The value of decision analysis in mediation practice

Conclusion To be constructive and effective within the mediation process, a mediator's case evaluation must be carefully derived and reasoned, persuasively articulated, and tactfully delivered. A decision analytic approach allows the mediator to structure and present an intellectually rigorous evaluation while minimizing the risk of perceived loss of neutrality. This approach can enhance the mediator's ability to unlock or redirect participants' emotional and professional investment in litigation and to remove personal and organizational incentives for entrenchment in adversarial and costly disputes.In a particularly complex case, using computer software for decision analysis offers added value by facilitating discussion of the evaluative analysis among additional decision makers who were not at the table. It provides a neutral language and method with which the mediator can probe and challenge the parties' stated positions and tolerance for risk. By helping people focus more clearly and dispassionately on the choices they face, a decision analytic approach and its presentation on computer software should enable them to achieve intelligent settlements.She also specializes in the mediation of legal disputes and the design of curricula in negotiation and mediation practice.     

Restrictive Emotionality,Depressive Symptoms,and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among High School Students

Depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors are prevalent among youth today. The current study sought to further our understanding of the correlates of depression and suicidality by assessing the relationship between restrictive emotionality (difficulty understanding and expressing emotions) and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation and attempts among adolescents. A large group of high school students (n = 2189, 58.3% male; 13–18 years of age) completed a self-report survey as part of a 2-stage suicide screening project. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between restrictive emotionality and depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Those reporting high restrictive emotionality were 11 times more likely to have elevated depressive symptom scores, 3 times more likely to report serious suicidal ideation (after controlling for depressive symptoms), and more than twice as likely to report a suicide attempt (after controlling for depressive symptoms) than those reporting low restrictive emotionality. Restrictive emotionality partially mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation and behavior. The pattern of association between restrictive emotionality and the outcome variables was similar for boys and girls. Restrictive emotionality is highly associated with elevated depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among high school students, and may be a useful specific target in prevention and treatment efforts.     

Court processing and sentencing of drinking drivers: Using new methodologies

Driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenses provide a unique focal point for research in criminology. In recent years, legislative and media attention has increasingly focused on the harmful acts of drunk drivers, but little is known of the characteristics of individuals arrested for driving while drunk or of the court processing and sanctioning of such offenders. The research presented here uses a variety of methodological techniques to analyze individual-level court processing data for persons convicted of DWI on a revoked license. We find that the population of persons processed for this offense have certain characteristics which are not unlike those of persons processed for street crimes. Further, we find evidence of differential sanctioning related to ethnicity and level of education. We conclude with a call for future investigation of court processing to understand better why the DWI legislative mandate is being applied differently across social groups.