Community Context,Weapon Use,and Victim Injury: A Multi-Level Study of Offense Severity in the Sexual Victimization of Women

American Journal of Criminal Justice - Prior studies of the sexual assault of women suggest the importance of weapon use, victim/offender familiarity, and offender intoxication as factors that...     

Alcohol and drug use among rural and urban incarcerated substance abusers

A number of prisoners use drugs. Limited information is available about the extent to which urban and urban substance abusers differ in their drug use in criminal justice settings. In addition, many believe that rural areas are protected from drug use. However, findings from this study show only marginally statistical significant differences in drug use between incarcerated rural and urban drug users. It was expected that urban drug users would be more drug career involved with consistently higher levels of drug use and associated problems. Specifically, rural drug users in this study were older at age of first use of marijuana and cocaine; report fewer years of cocaine, hallucinogen, and heroin use; and report more alcohol and sedative use. Findings from this study suggest that rural and urban drug users are similar and that rural areas may be protective from some drug use but risky for other drug use.     

Validation and uses of a Y-chromosome STR 10-plex for forensic and paternity laboratories

Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) provide valuable information in cases of rape and questioned paternity, and they allow for the genetic identification of male lineages. The present study validated a Y-STR 10-plex on the ABI PRISM 3100 Genetic Analyzer for use in forensic and paternity laboratories at Orchid Cellmark. Following optimization of the polymerase chain reaction, father-son pairs were analyzed to ensure that each pair generated identical haplotypes. This study demonstrated that the 10-plex is sensitive to 0.125 ng of input DNA and that female samples mixed with male samples did not interfere with Y-STR haplotyping. In a sample of 525 males, there were three instances of locus multiplication, two at DYS19 and one at DYS435. Overall, haplotype diversity was 0.996, suggesting that the 10-plex can effectively distinguish among male lineages.     

EVALUATING DARE: DRUG EDUCATION AND THE MULTIPLE MEANINGS OF SUCCESS*

Background and previous impact evaluations of “DARE” (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) are described along with an assessment of its im- plementation among fifth graders in Kokomo, Indiana. Building upon alter- native efforts, a multifaceted impact/process evaluation framework is developed; it is used to consider the multiple meanings of DARE'S “success” within the dimensions of program efficacy, the impact of micro and macro contexts upon its participants and outcomes, and as a form of symbolic politics. The results tend to support the conclusion that DARE produces anti-drug outcomes; also, the evidence suggests that drug knowledge and locus of control factors are involved in achieving these effects. Micro and macro contextual elements were found to produce important impacts upon the program's dynamics and effectiveness; finally, the data indicate that DARE includes an important symbolic politics dimension and is supported by important symbolic politics dimension and is supported by multiple stakeholders who define its success in terms of its popularity, which has significant utility for their interests.     

The Australian Cross-border Justice Scheme: an evaluation of a unique policing experiment

Abstract

Spanning the three jurisdictions of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, the central Australian cross-border region is sparsely populated, with an estimated 7000 people living in some 26 communities. In 2009 a new initiative was introduced to the region – the Cross-border Justice Scheme. Its creation was driven primarily by a need to deliver a more people-centred system. The new arrangements were designed to promote high quality trans-jurisdictional practice by all key criminal justice institutions, namely police, prosecutions, courts and corrections, but especially police. This paper looks at the impetus of the Scheme from its political roots. It describes its implementation, and the evaluative process completed in 2013. Finally, it takes readers through the pivotal role played by police services, both in changing the environment in which the Scheme operated and in contributing to some positive but limited changes in cross-jurisdictional co-operation     

Book reviews

George Ritzer, The McDonaldisation Thesis (Sage, London, 1998), 212 pp., ISBN 0–7619–5540–2 (pb)

Terrell Carver and Veronique Mottier (eds), Politics of Sexuality. Identity, gender, citizenship (Routledge, London, 1998), 200 pp., ISBN 0–415–16953–4 (hb)

Hein Marais, South Africa: Limits to Change. The Political Economy of Transformation (Zed Books, London, 1998), 290 pp., ISBN 1–85649–544–2 (pb)

Taras Kuzio, Ukraine: State and Nation Building (Routledge, London, 1998), 298 pp., ISBN 0–415–17195–4 (hb)

Alan M. Dershowitz, Sexual McCarthyism: Clinton, Starr, and the Emerging Constitutional Crisis (Basic Books, New York, 1998), 275 pp., ISBN 0–465–01628–6 (hb)

Timothy Hoye, Japanese Politics: Fixed and Floating Worlds (Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1999), 233 pp., ISBN 0–13–271289‐X (pb)

Julia Sudbury, Other Kinds of Dreams: Black Women's Organisations and the Politics of Transformation (Routledge, London, 1998), 282 pp., ISBN 0–415–16732–9 (pb)     

Relationship between type of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among urban children and adolescents

This study examines the association between trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 157 help-seeking children (aged 8-17). Structured clinical interviews are carried out, and linear and logistic regression analyses are conducted to examine the relationship between PTSD and type of trauma exposure controlling for age, gender, and ethnicity. Confrontation with traumatic news, witnessing domestic violence, physical abuse, and sexual abuse are each significantly associated with PTSD. Witnessing a crime, being the victim of a crime, and exposure to accidents, fire, or disaster are not associated with PTSD. These findings underscore the association between interpersonal violence and childhood PTSD.     

Finding a mission in bureaucracies: How authentic leadership and red tape interact

Finding a mission is important for employees to perform well in public service jobs. Research has demonstrated that leadership can facilitate mission valence among followers, but if and how leadership unfolds this effect in the presence of excessive bureaucracy (i.e., red tape) is unclear. This interaction is particularly interesting in the case of authentic leadership (i.e., a positive leadership style based on self-awareness, consistent behaviors, and transparent relations with followers), as red tape may either neutralize or enhance the association of authentic leadership with mission valence. We test these rivalry hypotheses in a sample from a two-wave survey among public employees in Germany. Results provide support for the neutralization hypothesis, as the relationship between authentic leadership and mission valence strengthens at lower levels of red tape. HR practitioners are thus challenged to reduce red tape and to make public organizations authentic places, where leaders can develop authenticity through self-awareness.