Globalization,risk-taking and violence: too much too soon in the late Roman Republic and pre-Renaissance Italian cities

Past research has found that globalization and political violence have been linked in both modern and less modern times. Normally, groups that have been disadvantaged or displaced by globalization are seen as responsible for these outbreaks of violence. In the case of the Late Republic of Rome and medieval Italy before the Renaissance, violence was actually prompted by major increases in wealth among those who benefited when control of the political system became much more valuable. The increased value raised the stakes of political control and underlay the resulting higher levels of violence.     

Health system performance reporting in Canada: Bridging theory and practice at pan‐Canadian level

Public reporting is increasingly used to enhance accountability and transparency and stimulate performance improvement in the public sector. In Canada performance reporting in the health sector is still in development, and involves a large number of actors. This article reports on the results of a recent intervention by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to develop a platform for pan‐Canadian performance reporting ( http://www.yourhealthsystem.cihi.ca ). It describes approaches taken to: develop a conceptual framework; engage the public in the definition of performance reporting priorities; and select indicators for public reporting. This article also discusses conceptual, methodological and operational challenges as well as a proposed evaluation strategy.     

Low-income preschoolers' behavior with anatomically detailed dolls

The present study examined nonabused children's responses to anatomically detailed (AD) dolls among diverse populations. Thirty six low-income, predominantly African-American preschoolers from a Head Start center participated in an AD interview. Interviews were videotaped and coded for the presence of eight behaviors and eight parallel verbalizations. Results indicated that the children spent the majority of the interview without engaging in any behaviors which are often associated with sexual abuse. Sexual interaction between the dolls was seldom demonstrated, particularly when compared to exploration of the dolls' genitalia. Some differences were noted in the way low-income, predominantly African-American preschoolers responded to the dolls, when contrasted with the results of studies using predominantly middle-income, White preschoolers. The need for the consideration of environmental factors in interpreting children's responses to AD dolls is discussed.     

Differential patterns of partner-to-woman violence: A comparison of samples of community,alcohol-abusing,and battered women

This paper compared a sample of women in treatment for alcoholism (N = 45) with a randomly selected sample of women from the local community (N = 40), and a sample of women receiving services for victimization by severe partner violence (N = 38). Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) items were dichotomized into low frequency of partner violence (twice per year or less) and high frequency of violence (once per month or more), and then summed to yield separate low frequency and high frequency scores for each CTS subscale. Results showed that at the high frequency level, battered women reported the highest scores on each subscale, alcoholic women the second highest, and the community sample of women reported the lowest level of violence. A multiple regression analysis revealed that being in the alcoholic sample significantly predicted high frequency negative verbal interaction and moderate violence, controlling for presence of a partner with alcohol-related problems and demographic differences among the samples.     

More than ten years after: The long-term stability of informed death penalty opinions

This panel study examined the stability of informed death penalty opinions more than ten years after students participated in a semester long death penalty class. Results for two “abstract” opinion measures indicated that support of the death penalty significantly diminished after exposure to the death penalty class, yet rebounded to initial pretest levels two to three years later. After more than ten years, the data revealed small increases in support of the death penalty from the first follow-up period. Personal involvement measures did not change significantly across the four points in time. The relative importance of four of the eleven reasons for death penalty support or opposition changed significantly over time. Those changes varied across measures. Some increased in importance over time, while others decreased in importance. Finally, race was a significant factor in every opinion measure, as well as in nine of the eleven reasons for death penalty support or opposition.     

Recounting Graphic Sexual Abuse Memories in Therapy: The Impact on Women's Healing

This retrospective study investigates the impact on women's functioning of recounting during their therapy the graphic details of sexual abuse they had experienced in childhood. Fifty-nine participants residing in Southern Ontario were divided into two groups: those who spent more time (N=19) versus less time (N=40) in therapy recounting graphic abuse details. Results revealed that the group who had spent more time recounting abuse memories: (a) had mean functioning scores that were significantly lower before and during therapy, but that did not significantly differ after therapy; (b) recovered more memories of abuse during therapy, and (c) were more likely to have participated in hypnosis, and to report having been encouraged to remember details of abuse. Participants rated as most therapeutic those approaches that assisted them to increase their understanding of the abuse. Strategies related to acceptance, understanding, and making meaning were most important in promoting healing.     

Legal developments and industry issues relevant to IT,media and telecommunications law in key jurisdictions across the Asia Pacific

This column provides a country by country analysis of the latest legal developments, cases and issues relevant to the IT, media and telecommunications' industries in key jurisdictions across the Asia Pacific region. The articles appearing in this column are intended to serve as ‘alerts’ and are not submitted as detailed analyses of cases or legal developments.     

A Social Psychological Perspective on Perceiving and Reporting Discrimination

This article reviews social psychological theory and empirical research on perceiving and reporting discrimination. The article begins with an examination of factors that affect whether individuals perceive themselves as targets of discrimination. We then turn toward addressing whether individuals who perceive discrimination are willing to report their perceptions, as well as the interpersonal consequences they might face for so doing. Throughout this article, we examine how endorsement of the meritocratic worldview shapes these discrimination-related processes. Finally, we conclude by noting the potential for important theoretical, empirical, and applied advances on discrimination scholarship that can arise from interdisciplinary collaboration among legal scholars and social scientists.     

Triple jeopardy for HIV: substance using Severely Mentally Ill Adults

Severely Mentally Ill (SMI) adults have disproportionately high HIV seroprevalence rates. Abuse of alcohol and other substances (AOD) and lifetime exposure to trauma by others are particularly potent risk factors, which, in combination with psychiatric disabilities, create triple jeopardy for HIV infection. This study examined the predictive utility of demographic characteristics; history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; extent of drug and alcohol abuse; knowledge about HIV/AIDS; sexual self-efficacy; and condom attitudes toward explaining the variance in a composite of HIV high-risk behavior among 188 SMI women and 158 SMI men. History of sexual abuse, engaging in sexual activities while high on substances, and lower cannabis use were the most significant predictors of HIV sexual risk behaviors. Given the triple jeopardy for HIV risk in this population, a triple barreled approach that simultaneously addresses multiple health risks within an integrated treatment setting is warranted.