we measure this in sexual offenders?

Purpose. This study proposes and examines a three‐stage model of the grievance process, one of the dynamic risk factors related to risk of sexual recidivism, and aims to evaluate some of the existing measures of this construct. Methods. The research used a sample of 322 male sexual offenders who had completed a cognitive–behavioural programme that aims to reduce recidivism in higher‐risk sexual offenders (as measured using a static actuarial tool). Participants completed two questionnaires measuring aspects of grievance thinking pre‐ and post‐treatment. Results. The results indicated some support for stages 1 and 2 of the proposed model. Contrary to the study hypotheses, results indicated that both measures used have similar psychometric properties. Pre‐ to post‐change analyses suggest that the custodial treatment programme may be having some effect on grievance thinking. However, generally offenders' scores on both measures were low pre‐ and post‐treatment and as a result, according to individual change analyses, the majority did not demonstrate reliable or clinically significant change. Those who were classed as high scorers on either measure did, however, demonstrate such change. Conclusions. Further exploration of a three‐stage model of grievance is warranted. It appears that current measures of grievance in sexual offenders are not adequate to capture this concept fully.     

Selective justice,genetic discrimination,and insurance: should we single out genes in our laws?

This article discusses the desirability of legislation focusing on genetic discrimination, in particular in the context of insurance. Many American states and some European countries as well as the Council of Europe have introduced protective measures against discrimination on the basis of genetic susceptibility. The author questions their effectiveness and queries whether they may be inequitable, because they fail to address more fundamental underlying issues related to the nature of insurance, access to health care, and unequal distribution of wealth. There is also a problem of definition in these statutes. They fail to capture what constitutes genetic information. Nonetheless, the author argues it is important to consider the social consequences of genetic testing. Michael Walzer's theory of justice is used to examine the role of insurance and health care. Using this approach, the author finds the American system of distribution for health care to be problematic. This is then used to inform the author's discussion of the future of health care in Canada. Anti-discrimination provisions could be used in a way that is consistent with Walzer's theory of justice. They would encompass both genetic and non-genetic health factors. These can be modelled on current anti-discrimination statutes in Canada. The author then proposes administrative committee structures to regulate the use of genetic data in Canada.     

Including tourists in crime rate calculations for new casino jurisdictions: What difference does it make?

One way to analyze the effect of tourism on crime is to include the average number of visitors in the denominator used to calculate community crime rates. Modified crime rates were computed for 7 new casino jurisdictions and compared with traditional crime rates based on the resident population. A preand postcasino comparison indicates a minority of Part I crimes increased significantly regardless of which crime rate was used. While a majority of Part II crimes rose significantly when using the traditional crime rate, fewer than half the modified crime rates displayed any gains. It appears that a large concentration of casinos with a concomitant increase in tourism leads to an increase in Part II crimes. This project was supported by Grant No. 98-IJ-CX-0037 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice.     

Evaluating the impact of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative on violence and gun crime in Tampa: does it work and does it last?

Journal of Experimental Criminology - Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is an increasingly popular violence and gun crime prevention program which aims to identify prolific violent offenders, and...     

Self-protective behaviors and injury in domestic violence situations: does it hurt to fight back?

Research examining the impact of self-protective behaviors on outcomes in nonsexual assaults involving intimates has focused solely on one mainstream sample (National Crime Victimization Survey) in which violence is a relatively rare event. Using the Women's Experience of Violence (WEV) project which collects data from a sample of incarcerated women, we explored the phenomenon of self-protective behaviors to assess whether their use impacts the probability and severity of subsequent injury during a domestic violence incident. In addition to utilizing a unique sample, we considered an alternative operationalization of self-protective behaviors that separates physical and verbal responses to include whether the behavior involved an element of force. Results suggest some similarities between a mainstream sample and our marginalized sample. Namely, the frequency in which they utilize countermeasures and the effect of "fighting back" appear to be consistent with previous research. However, the more nuanced categorization of self-protective behaviors demonstrates the importance of considering whether the strategy was forceful when examining women's responses to violence.     

What does recovery mean to a forensic mental health patient? A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the qualitative literature

This is a systematic review and narrative synthesis of qualitative literature for forensic mental health patients’ perceptions of recovery. Relevant databases were searched and a total of 11 studies that fit the inclusion criteria were identified. Thematic Synthesis was applied to synthesise the collated themes into six superordinate themes: connectedness, sense of self, coming to terms with the past, freedom, hope and health and intervention. Two superordinate themes were particularly prevalent: connectedness and a sense of self. It is argued that a focus on increasing opportunities for forensic mental health patients to develop a sense of self and connectedness could help improve recovery. Future recommendations to expand on these findings include using grounded theory methods to develop theoretical understanding of the data.     

Whose deaths matter? Mortality, advocacy, and attention to disease in the mass media

Diseases capture public attention in varied ways and to varying degrees. In this essay, we use a unique data set that we have collected about print and broadcast media attention to seven diseases across nineteen years in order to address two questions. First, how (if at all) is mortality related to attention? Second, how (if at all) is advocacy, in the form of organized interest group activity, related to media attention? Our analysis of the cross-disease and cross-temporal variation in media attention suggests that who suffers from a disease as well as how many suffer are critical factors in explaining why some diseases get more attention than others. In particular, our data reveal that both the print and the broadcast media tend to be much less attentive to diseases that disproportionately burden blacks relative to whites. We also find a positive link between the size of organizational communities that take an interest in disease and media attention, though this finding depends on the characteristics of those communities. Finally, this study also reveals the limitations of relying on single-disease case studies-and particularly HIV/AIDS-to understand how and why disease captures public attention. Many previous inferences about media attention that have been drawn from the case of AIDS are not reflective of the attention allocated to other diseases.     

Mandatory life sentences for serious sex offenders in England and Wales: tough,but intelligent too?

Abstract

This paper reviews the changes in risk assessment procedures for sexual offenders over the last 15 years from the viewpoint of two active participants in that change. Best practices with this target group have evolved at a dizzying pace, leaving many practitioners and programme managers uncertain about which tests or procedures they should use and, frankly, wondering why things keep changing. We view this ongoing evolution as very positive. Compared to the early 1990s, evaluators now have better knowledge of the static and dynamic factors associated with sexual recidivism, and a number of empirically validated risk assessment tools. We describe the various risk assessment procedures we have introduced (e.g. STATIC-99, SONAR, STABLE-2007/ACUTE-2007), the reasons why practices have changed and the reasons why practices will continue to change.     

Saviour-sibling and the psychological, ethical and judicial issues that it creates: should English and French legislators close the Pandora's Box?

Since the advent of test-tube babies, advances in the biomedical field have risen steadily. In parallel, the scientific body has never since ceased to debate the ethical issues that they arise. This is particularly the case regarding saviour-sibling. Saviour-sibling refers to a child who is conceived to cure an older brother or sister suffering from a serious family genetic disease. Therefore, it is meant to give birth to a child who will provide stem-cells taken from the umbilical cord or bone marrow afterwards, to treat an elder sick sibling. In England, this practice has been explicitly allowed by the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 under some strict conditions. In France, this practice, authorized by the Bioethics Law of August 2004 and confirmed by its decree of implementation published in the Official Journal on 23 December 2006, is also strictly regulated. This technique opens up new perspectives and enormous hope. Its legalisation is certainly justified by the suffering of the parents and to avoid that they travel to other States where it is permitted. However, it raises serious psychological ethical and judicial issues. Following an analysis of the English and French laws on saviour siblings, its controversial side will be highlighted, before concluding whether or not this new Pandora's box which is saviour-sibling, should be closed and other alternative methods encouraged.     

Removing the barriers; adolescent coping and attitudes towards mental health services in custodial settings – Can we improve services?

Young people in custodial care are known to have high levels of mental health and emotional problems, and recent policy and service developments have sought to improve their access to services. However, little is known about how they cope or about what would increase their uptake of services (when such services are available). This study aimed to develop, validate and use a standardised measure to examine the coping, help-seeking and attitudes of a larger cohort of young people in custody. There was a marked reluctance to seek help for any but the most serious of problems, but there were also indicators of what would make services more acceptable to this population, with implications for both commissioning and delivering services. In particular, greater involvement of parents and carers, offering a wider range of interventions and offering them more flexibly, and challenging stigma within the secure environment may increase uptake of services.