Groups, gangs, and delinquency: Does organization matter?

Purpose

A consistent finding of research on delinquency has been that gang members show higher levels of delinquent behavior than non-gang members. However, research attempting to understand the mechanisms underlying this finding is lacking. The basic premise of the current article is that the level of organization found in delinquent groups and gangs matters in clarifying the relationship between membership and delinquency.

Methods

This article examined the association between organization and delinquency in a sample of 523 self-reported juvenile offenders from a high school survey conducted in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Results

The results showed that 1) there is clearly something special about membership in a gang that influences delinquency beyond the more general membership in a delinquent group; 2) the key to understanding finding lies, in part, in the level of organization found in gangs. Organization emerged as the most important factor associated with general delinquency, involvement in violence, and in drug supply offences, significantly (but not completely) reducing the effect of gang membership on delinquency.

Conclusions

Even if most delinquent associations show little signs of formal structure and organization, this study demonstrates the importance of organization as a key mechanism to understand the gang effect on delinquency.     

The role of race/ethnicity and race relations on public opinion related to the immigration and crime link

This article examines two hypotheses related to public opinion concerning immigration and crime. Using data from a recent Gallup poll with oversamples of Hispanics and Blacks, the research examined whether race/ethnicity and race relations matter in the public's opinion of the connection between immigration and crime. After a series of models were performed, results of the final model revealed that race relations, gender (specifically, being male), race/ethnicity, and immigrant status are influential in contextualizing public opinion on the topic. The meaning and policy implications of these findings are also reviewed.     

Adelsaufhebung und das Gemeinschaftsrecht

Durch das Adelsaufhebungsgesetz ist es österreichischen Staatsbürgern untersagt, Adelstitel zu führen. Im Vorlageverfahren VwGH 18.5.2009, EU 2009/0002, geht es um die Frage, ob eine im Erwachsenenalter von einem deutschen Staatsbürger adoptierte Person den in Deutschland zuerkannten Titel "Fürstin von" zu ihrem Familiennamen führen darf. Im Lichte der jüngeren Rechtsprechung des EuGH zu unterschiedlichen Namenssystemen der Mitgliedsstaaten scheint das Adelsaufhebungsgesetz eine unzulässige Beschränkung der Freizügigkeit österreichischer Staatsbürger zu indizieren. Eine eingehende Analyse des Vorlagefalles und ähnlicher Fälle zeigt auf, dass die in der jüngeren Judikatur des EuGH geäußerten Bedenken beim Zusammentreffen unterschiedlicher Namenssysteme hinsichtlich des Verbotes des Führens von Adelstiteln nicht einschlägig sind und daher dieses Verbot gemeinschaftsrechtskonform sein könnte.     

Chinese Drywall Liability

This article presents an overview of the defective Chinese drywall product liability including a timeline starting when complaints were received by the Florida Department of Health in June 2008. The overview of the rapidly evolving product liability also discusses the factors that contributed to drywall demand and the production of synthetic gypsum as well as the common allegations that have been made against various drywall defendants and the actions and information provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission—the federal agency tasked with leading the investigation into drywall complaints, potential health risks, and electrical and fire safety issues. Lastly, available corporate disclosures are summarized for drywall liabilities. The drywall problem has spurred much activity from homeowners, builders, contractors, suppliers, and drywall manufacturers. Much investigation has been done and more is in process, and initial findings and results are just being made available. That said, it is too early to tell the magnitude of the liability in which many facts remain unknown, and it is uncertain when the drywall problem will abate.     

A standard procedure for accommodating forensic anthropological and genetic analysis of decomposing human remains from tropical climates

At the Medical Legal Center in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (CEMEL/FMRP-USP), unidentified decomposing bodies routinely undergo soft tissue removal (by immersion in water at 80–90 °C for 24 h) prior to an anthropological analysis intended to yield a biological profile of age, sex, ancestry, height, pathology and so on. In the event that this analysis is unsuccessful, samples may be submitted for DNA profiling. The tropical climate and the defleshing process may confound preservation, recovery and analysis of DNA, however. In order to establish an optimal standardized protocol for identification of decomposing human remains from a tropical climatic region, the outcome of anthropological and genetic analyses was compared, along with the utility of bone (mainly femur and sternum) and teeth (mainly molar) specimens for DNA analysis. In a sample (n = 39) of partially skeletonized remains, anthropological analysis was sufficient for identification in eight cases. In further six cases, DNA profiling was successfully attempted. As a consequence of our study, we recommend collection of 1–2 well preserved teeth prior to defleshing and anthropological analysis in these circumstances.     

Atypical Suicide by Submachine Gun

In case of suicide, the presence of multiple entrance wounds is always suspicious. We report the case of a man who committed suicide by shooting himself three times in the chest and the skull with a submachine gun. The weapon seems to have been initially pointed in the precordium area with a lethal lesion of the proximal aorta. Two other projectiles were fired by the weapon and hit the neck and the skull of the deceased. The presence of three entrance wounds despite a first fatal wound could finally be explained by the characteristics of the weapon and wounds. Most suicides related to multiple gunshot wounds are explained by a first nonlethal shot but the use of an automatic weapon can also be found. In these last cases, medicolegal and criminalistics aspects become important in differentiating suicide and homicide.     

Developing an intervention to overcome procrastination

ABSTRACT

The main goal of this study was the development of a reliable intervention to overcome general procrastination orientated to college students, designed to be used in practical clinical work. The workshops involved six meetings based on behavioral and cognitive techniques, paradox intervention, and psychoeducation. 175 students participated voluntarily. Their procrastination levels were measured in a pretest, post-test, and a 3-month follow-up. After the first interview, the participants were randomly divided into three groups (Intervention A, Intervention B, and a control group with no intervention). There was a significant improvement after the intervention. After 3 months, the average score was still significantly lower than in the pretest, whereas the score of the control group remained unchanged. The participants in Workshop A scored significantly lower in the post-test than the ones in Workshop B. After 3 months, the participants in Workshop B scored significantly lower in the follow up. So both interventions resulted to be effective in reducing procrastination sustainably.     

Berechnung der Fünfzehntelanhebung nach der durch die MRN 2001 erfolgten Überführung des EVB ins Zinsrecht

Durch die überführung des EVB ins Zinsrecht umfasst der "bisherige Hauptmietzins" der für die Fünfzehntelanhebung nach § 46a Abs 2 MRG ma?geblich ist, auch den (früheren) EVB, worauf (soferne vom Vermieter geltend gemacht) bei der allj?hrlich vorzunehmenden Ermittlung des Anhebungsbetrages Bedacht zu nehmen ist, was zu einer entsprechenden ?nderung der Fünfzehntelschritte führt.