Understanding the Relationship Between Mental Disorder and Violence: The Need for a Criminological Perspective

This paper offers a criminologically informed framework to guide research on the relationship between mental disorder and violence. Criminological theories examined include social learning, social stress, social control, rational choice, and social disorganization. In addition, the "criminal careers" and "local life circumstance" methodologies are reviewed. It is argued that adopting a criminologically informed framework that takes into account within-person changes over time will contribute greatly to our understanding of the factors that affect violence among people with mental disorder living in the community, and enhance the capacity of research to support effective evidenced-based case management programs aimed at reducing violence.     

社会性别主流化理念与我国反家暴立法

社会性别主流化是联合国推动性别平等、性别公正的主要战略,强调国家立法和政府决策应遵循社会性别平等理念;社会性别主流化追求"性别平等"是对传统"男女平等"的提升,是男女平等的实现保障;社会性别主流化理念在我国反家暴立法中已有初步尝试,并面临诸多障碍;应继续坚持社会性别主流化理念,立足社会性别平等立场,检视现行反家暴法律规范,正视女性的弱势地位,推动我国反家暴立法进程。     

Psychopathy,Treatment Involvement,and Subsequent Violence Among Civil Psychiatric Patients

Individuals with psychopathy typically are viewed as incurable cases that should be diverted from treatment settings to environments where their behavior can be monitored and controlled. The prevailing clinical conviction that psychopaths are untreatable has crucial implications, given the scarcity of mental health care resources, the number of legal contexts that call for assessment of treatability, and the explosion of research on psychopathy and violence risk over recent years. Based on a sample of 871 civil psychiatric patients (including 195 potentially psychopathic and 72 psychopathic patients), this study explores the relations among psychopathy, receipt of outpatient mental health services in real-world settings, and subsequent violence in the community. The results suggest that psychopathic traits do not moderate the effect of treatment involvement on violence, even after controlling statistically for the treatment assignment process. Psychopathic patients appear as likely as nonpsychopathic patients to benefit from adequate doses of treatment, in terms of violence reduction. We interpret these results in light of prior research with offenders and analyze their implications for future research, policy, and practice.     

Violence and Mental Illness: A New Analytic Approach

Empirical studies of violence and mental illness have used many different methods. Current state-of-the-art methods gather information from both subject and collateral interviews as well as official records. Typically these sources are treated as additive. Any report of a violent incident from any source is treated as true and all reported incidents are added to generate estimates of frequency. This paper presents a new statistical technique that uses the level of agreement between the sources of data to adjust those estimates. The evidence suggests that, although the additive technique for using multiple sources correctly estimates how many people are involved, it substantially underestimates the number of incidents. The new technique substantially reduces both false negatives and false positives.     

Violence and Gangs: Gender Differences in Perceptions and Behavior

Most research on violence has focused on males, but recent studies indicatethat females are also involved in violent crimes. Few studies, to date,have examined whether different or similar models explain male and femaleinvolvement in violent behavior. In the current research, we examine therelative contribution of social bond, self-control and social learningconcepts to the explanation of male and female violent offending. We alsoexplore the unique contribution of gang membership, school environment andprior victimization to these explanatory models. Using a multisite sampleof eighth-grade students, we find that results of a Chow test indicate theneed for separate theoretical models. Despite some similarities, differentfactors account for male and female rates of violent behavior.     

Gender and Appraisals as Mediators of Adjustment in Children Exposed to Interparental Violence

The hypothesis that children's appraisals mediate the relationship between interparental violence and adjustment was tested in a sample of 106 maritally violent families. Multiple regressions showed that interparental violence was a predictor of total problems, externalizing, internalizing, and anxiety for boys, and total problems and internalizing for girls. Appraisals of conflict properties mediated the relationship between violence and boys' total problems and externalizing, and girls' total problems and internalizing. Interparental violence was related to appraisals in gender-differentiated ways, particularly to increased threat for boys, and self-blame for girls. Further, threat mediated the impact of violence on boys' anxiety, while self-blame mediated the relationship between violence and girls' internalizing.     

Intimate Partner Violence as a Risk Factor for Mental Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

This article reviews literature on the prevalence of mental health problems among women with a history of intimate partner violence. The weighted mean prevalence of mental health problems among battered women was 47.6% in 18 studies of depression, 17.9% in 13 studies of suicidality, 63.8% in 11 studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 18.5% in 10 studies of alcohol abuse, and 8.9% in four studies of drug abuse. These were typically inconsistent across studies. Weighted mean odds ratios representing associations of these problems with violence ranged from 3.55 to 5.62, and were typically consistent across studies. Variability was accounted for by differences in sampling frames. Dose-response relationships of violence to depression and PTSD were observed. Although research has not addressed many criteria for causal inferences, the existing research is consistent with the hypothesis that intimate partner violence increases risk for mental health problems. The appropriate way to conceptualize these problems deserves careful attention.     

Incidence and Correlates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Australian Victims of Domestic Violence

In recent years, evidence has emerged of the significant incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among victims of domestic violence. The present study examined incidence and correlates of PTSD in 100 female victims of domestic violence resident in women's shelters in Adelaide, South Australia. Forty-five women were found to meet all diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Women meeting PTSD diagnostic criteria reported having experienced higher levels of violence and were more likely to report having a spouse with an alcohol problem and having believed they would be killed by their spouse than women who did not meet criteria. Diagnosis of PTSD was also associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.     

Are There Gender Differences in Sustaining Dating Violence? An Examination of Frequency, Severity, and Relationship Satisfaction

One topic of debate within the field of intimate violence involves the equivalence, or lack thereof, of male-perpetrated versus female-perpetrated violence. To inform this debate, we examined potential gender-related differences in the frequency of sustaining violence, the severity of violence sustained, and effects of violence on relationship satisfaction. Data were collected from 2 samples of heterosexual undergraduates in dating relationships. In both studies, men and women experienced violence at comparable frequencies, although men experienced more frequent moderate violence. Rates of severe violence were extremely low for both sexes across studies. In both investigations, only women experienced lower relationship satisfaction as a function of partner violence. In Study 1, relationship status moderated this effect, such that women in serious dating relationships were less satisfied than either women in less serious relationships or than men as a function of partner violence. In Study 2, women were less satisfied with violent relationships than men regardless of relationship status. We contend that gender-sensitive approaches to relationship violence are important to better understand and prevent both male- and female-perpetrated violence. Directions for future research efforts are outlined.     

Frequency of Parental Violence Against Children in Chinese Families: Impact of Age and Gender

The present study examines the impact of child and parent gender on parental violence across age span of children and their parents in Hong Kong Chinese families. A randomly selected community sample of 1,019 households was surveyed. Results indicate that, in general, boys experience more frequent parental violence than girls and mothers engage in more violent behaviors against their children than fathers. Parental violence shows a curvilinear pattern with age of children, peaking at age 8 for boys and age 3 for girls. There is a pattern of declining frequency of parental violence as parental age increases across child gender. Fathers exhibit an inverted U pattern of violent behavior against their children, with a peak around age 31–40, while mothers have a steadily declining trend until age 46. Separate parental violence indices are constructed for boys and girls.     

The Relationship Between Gender Equality and Rates of Inter- and Intra-Sexual Lethal Violence: An Exploration of Functional Form

Considerable attention has been given to the relationship between gender equality (GE) and levels of violence perpetrated by men against women in recent decades. Yet, the current state of the literature is equivocal. High levels of GE have been hypothesized to both decrease and increase men’s violence. This study proposes a theoretical account that integrates the ameliorative and backlash theses and offers a possible explanation for some of the inconsistent findings. Specifically, we argue that both ameliorative and backlash processes operate but that their relative strength and salience vary at different levels of GE. As a result of the interplay between these counter-balancing forces, the relationship between GE and levels of men’s violence men against women (and other men) is hypothesized to be curvilinear rather than linear. The results of multivariate analyses of male and female inter- and intra-sexual homicide offending offer robust support for this hypothesis.     

Family Representative Payeeship and Violence Risk in Severe Mental Illness

Although representative payeeship is prevalent among people with mental illness and shows promise to positively influence clinically relevant outcomes, research also suggests this legal mechanism could be implemented in ways that are problematic. The current study examined whether family representative payeeship was associated with elevated risk of family violence perpetrated by persons with severe mental illness (SMI). Data were collected every 4 months for 1 year in structured interviews with N = 245 persons with SMI who received disability benefits. Multivariate analyses showed that substance abuse, history of violence, frequency of family contact, and family representative payeeship were associated with elevated odds of family violence. Analyses also showed family contact and family representative payeeship had a cumulative effect on increasing the predicted probability of family violence (controlling for covariates such as violence history and substance abuse). The data shed light on the potential for family representative payeeship to be associated with increased risk of interpersonal conflict and violence in SMI.     

Race and Gender Recidivism Differences Among Juvenile Mental Health Court Graduates

Grounded in the theory of therapeutic jurisprudence, this research explores whether recidivism differs by race, ethnicity, or gender among juvenile mental health court graduates (N = 63). Mean number of pre‐program offenses were compared to the mean number of offenses committed by program completion. Results showed statistically significant reductions in recidivism by both males (p < .001) and females (p < .003). Racial and ethnic minorities demonstrated larger reductions when compared to Whites (p < .001 for Hispanics and p < .01 for combined ethnicities). These results contribute to the literature on effective intervention models for diverse juvenile offender populations.     

Personality Disorder Symptoms in Women as a Result of Chronic Intimate Male Partner Violence

This study explores the personality disorder symptoms of women victims of intimate male partner violence (IPV), after controlling for the contribution of experiences of childhood abuse. Victims of both physical and psychological violence (n = 73) or psychological violence alone (n = 53) were compared with non-abused control women (n = 52). Information about sociodemographic characteristics, childhood abuse, and personality characteristics (MCMI-II) was obtained through face-to-face structured interviews. Women victims of IPV had higher scores than controls in schizoid, avoidant, self-defeating personality scales, as well as in the three pathological personality scales (schizotypal, borderline and paranoid). Both physical and psychological IPV were strongly associated with personality disorder symptomatology, regardless of the effects of childhood abuse. These findings underscore the need to screen for personality disorder symptoms in women victims of IPV when dealing with therapeutic interventions.     

Context for specific episodes of marital violence: Gender and severity of violence differences

The present study was designed to evaluate the context of marital violence through husbands' and wives' accounts of the worst violent episode in the year prior to assessment. The primary objective was to examine severity (mild or severe) and gender (husbands or wives) differences in reports of the worst episode of marital aggression using a functional analysis conceptualization. That is, within the specific episode, current stressors, setting events, outcome, and function of aggressive behavior(s) and victimization experiences were evaluated. Sixty-two couples, who presented for marital treatment over a three year period and also reported at least one episode of physical aggression in the past year, participated. In most cases, marital aggression appeared to reflect an outgrowth of conflict between both partners. However, wives consistently reported that their aggressive husbands had engaged in more psychological coercion and aggression than they as a marital conflict escalated to physical violence. Further, there was a tendency for wives to use severe physical aggression in self-defense more often than husbands.     

精神病人受审能力影响因素研究

目的探究精神病人受审能力的影响因素。方法对在四川大学华西基础医学与法医学院法医精神病学教研室进行法医精神病学鉴定的170名被鉴定人进行受审能力评定,评定研究对象的受审能力、精神症状,收集其人口学资料、犯罪学资料,采用统计描述、t检验、χ2检验、秩和检验和logistic回归分析等方法研究精神病人受审能力的影响因素。结果BPRS的思维障碍因子、激活性因子、PANSS的P分对受审能力具有显著影响;无受审能力组病理性和不明作案动机比例较高,且与有受审能力组相比差别具有统计学意义;无受审能力组言语智商低于有受审能力组,差别具有统计学意义;无受审能力组精神分裂症比例较高,差别具有统计学意义。结论BPRS的思维障碍因子、激活性因子、PANSS的P分、言语智商、精神疾病诊断、作案动机对精神病人受审能力具有一定影响。     

精神病人刑事责任能力评定标准探讨

刑事责任能力直接关系着刑事案件的定性与处理,其评定要件目前倾向认为有医学要件(标准)与法学要件(标准),但对法学要件一直缺乏明确的规定和统一认识,严重影响鉴定结论的一致性与科学性,因此亟待制订刑事责任能力评定的相关行业标准。长期以来,责任能力的评定大多是经验式判断,缺乏客观的评定工具,虽然也强调应该根据法学要件即辨认与控制能力具体分析其责任能力大小,但实践中评定模式仍多是重点考察作案当时行为人的精神状态。我们认为,精神障碍只是责任能力评定的基础,而不是其决定因素,决定责任能力大小的只能是作案时其辨认或控制能力的程度。评定刑事责任能力,首先应考察其精神状态,如果精神状态正常,即可认定为具有完全刑事责任能力;如果患有某种精神障碍,就应该去重点考察其辨认或控制能力受损的程度,再根据这种受损程度的大小相应评定,因为所有的精神障碍的落脚点都是其辨认或控制能力的受损情况。同时,为避免过去经验式判断的主观性,在相关评定标准中应该要求辅以标准化评定工具,以提高评定结果的科学性与客观性。     

Family Violence, Anger Expression Styles, and Adolescent Dating Violence

How partner violence is transferred across generations is relatively unexplored. This paper proposes that anger expression style (constructive, destructive direct, destructive indirect) mediates the relationship between exposure to family violence and dating violence perpetration by adolescents. Data are from 1,965 completed self-administered questionnaires given to eighth- and ninth-grade students in a primarily rural county in North Carolina in 1994. Results varied by gender and type of exposure to family violence. For females, destructive direct and destructive indirect anger expression styles mediated the relationship between experiencing family violence and dating violence perpetration. For males, this relationship was mediated primarily by destructive direct anger expression style. The association between witnessing family violence and dating violence perpetration for females was mediated by destructive direct anger expression style only. Witnessing family violence was not associated with dating violence perpetration for males, and therefore could not be mediated. This study suggests that adolescents exposed to family violence learn anger expression styles that put them at risk of being perpetrators of dating violence. Further research is needed to identify other mediators that explain how partner violence is transferred across generations.     

刑事案件精神病鉴定实施情况调研报告

本文以法律职业群体和司法精神病学鉴定专家为调研对象,就刑事程序中的精神病鉴定及相关问题进行了调研,通过运用访谈、问卷、阅卷、调取司法统计数据等实证研究方法对目前我国刑事程序中精神病鉴定的现状、问题及成因展开了研究。研究的主要问题包括司法精神病鉴定主体与鉴定管理体制,鉴定程序的启动,公安司法人员对鉴定意见的审查、判断,对精神病人的强制医疗等问题。     

Proactive and Reactive Violence among Intimate Partner Violent Men Diagnosed with Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorder

Personality disorder features have been an important basis of many batterer typologies (Babcock et al. J Fam Violence 15:391–409, 2000; Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart Psychol Bull 116:476–497, 1994), most notably Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders. Aggression that partner violent men commit has also been found to be heterogeneous, motivated by the need to control (proactive) or enacted out of emotion (reactive). In the present study, men who were physically abusive towards their female partner (N = 124 couples) were administered the SCID-II diagnostic interview for Antisocial (ASPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It was hypothesized that partner violent men diagnosed with ASPD would show highest levels of proactive violence whereas men diagnosed with BPD (alone or comorbidly with ASPD) were expected to be reactively violent. Results suggest that violence perpetrated by men with different personality disorders differs in its function. Within the context of intimate relationships, BPD/comorbid men appear to use violence more reactively, while ASPD men tend to use violence both proactively and reactively. Implications for treatment are discussed.