The relationship between childhood traumatic events,social support,and mental health problems in prisoners

This study examined the prevalence of childhood traumatic events (CTE), social support levels as well as mental health problems (MHP), to test for differences between traumatized and non-traumatized individuals, and to investigate the relationship among the aforementioned parameters in a sample of 49 prisoners in Switzerland. This cross-sectional study used standardized self-report measurements. In line with expectations, prisoners reported a high rate of traumatic events. Furthermore, results indicated that those traumatized differed from those non-traumatized regarding the level of social support, interpersonal sensitivity, and depression. However, no relationship between CTE and social support as well as MHP was found. This points to specific therapeutic needs of those traumatized, and to the necessity of a trauma-informed correctional care. Moreover, these study results are a further step into more integrated models of criminal behavior.     

The application of social impact assessment to the study of criminal and juvenile justice programs: A case study

This article focuses on the utility of social impact assessment as a method for the study of criminal and juvenile justice programs. Social impact assessment is a relatively new research approach which has most often been used not in the field of criminal and juvenile justice, but to predict the many possible impacts of public construction programs on individuals, organizations, and the community. To illustrate the method of social impact assessment, a case study of one of the few applications of social impact assessment in a juvenile or criminal justice setting is provided. The case study is of a nationally acclaimed program model, the Community Arbitration Project (CAP), which was designed to improve the screening of juvenile delinquency cases before court. The case study compares CAP with a traditional screening program. It shows the procedure used to identify many types of possible impacts that may differ between the two programs, including those which are desired and not desired, and those which are intended and unintended. Furthermore, the case study demonstrates the process used to document selected impacts throughout the social system, in the case of CAP and traditional screening, on offenders, victims, police, the juvenile court, and the local community. The article concludes with a discussion of the feasibility of using the results of a social impact assessment as input into the modification of innovative model programs during their formative stage, and as input into the decision making that leads up to the choice of a model program for replication.     

An analysis of the relationship between jurors' personal attributes and decision making

Using a survey from a jury simulation study, this study examines the relationship between jurors' personal and social attributes and their decision-making behavior. The hypothesis is examined whether personal attributes and socialization of jurors have any significant effect on their decision-making behavior. The analysis suggests that personal and/or social attributes of jurors have little, if any, impact on their decision-making behavior. Instead, jury instruction and information about the matter appear to be major influence contributors. Additionally, evidence presented during the trial and knowledge of law have significant effects upon how jurors decide cases and give verdicts. Author's Note: Suman Kakar, Ph.D., is associate professor at Florida International University, College of Health and Urban Affairs. She conducts research in the areas of juvenile delinquency, child abuse, family dynamics, minorities, and the prevention of violence. She has published two books,Child Abuse and Delinquency (1996) andCriminal Justice Approaches to Domestic Violence (1998).     

Per case prospective payment for psychiatric inpatients: an assessment and alternatives

Psychiatric hospitals and clinics are exempted from the Medicare prospective payment system. In this paper we examine the appropriateness of the DRG classification system for psychiatric patients and argue that, using this system as the basis of payment, two types of problems are likely to arise. We categorize these problems as "risks to hospitals" and "risks to patients" and examine the existing literature to determine whether these risks are likely to be significant. We propose a different approach to paying prospectively for psychiatric care, and suggest modifications that could be made to the structure of PPS to mitigate negative incentives embedded in the current system. Although the main focus of the paper is on the unit of payment, we also make some observations about issues arising in connection with the level of payment.     

Unpacking collective efficacy: the relationship between social cohesion and informal social control

The investigation of social mechanisms within social disorganization theory has led to the concept of collective efficacy. Collective efficacy has typically been measured as a composite of social cohesion and informal control; however, more work remains to be done with respect to the measurement of informal control and the modeling of the relationship between cohesion and control. The present study addresses this issue by using multiple operationalizations of informal social control. Results suggest that respondents rely upon their ability to call the police as a method, by which they exercise informal control over their area of residence. Moreover, the cohesion and control scales are distinct from one another, which adds to the literature showing that they are better treated as separate scales. In regression models, cohesion emerges as largely unrelated to individuals’ propensity to intervene in neighborhood problems, but enhances their perceptions of their neighbors’ likelihood of intervention. Future research should continue investigating different types of informal control and each one’s relationship with cohesion. Policy recommendations include the need for police to be prepared to respond to a variety of neighborhood problems, many of which are not directly crime related but, nonetheless, have important implications for informal crime-control efforts.     

The relationship between intent,consequences, the dangerousness of the victim,and blame: The case of self-defense

Abstract

The way in which, in the special case of self-defense, intent to harm, consequences of the negative act and information regarding the dangerousness of the victim were integrated in a judgment of blame was studied. The sample consisted of men on the street, and also of two sub-populations directly concerned with the special issue of self-defense: police officers and prisoners. Overall, the way in which information was integrated appeared to conform to the proposed model: Blame = f [(Intent + Consequences) × Dangerousness]. The strength of the main effects and of the interactions were, however, extremely variable from one participant to another. A noticeable effect of dangerousness was observed in only onethird of the men on the street and the prisoners, and in only one police officer out of 19.     

The relationship between theory and practice in the study of punishment

A.B., Columbia College 1979; J.D., Yale Law School 1982.     

医疗纠纷司法鉴定的法律依据--兼谈正确处理司法鉴定与医疗事故鉴定的关系

司法鉴定是指人民法院、人民检察院、公安机关、国家安全机关、监狱、仲裁机关以及当事人对案件立案前取证、诉讼、执行、仲裁过程中所遇到的专门技术、专门知识问题，委托有鉴定权的机构或鉴定人依法检验或判断的活动。当前，医疗纠纷诉讼到法院的案件日趋增多。在司法实践中，司法鉴定也作为判断医疗纠纷中医院是否具有过错及过错和损害后果之间的因果关系的一种常用方法。那么对医疗纠纷进行司法鉴定是否有法律依据呢？本文对于医疗纠纷进行司法鉴定的法律依据进行探讨。     

医疗纠纷司法鉴定的法律依据--兼谈正确处理司法鉴定与医疗事故鉴定的关系

司法鉴定是指人民法院、人民检察院、公安机关、国家安全机关、监狱、仲裁机关以及当事人对案件立案前取证、诉讼、执行、仲裁过程中所遇到的专门技术、专门知识问题,委托有鉴定权的机构或鉴定人依法检验或判断的活动。[1]当前,医疗纠纷诉讼到法院的案件日趋增多。在司法实践中,司法鉴定也作为判断医疗纠纷中医院是否具有过错及过错和损害后果之间的因果关系的一种常用方法。那么对医疗纠纷进行司法鉴定是否有法律依据呢?本文对于医疗纠纷进行司法鉴定的法律依据进行探讨。一、从医疗纠纷的定义上看:医疗事故只是医疗纠纷的一种广义上讲,凡…     

The relationship between social support and adolescent dating violence: a comparison across genders

Although much research has focused on the function of social support in adult intimate partner violence, little is known about the role of social support in adolescent dating violence. This study is an exploratory analysis of the independent impact of social support from friends and family on the risk of adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization among a large sample of youth (n = 970). Approximately, 21% of the sample reported experiencing victimization in a dating relationship whereas 23% indicated perpetrating dating violence. Male youth reported significantly more involvement in dating violence as both perpetrators and victims. Negative binomial regression modeling indicated that increased levels of support from friends was associated with significantly less dating violence perpetration and victimization; however, when gendered models were explored, the protective role of social support was only maintained for female youth. Family support was not significantly related to dating violence in any model. Implications for dating violence curriculum and future research are addressed.     

澳大利亚司法、议会及政府的关系

从宪政意义上说,澳大利亚维多利亚州实行的是议会民主制。我们现在宪法制度的大部分内容,是在1852年维多利亚议会制定的宪法中规定下来的。 在这部法律作出的制度安排中,三权分立原则得到了充分的体现。我们的朋友,美国最高法院首席大法官伦奎斯特先生,曾经断言三权分立原则是美国人的发明。但实际上很清楚,它的发明者是十八世纪的法国思想家盂德斯鸠。他认为在一个国家当中,维护公民的权利和利益的最佳途径,应当是实行权力分立以及分设不同的政府机构,而不是把权力托付给一个国家机构或组织。 自孟德斯鸠时代以来,在民主国家,国家权力传统上分为行政权、立法权和司法权,分别授予政府、议会和法院行使。     

The relationship between education, experience, and police performance

This study used data from 299 police officers from 12 municipal police departments across the state of Virginia to determine the relationship between education and police performance. Performance was measured by supervisor evaluations of each officer's overall performance, communication skills, public relations skills, report writing skills, response to new training, decision making ability, and commitment to the police department. Significant correlations were found between education and most measures of performance. Most importantly, the results show a significant correlation between overall performance and education (r=24, p.<001). The only variables not proving to be significantly related to education were objective measures of the volume of arrests, number of times the officer required discipline, and number of accidents. Interestingly, the benefits of a college education do not become apparent until police officers gain experience. In addition, police, officers with only a high school diploma decreased in overall performance after five years of experience.     

社会科学、人文科学的滞后和困顿是世界邪教猖獗的主要原因--兼论自然科学与社会科学、人文科学之关系

自然科学与社会科学、人文科学都是影响人类社会进步的重要力量,应保持协调发展.世纪之交的世界范围内出现的邪教逆流,主要是由于自然科学的高速发展,而社会科学发展相对滞后和出现困顿所造成的.自然科学并非无所不能,它只解决人类的物质生活问题,而解决不了人类的精神生活问题.只有使社会科学、人文科学不落后于自然科学的发展和普及,人类才会防止和避免邪教的滋生和蔓延,才会真正走上和谐、幸福之路.     

The relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse: an Australian study

Several North American studies have found a connection between domestic violence and animal abuse. This article reports on the first Australian research to examine this connection. A group of 102 women recruited through 24 domestic violence services in the state of Victoria and a nondomestic violence comparison group (102 women) recruited from the community took part in the study. Significantly higher rates of partner pet abuse, partner threats of pet abuse, and pet abuse by other family members were found in the violent families compared with the nondomestic violence group. As hypothesized, children from the violent families were reported by their mothers to have witnessed and committed significantly more animal abuse than children from the nonviolent families. Logistic regression analyses revealed, for the group as a whole, that a woman whose partner had threatened the pets was 5 times more likely to belong to the intimate partner violence group.     

Standardized assessment of substance-related, other psychiatric, and comorbid disorders among probationers

This study examined the prevalence of alcohol- and substance-related disorders in a random sample of 627 adult probationers in Illinois. The investigation also explored the prevalence of major psychiatric disorders and their co-occurrences with alcohol and substance use disorders. To detect the presence of psychiatric disorders, researchers employed standardized assessment tools based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. Overall, results showed that probationers had significantly higher rates of psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders compared with persons in the general population. In light of these findings, probation administrators are urged to invest more resources in treating drug use, mental illness, and codisorders, the latter of which is associated with a higher risk of violent behaviors.     

The relationship between intelligence,memory and interrogative suggestibility in young offenders

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between interrogative suggestibility and relevant cognitive factors as proposed by Gudjonsson and Clark (1986). The subjects were fifty-eight adolescent young offenders resident in a national children's centre with secure facilities. All were administered the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Interrogative suggestibility correlated negatively with intelligence and recall memory. Limited evidence of range effects was found for the relationship between intelligence and suggestibility, but not for the relationship between recall memory and suggestibility.     

Effects of victim's and defendant's physical attractiveness on the perception of responsibility in an ambiguous domestic violence case

A 2 × 4 × 4 factorial design was used to assess the effects of physical attractiveness in a domestic violence case. The attractiveness of both the defendant and victim were varied along four levels. Subjects were asked to read a domestic violence scenario where pictures of the defendant and victim were varied according their physical attractiveness. Results showed no significant effect of physical attractiveness in a juridic decision-making process in domestic violence. However, there were significant differences between male and female subjects in the sentencing of the defendant. This difference did not hold true for finding the defendant guilty or not guilty.