Making the case for school-based health: where do we stand?

School-based health centers (SBHCs) have proliferated rapidly nation-wide and remain politically popular. This article explores the disconnect between the evidence and the discourse on SBHCs, drawing upon the authors' evaluation of SBHCs in Newark, New Jersey, and a critical assessment of the evaluative literature and public discourse on school clinics to argue that a number of important issues are being overlooked by both research and advocacy. These issues include variations in the health needs and health care resources of different communities and the questions of whether and how SBHCs can best integrate with existing resources to fill unmet local needs. Furthermore, despite the cautions of experts that third-party reimbursement (via traditional fee-for-service insurance or participation in health maintenance organizations) cannot cover clinic expenses and is difficult to obtain, pursuit of reimbursement continues to be a goal of some SBHC sponsors, helping to promote a clinic model that in some communities is very likely not to be the best way to address student needs or to build on clinic strengths. Discussion around SBHCs should focus on diagnosing specific community needs, identifying the best approach to meeting those needs, and seeking funding sources that match the work that needs to be done.     

Domestic violence research: what have we learned and where do we go from here?

Domestic violence has been an intense area of study in recent decades. Early studies helped with the understanding of the nature of perpetration, the cycle of violence, and the effect of family violence on children. More recently, studies have focused on beginning to evaluate domestic violence interventions and their effects on recidivism. This article acknowledges the importance of what we have learned about the prevalence and impact of domestic violence and explores the need for more focused effort to pinpoint interventions that are effective with perpetrators and victims. Methodological issues relevant to past intervention studies are also discussed and future research directions are outlined.     

Access to advanced therapy medicinal products in the EU: where do we stand?

The European Union has a public health strategy and will generally ensure in all its policies and activities a "high level of human health protection". The new Regulation (EC) n 1394/2007 on advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP), stems from this global policy and aims to harmonise access to the ATMP market. A real will for the harmonisation is clearly expressed in legal texts and enforced in the implementable procedures and requirements. However, several barriers remain. On the one hand, the scope of the ATMP Regulation is limited. On the other hand, Member States benefit from a wide margin of action.     

What do we know about rate-setting?

State regulation of hospital revenue is one approach to cost containment on which there is voluminous evaluative data from the "laboratory of the states"; yet these data are sufficiently complex and ambiguous that they are claimed by both proponents and opponents of rate-setting as support for their respective cases. This paper summarizes the evidence, concluding that mandatory rate-setting has generally constrained hospital costs where it has been implemented. However, were rate-setting established in additional states, it is not clear that comparable results would be realized. It is still less clear that rate-setting would constrain health care costs more than would increased competition and selective contracting.     

Violence or nonviolence: which do we choose?

A large mass of research on violence now exists, yet the utilitarian value of this vast amount of scientific endeavor may be rated as low, comparing it to the levels of violence at all levels abounding in the world today. The author calls for centralizing funding and work on violence at the national level in the United States, perhaps forming a separate National Institute for Violence. In addition to focusing on violence, nonviolence must be studied with more vigor for scientific work in this area to increase in utilitarian value.     

Domestic violence among immigrants from India: What we need to know — and what we should do

Little research has been reported on domestic violence among Indian immigrant families in the United States. While one national survey suggests that this is not a major problem, several smaller scale studies that focus specifically on South Asian immigrants suggest there is a substantial hidden problem warranting attention. In order to assist future research, this paper presents an integrated theoretical model to explain domestic violence in Indian immigrant communities. The model draws on feminist theory, family violence research, acculturation theory and victimological and crime opportunity theories. The model also provides a framework for thinking about possible intervention strategies. Those likely to provide more immediate benefits are discussed.     

Sex offender legislation in the United States: what do we know?

In the United States there has been increased public pressure to create legislation to monitor and confine sex offenders. However, to date, there has been very little empirical evidence suggesting that these laws are effective in preventing future recidivism. This article reviews the current trends in sex offender legislation, including mandatory sentencing, civil commitment, community notification, monitoring, and supervision and the impact these policies may have on sex offender recidivism and treatment.     

Regulating tissue research: do we need additional rules to protect research participants?

This article explores whether additional rules are needed for the regulation of tissue research in Europe. A human rights-based approach (referring to international documents and illustrative examples from national legislation) is taken to address the question: what is so special about tissue, in particular when compared to personal data? The existing regimes in Europe on data protection and clinical trials are presented and examined for their suitability to govern tissue research, taking into account the differences between data and tissue. Six recommendations are outlined, highlighting important points future legislation on tissue research must take into account.     

What can we do to reduce disciplinary school exclusion? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Journal of Experimental Criminology - To systematically review and quantitatively synthesise the evidence for the impact of different types of school-based interventions on the reduction of school...