BEYOND POLITICS AND POSITIONS: A CALL FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN FAMILY COURT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROFESSIONALS

The domestic violence advocacy and family court communities have each grown dramatically over the last three decades. Although these professional communities share many values in common, they often find themselves at odds with one another on a host of issues. This article examines the practical, political, definitional, and ideological differences between the two communities and calls for them to join forces and collaborate on behalf of children and families.     

Mentoring for Delinquent Children: An Outcome Study with Young Adolescent Children

Examined the outcome of a mentoring program aimed at minimizing conduct problems for young adolescent children at risk for delinquent behavior. The program was designed to give an alternative, prosocial role model for children with a history of rule-breaking and acting out behavior in school. Thirteen mentors attended weekly supervision sessions and were responsible for working with 1 at-risk child for 15 h per week. Both parents and teachers assessed behavior change at 4 intervals. Mentors and mentees also completed several evaluations of the program. The parent-report indicated significant decreases in both internalizing and externalizing behavior in the mentees during and at the end of the program. However, no significant changes were found for teacher-reported behavior. The mentors indicated that participating as a mentor enhanced their learning about children and further directed their educational goals. Implications of the effectiveness of mentoring are discussed.     

Instant winners: Legal change in transition and the diffusion of state lotteries

This paper investigates the determinants of legal change in a public choice framework. An empirical model explaining the timing and probability of decisions to adopt state-operated lotteries is developed. Employing a Tobit estimator and explicitly considering the effects of state-specific constitutional and political structures, spending and tax policies, and federal revenue importation, evidence is presented showing that legal change is much like economic change: Lotteries are more likely to be adopted and to be adopted earlier where the costs are lowest relative to expected benefits. State legislatures appear to be the main beneficiaries of this public choice process.     

An extension of Marcia's Identity Status Interview into the interpersonal domain

This article describes an extension of Marcia's (1966) Identity Status Interview into three interpersonal domains: friendships, dating, and sex roles. The Identity Status Interview method is assessed favorably in terms of identity theory, justification for the three new sections is provided on the basis of theory and research on sex differences in adolescent identity, and methodological refinements in the interview are described. A study is reported in which the extended interview was administered to 41 male and 40 female high school juniors and seniors. Average percentage of exact agreement for ratings of exploration, commitment, and identity status was over 70% when two coders were used and over 94% when the ratings of two out of three coders were used. It is concluded that this extended interview is psychometrically sound and provides a method for assessing interpersonal issues salient to contemporary adolescents.This work was supported in part by a grant from the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Texas at Austin.Received his Ph.D. in child psychology from the University of Minnesota. Main Interest is the influence of the family on adolescent personality development, especially identity and vocational interests.Doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, with special interst in sex roles and adult development.Received Ph.D. in community psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Main interests include adult development, communities, and spiritual growth.     

Routine Activity Theory and Sexual Deviance Among Male College Students

Much research on sexual deviance on university and college campuses is limited by its narrow focus on group affiliation. In this study, it is argued that prior deviance and opportunity serve as more robust predictor variables of sexual deviance. Using a sample of 304 male college students from four universities within the Ohio Valley Conference, this paper utilizes Analytic moment structures (AMOS) analyses to examine the relationship between prior deviance and sexual deviance. Results support the assumption that sexual aggression is significantly (β=.17) mediated or accounted for by opportunity. Overall, the relationships among variables lend support to the argument that alternative explanations of sexual deviance may provide a better understanding of such a complex societal problem.