An exploration of incest in the childhood development of serial rapists

This paper explores the phenomenon of male incest in a sample of 41 incarcerated serial rapists. Of 31 men who reported childhood sexual abuse (penetration, exploitation, and/or witnessing), just over half were victims of incest. All incestuous experiences occurred before puberty, and the majority of the experiences were protracted in nature. When compared to nonincest victims of sexual abuse, incest victims were more likely to report parental physical abuse and to describe their childhood family structure at 16 years of age as reconstituted (step-parent present). In all cases in which the step-father was implicated in the abuse, the abuse was of the witnessing variety (i.e., the boy witnessed sexual activity that he found disturbing). Incest victims were significantly more likely than non-incest victims to re-enact sexually abusive behavior within the family. This finding suggests that clinical discoveries of sibling sexual activity should alert clinicians that other incestuous activities may be occurring or have taken place.     

The historical trajectory of the black family: Ethnic differences in leaving home over the twentieth century

This article examines the historical trajectory of the Black family by documenting changes in leaving home among race and ethnic groups in the United States over the course of the twentieth century. The analysis uses data from the National Survey of Families and Households, a retrospective study of 13,008 US adults interviewed in 1987/88 about their past and current family experiences. A competing risks, proportional hazards statistical analysis allows an evaluation of the changing probabilities of leaving home by a given route (e.g., marriage, school, military). The article contrasts the effects of being Black, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic White on leaving home, distinguishing patterns early in the twentieth century (World War II or earlier) from those current during two periods later in the century (the baby boom years, Vietnam and after). There were major racial changes in ages at leaving home and in the routes taken out of the home. Trend data show convergences between White nonHispanics and Hispanics but divergences for Blacks. Black Americans participated far less than Whites in the decline in age at leaving home, primarily because of delays in leaving home for marriage and to obtain work.     

A century (plus) of parenthood

This paper summarizes the broad foundations of the changing nature of parenthood by examining trends in coresidence with children under age 15. Our study uses data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Samples (IPUMS) to provide a portrait of demographic parenthood in the US over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In describing changes in parenthood over the past 110 years, we distinguish between those living with own children and those living with other children. We focus in particular on changes in gender patterns of coresidential parenthood and changes in the likelihood that divorced men and women live with children. We also examine the impact of the baby boom on parenting. Our findings support a recasting of ongoing discussions of the parental roles of American men and women by shifting the historical demographic focus from biological transitions to the social aspects of parenting.     

Transformation of the Rural Economy in the Philippines, 1988–2006

This research explores the changing structure of the rural economy in the Philippines from 1988 to 2006. We found that the expansion and upgrade of infrastructure such as electricity and roads and investment in secondary and tertiary education are important factors that induced the economic transformation of the rural economy. The importance of higher education as an entry requirement to the nonfarm labor market has declined over time, indicating that the rural nonfarm sector has been increasingly providing employment opportunities to the unskilled and the uneducated, who form the bulk of the rural poor.     

The impact of tariff removal on poverty in Zimbabwe: A computable general equilibrium microsimulation

The paper uses a microsimulation computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to study the impact on poverty of a complete removal of tariffs in Zimbabwe. The model incorporates 14,006 households derived from the 1995 Poverty Assessment Study Survey. This paper's novelty is that it is one among a small group of papers that incorporates individual households in the CGE model as opposed to having representative households. Using individual households allows for a comprehensive analysis of poverty. The complete removal of tariffs favours exporting sectors. Poverty falls in the economy while inequality hardly changes. The results differ between rural and urban areas.     

Literary feature review

The Gourmet and Other Stories of Modern China. Lu Wenfu. Translated from the Chinese by Judith Burrows, Beth McKillop el al. London: Readers International. 1987. 243pp. £4.95pb

Half of man is Woman. Zhang Xianliang. Translated from the Chinese by Martha Avery. London: Viking. 1988. 253pp. £11.95hb

As Long As Nothing Happens, Nothing Will. Zhang Jie. Translated from the Chinese by Gladys Yang, Deborah J Leonard and Zhang. Andong. London: Virago. 1988. 149pp. £4.50pb

Chinese Lives: an oral history of contemporary China. Zhang Xinxin and Sang Ye. Edited by W J F Jenner and Delia Davin. Translated by the editors and others. London: Macmillan. 1987. 367pp. £14.95hb     

Living on the edge: Migrant women in Malta

Research on ethnic minorities in Malta is relatively infrequent. Research on ethnic minority women is even scarcer. However, there is consensus in the literature that migrant women can face additional disadvantages when compared with minority men and women in the host country. More specifically, migrant women are at risk of the most extreme forms of poverty and social exclusion, in many if not all dimensions of life: housing, education, employment, health care, and multiple discrimination. This paper presents a critical overview of the socioeconomic situation of migrant women in Malta as a first and crucial step toward a better understanding of the disadvantages and specific needs faced by this vulnerable group. It then goes on to discuss the role of the state for evidence-based decision making and policy responses. I finally argue for active inclusion policies that redress social inequalities, and that encourage the full integration of migrant women living on the edge of Maltese society.     

Reducing recurrent care proceedings: initial evidence from new interventions

The English family justice system faces a crisis of recurrence. As many as one in four birth mothers involved in public law care proceedings in English family courts are likely to reappear in a subsequent set of proceedings within seven years. These mothers are involved in up to one-third of total care applications, as they are – by definition – linked to more than one child . Few birth mothers experiencing the removal of a child to care are offered any follow-up support, despite often facing multiple challenges including poverty, addiction, domestic violence and mental health problems. Since 2011, however, a number of new services have been established to begin to address their unmet needs. This article summarises the findings of the first academic-led evaluation of two of these initiatives. Presenting evidence from a mixed-methods evaluative study, it concludes that the new services were able to foster relationships that ‘worked’ in reducing recurrent proceedings. None of the women engaging with the services went on to experience what could be described as a ‘rapid repeat pregnancy’ within the evaluation window. Just as significantly, a number of clients reported some improvement in their psychological functioning, and the practitioners involved reported positively on their experience of delivering and managing innovative services. The article closes with a discussion of the challenges of evaluating personalised, strengths-based interventions and the possibilities of evidencing empowerment in these cases.