Aggregation effects on male-to-female arrest rate ratios in New York State, 1972 to 1984

The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of data aggregation on a specification of the relationship between sex and arrest rate trends. The analysis focuses on the empirical implications when arrest data are aggregated across dimensions that are likely to affect the sex-crime relationship. The data for the analysis consist of 4,119,358 male and female adult arrests in New York State for the 13-year period ending in 1984. Results indicate that race, regional differences, and the legal seriousness of the arrest charge produce significantly different patterns of sex convergence across time. On the basis of these results, we suggest serious limitations in past analyses of female crime rates and in the value of Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data for addressing theoretically relevant questions concerning the social correlates of official crime.     

The use of multiple informants to assess children's maltreatment experiences

Most researchers rely exclusively on the reports of protective service workers to determine children's abuse history. In this report, information about children's maltreatment experiences is obtained from protective service workers and three supplementary sources of data: parents, medical records, and clinical observations. Fifty-six children from 34 families receiving protective services for verified reports of physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and/or emotional maltreatment participated in the study, with most children known to have experienced more than one type of abuse. The supplementary data provided important information about the range and severity of children's maltreatment experiences. Review of the parent and medical record data led to identification of 28 children who had additional types of maltreatment experiences that were not reported by their protective services workers—nine cases of physical abuse, two cases of neglect, five cases of sexual abuse, and 12 cases of emotional maltreatment. Supplementary data also revealed information about incidents of specific types of abuse that were more severe than those reported by the children's protective service workers in an additional 24 cases. A method was devised to synthesize information provided from the different sources of data examined in this report to derive 0–4 point ratings of four categories of maltreatment experiences: (1) physical abuse, (3) neglect, (3) sexual abuse, and (4) emotional maltreatment. The Kappa reliability coefficients for each of these scales were .88, .73, .83, and .90, respectively. Data demonstrating the relationship between these maltreatment ratings and various indices of the children's socioemotional and cognitive functioning were also presented to provide preliminary support for the validity of these scales. The findings from this study suggest that multiple sources of data should be examined in order to obtain accurate assessments of children's maltreatment experiences, and that independent raters can synthesize discrepant data to obtain reliable and valid estimates of children's abuse history. Clinical and methodological issues relevant to the improved assessment of children's maltreatment experiences are also discussed.     

The Private Interests of Public Officials: Financial Regulation in the US Congress

Legislators' private financial holdings affect policy decisions. Due to financial self‐interest, we theorize that legislators whose personal investment portfolios include equities from firms affected by proposed policies vote for legislation that benefits those firms. We also theorize that legislators with greater personal exposure to equity investments support policies that benefit equities markets generally. We create a novel data set of legislators' personal stock investments and examine major congressional actions since the 1990s on financial deregulation and market intervention. US House members who own stocks in firms who benefit from financial deregulation vote for deregulation. House members with greater exposure to financial and automotive stocks support the financial and auto bailouts, respectively. General exposure to equities markets is also associated with support for key legislation boosting markets. The normative implications are significant, as legislators' private interests influence decisions in the public sphere.     

Cumulative Trauma,Personal and Social Resources,and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Income-assisted Single Mothers

Data from 247 single mothers were used to partially validate a theoretical model that highlights the process through which post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops among women. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect relationship between cumulative trauma (CT) and mothers’ PTSD symptom severity. Additionally, we examined the meditational role played by mothers’ strains and resources and the moderating role played by mothers’ residence in an intersectionally advantaged versus disadvantaged neighborhood. A good fit was found between the hypothesized model and data. Mothers’ strains and personal resources played a significant mediating role in the relationship between CT and PTSD symptom severity. Neighborhood of residence did not moderate the CT-PTSD process. Implication for practice and treatment are discussed.     

ACCOMPLISHING THE MULTIPLE TASKS OF DIVORCE AND SEPARATION

This article presents two checklists (Child-Related Agreements and Spousal-Related Agreements) that facilitate professionals who assist couples in accomplishing the multiple tasks of divorce and separation. These two checklists have been and are being used in several court settings and in private mediation practices.     

THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD

Despite heavy use of the concept of the "best interests" of the child, there is little consensus about what criteria constitute a child's best interests or how these criteria should be applied. This article explores some of the problems of the best interest concept, from the developmental and psychological perspective, and suggests that the concept is a worthwhile one if decision makers are able to go beyond cliches and superficial definitions.     

Forensic DNA analysis on microfluidic devices: a review

The advent of microfluidic technology for genetic analysis has begun to impact forensic science. Recent advances in microfluidic separation of short-tandem-repeat (STR) fragments has provided unprecedented potential for improving speed and efficiency of DNA typing. In addition, the analytical processes associated with sample preparation--which include cell sorting, DNA extraction, DNA quantitation, and DNA amplification--can all be integrated with the STR separation in a seamless manner. The current state of these microfluidic methods as well as their advantages and potential shortcomings are detailed. Recent advances in microfluidic device technology, as they pertain to forensic DNA typing, are discussed with a focus on the forensic community.