THE EFFECT OF LONGITUDINAL ARREST PATTERNS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROBBERY TRENDS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL *

Although the current resurgence of ecological deterrence research has addressed many of the methodological and theoretical problems of earlier studies, the question concerning the appropriate level of aggregation for such models has not been resolved. In this paper, we argue that there is strong evidence in the criminological literature that the neighborhood is the most meaningful level of aggregation for such studies. However, in an analysis of robbery incidents and arrests over 100 weeks in five Oklahoma City neighborhoods we did not find any significant support for the deterrent effect of arrests on subsequent illegal behavior. We propose that the lack of such a relationship reflects periods of short-term equilibrium in the local community, during which the levels of crime and arrests are relatively stabilized.     

A COMPARISON OF DELINQUENCY TRENDS

Comparative data are presented assessing trends in the juvenile crime rates for Japan and the United States over the past decade. Both court and arrest records show that the rate of juvenile crime has increased substantially in the United States while remaining essentially stable in Japan. The analyses demonstrate that this conclusion holds even when appropriate controls are introduced for the age groups involved. Suggestions are made for future research that might explain the differences reported for the two nations.     

Liver histopathology in autopsied drug-addicts

Liver specimens of 150 randomly selected autopsied drug addicts from the province of Milan (Italy) were studied using light microscopy, polarized light and immunohistochemical methods. Simple histological changes and the main diagnoses are described. The main histological diagnoses in order of frequency were: non-specific reactive hepatitis (NSRH) (52%), chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH) (24%), acute hepatitis (AH) (12%), normal liver (6%), steatosis only (3.3%) and cirrhosis (2%). In 24 cases (16%) one or more viral antigens (HBsAg, HBcAg and Delta Ag) were detected in hepatocytes by immunohistochemical methods. Three liver specimens revealed epithelioid cell granulomas, but in no case was birefringent material identified in the liver. AH and CAH were more frequent in the group of livers with viral antigens. Our histological and immunohistochemical data confirm the current opinion that, in most cases, liver pathology in drug addicts has a viral aetiology, while no significant pathogenic role has been identified for drugs, alcohol or contaminants. Recurrent infections by one or several viruses possibly explain the relatively peculiar histological features of hepatitis in drug addicts.