Reaching African American Battered Women: Increasing the Effectiveness of Advocacy

This study reports findings from interviews with 242, primarily African American, battered women in Detroit. Most of the women rated domestic violence advocacy as very or somewhat helpful. Satisfaction with police and receiving referrals from the legal system were significantly associated with ratings of advocates helpfulness. Receiving information, being emotionally supported, and having advocates readily available and accessible were the most common reasons why women rated advocates as helpful. Women who gave advocates low helpfulness ratings described them as unavailable, unsympathetic, or ineffective in legally sanctioning abusers. Less than half of the women who experienced severe violence in the focal incident reported that advocates helped them with safety planning, and there was a low rate of follow-up on referrals provided by advocates. This analysis suggests that advocacy can be satisfying for urban, African American women, but more intensive services should be provided to make a significant contribution to their safety.     

As Time Goes By: The Arrested Diffusion of the Equal Rights Amendment

Despite its initial momentum, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)failed to be approved by the margin of states required for ratification.Although many explanations have been advanced for the defeatof the ERA, one possible explanation that has been overlookedis the notion that the timing of a policy can largely determineits success or failure. The article examines the timing or "innovativeness,"with which the American states considered the ratification ofthe ERA. The analysis suggests that the relative innovativenessof states, as exhibited on a wide range of other policies andamendments, accounts for the relative order in which statesratified the ERA. The article concludes that the defeat of theERA was a matter of timing: states that are slow in adoptingother innovations were most vulnerable to the opposition effortsof ad hoc action groups.     

Evaluation of Four Fingerprint Development Methods for Touch Chemistry Using Matrix‐Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization/Time‐of‐Flight Mass Spectrometry,

Four preparation techniques for MALDI/TOF mass spectrometry were compared to determine the ability to gather intelligence for investigations through the chemical analysis of latent fingerprints, defined as “touch chemistry.” Compatible fingerprint development processes used for identification along with new techniques are necessary to evaluate touch chemistry. Ten volunteers deposited fingerprints from solvent residues containing drugs and explosives onto microscope slides. The developers included (A) fingerprint powder, (B) MALDI matrix, (C) fingerprint powder and lifting, and (D) cyanoacrylate fuming with fingerprint powder. Qualitative identification was based on ion images and spectra. The highest average detection rates (88%) were found using methods A and B. Methods C (52%) or D (18%) had limited success. Results demonstrate the importance of imaging coupled to extracted mass spectral data in detecting analytes in deposited fingerprints. Overall, the results suggest continued development of touch chemistry applications could prove useful for gathering intelligence and forensically relevant information.