Helping women understand their risk in situations of intimate partner violence

Only approximately one-half of the 456 women who were killed or almost killed by a husband, boyfriend, or ex-husband or ex-boyfriend in a recent national study of homicide of women accurately perceived their risk of being killed by their abusive partner. Women are unlikely to overestimate their risk; however, many will underestimate the severity of the situation. From the same study, it was found that relatively few of the victims of actual or attempted intimate partner femicide were seen by domestic violence advocates during the year before they were killed; they were far more likely to be seen in the health care system. Implications are drawn as to innovative ways that women who are abused can be identified and with skilled assessment of the danger in their relationship helped make more informed plans for their safety.     

Trauma symptoms and life skill needs of domestic violence victims

This study identified the trauma symptoms and life skill needs of 84 domestic violence victims from three domestic violence programs. Women completed two self-report tools: Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) and Occupational Self Assessment (OSA). Staff members participated in focus groups regarding their perceptions of the women's needs. Women scored within the clinical range on the Defensive Avoidance (39.8%), Intrusive Experiences (30.1%), and Tension Reduction Behavior (24.1%) clinical scales of the TSI. On the OSA, the groups' priorities differed although all demonstrated a desire to function more independently. Their mental health functioning and prioritization of needs differed based on their level of involvement with the service delivery system. Staff members believe women lack skills in the areas of money management, seeking and obtaining employment, locating permanent housing, independently completing self-care and home management activities, managing stress, and parenting. The findings indicate that both mental health and life skills needs must be addressed.     

Sexual and nonsexual offenders with intellectual and learning disabilities: a comparison of characteristics, referral patterns, and outcome

This article reports an evaluation of a community intellectual disability offender service over the period from 1990 to 2001. Men who committed sex offenses or sexually abusive incidents (n = 106) and men who committed other types of offenses and serious incidents (n = 78) are compared on personal characteristics, referral sources, forensic details, and outcome up to 7 years after referral. The cohorts are older than one would expect from the criminology literature, and, at about 33%, the incidence of mental illness is consistent with some previous studies. A greater proportion of sex offenders had criminal justice involvement and a formal disposal from court. Fire raising was not overly represented as an offense. There was a higher rate of reoffending in the nonsexual cohort, which persisted up to 7 years. Investigating only reoffenders, there was a considerable amount of harm reduction recorded up to 7 years, statistically significant up to 5 years following initial referral.     

The International Criminal Court and the Control of State Crime: Prospects and Problems

Over the past two decades, crimes committed by nation states has received strong theoretical and empirical attention from critical criminologists. Much of this work has highlighted the lack of internal and external mechanisms to control such injurious behavior. Potentially, this has now changed. In the summer of 1998, delegates from nearly 140 countries created the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). Entering into force in the summer of 2002, the ICC has unprecedented international jurisdiction over the crimes of genocide, war, aggression, and those against humanity. This paper provides a brief history of international law and attempts to develop an ICC. It then examines the functioning and structure of the ICC as established in the Rome Statute. We then proceed to analyze the potential which the ICC posses to control state criminality. Our analysis concludes with discussions of how the ICC might be modified to better act as a deterrent to such offending.     

„Spielarten des Kapitalismus“ und institutionelle Komplementaritäten in der Makroökonomie — Eine empirische Analyse

Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, wie national unterschiedliche politökonomische Institutionen die Leistungskraft entwickelter Marktwirtschaften beeinflussen und ob institutionelle Komplementaritäten in der Makroökonomie existieren. Der Ansatz der ?Spielarten des Kapitalismus“ behauptet, dass es diese Komplementaritäten gibt und sich die Länder entsprechend dem in den ökonomischen Sphären vorherrschenden Modus der Koordination in klare Gruppen unterscheiden lassen. In dem Artikel werden die Kernaussagen des Ansatzes einer Reihe von empirischen Tests unterzogen, die auf einer zusammenfassenden Analyse einer Reihe von Fallbeispielen beruht, Die empirischen Ergebnisse bestätigen die Annahmen in überzeugender Weise. Dieliberalen undkoordinierten Marktwirtschaften variieren systematisch entsprechend dem relativen Verhältnis zwischen marktförmiger und strategischer Koordination. Institutionelle Komplementaritäten finden sich in beiden Typen, und sie bringen gesamtwirtschaftliche Leistungszuwächse hervor. Abschließend werden die Muster des institutionellen Wandels in den entwickelten politischen Ökonomien analysiert und einige politische Implikationen der Befunde diskutiert.     

Eight short tandem repeats (STR) frequencies for descendants from Terena indigenous Brazilian group

POPULATION: descendants from Terenas an indigenous group.