Scales for perceived risk of student-on-student victimization in grades 7 through 10: A psychometric analysis of the adolescent index on school safety

Although past research has developed scales for the incidence, prevalence, and fear of student-on-student victimization (SSV), little is known about the scaling of perceived risk (i.e., the cognitive appraisal of the chances of experiencing SSV). Hence, this study examined self-report survey data for the perceived risk of SSV as measured in the Adolescent Index for School Safety (AISS). Children in grades 7 through 10 (n=337) in a single Florida public school completed the AISS. Factor analyses using Maximum Likelihood Estimation with Oblimin Rotation identified nine unique factors for perceived risk. Reliability analyses found standardized Cronbach Alphas that ranged from .64 to .91, and seven out of the nine identified scales were above .80, which suggested good to excellent internal consistency. Future research should examine the content validity, construct validity, and predictive validity for the AISS and other self-report surveys of SSV dynamics. This publication was made possible by a grant [#97-MU-FX-KO12 (S-l)] from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (O.J.J.D.P.), United States Department of Justice (U.S.D.O.J.). This grant is administered through the Hamilton Fish National Institute on School and Community Violence at George Washington University. This specific study was developed and implemented by staff at: 1) East Carolina University’s Department of Criminal Justice; and 2) Florida State University’s Center for Educational Research and Policy Studies. All points of view and opinions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of East Carolina University, Florida State University, the Hamilton Fish National Institute on School and Community Violence, the O.J.J.D.P., or the U.S.D.OJ. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Bill Doerner and Jennifer Jolley for their support, editorial feedback, and insightful comments regarding earlier drafts of this paper.     

Traffic accidents and drivers suspected for drug influence

All records from the Danish Medicolegal Council concerning drivers suspected for drug influences were examined for the 5 year period 1981-1985. 461 records were included, 62 women and 399 men. In 250 cases drugs from more than one of ten groups had been taken thus making 786 combinations of drug/driving. The major drug group was benzodiazepines, accounting for 65% of all drug intake. Opioids also contributed substantially, found in 38% of the cases. A traffic accident had occurred in 180 (39%) of the records. Drivers who had been taking antidepressives were involved in an accident in 67%, significantly above the mean. For benzodiazepines, the corresponding percentage was 43%, while for opioids it was only 23%, significantly below the mean. This striking difference has been demonstrated in most of the studies concerning drugs in traffic. It may support the hypothesis that opioids do not necessarily make driving dangerous, as do antidepressives, barbiturates and especially benzodiazepines.     

Career Public Service 2000: Road to renewal or impractical vision?

Abstract: Historically, the concept of career public service has received remarkably little attention in Canada. Career public service is, however, a central theme in the recent Public Service 2000 white paper on renewal of the federal public service. The challenge is to decide the extent to which the public service should adhere to the major principles of career public service relating to political neutrality, merit, open versus closed competitions, and career planning. There are significant barriers to achieving these principles, including conflict between some of the principles themselves. The extent to which career service will be achieved depends largely on the degree to which the vision of Public Service 2000 is realized. It is a vision of a new public service culture that is results-oriented and client-oriented and that is based on the precepts of service, innovation, people, and accountability. Among the obstacles to successful implementation of this vision are resistance by public service unions, lack of understanding about the magnitude of the commitment required to create a new public service culture, and the possible lack of political will to implement the white paper's proposals. Among the means by which the federal government can enhance the prospects for career service are a renewal of commitment to career service, including the allocation of more resources to career planning and development, and greater sensitivity to the threat of undue politicization of the public service. Sommaire: Historiquement, au Canada, le concept d'une fonction publique de carrière a bien peu retenu I'attention. Mais récemment, un livre blanc consacré au renouveau de la fonction publique, intituléFonction publique 2000, en a fait son thème central. L'enjeu, c'est de décider dans quelle mesure la fonction publique devrait adhérer aux principes fondamentaux d'une fonction publique axée sur des fonctionnaires de carrière, en ce qui concerne la neutralité politique, le mérite, les nominations en système ouvert ou fermé, et la planification de carriÈre.