Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006: the implications for employers in educational settings

Vetting those who work with children and vulnerable adults is an emotive topic and one which can prove a challenging area for employers. The legitimate interest that parents, carers and employers have in screening those charged with the care of others can be in direct conflict with the most fundamental principles of economic freedom and employees’ human rights. The desire to balance these conflicting objectives is at the heart of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, which introduces what is being heralded as the most inclusive and comprehensive vetting and barring system to date. The changes dramatically widen the scope of workers who are subject to vetting and barring processes, covering employees, volunteers and contractors in the education, care and health industries, and affecting some 11.3 million people in the UK. This new scheme is of particular relevance and importance to schools and other educational institutions, who will be directly affected by the changes. This article will examine the practical employment implications of the new regime and the new obligations that the Vetting and Barring Scheme creates for both employers and employees.     

Sociocultural Variations in the Body Image Perceptions of Urban Adolescent Females

This study investigated the influences of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and ethnic peer group composition on awareness and internalization of socially sanctioned standards of appearance using the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ). The researchers surveyed a convenience sample of 208 adolescent females at an ethnically diverse urban high school. Statistical analyses found that ethnicity influenced awareness of socially sanctioned standards of appearance but the effects of ethnicity varied by level of caregiver educational attainment. Ethnicity and caregiver educational attainment together accounted for variance in the internalization of these standards. Moreover, African American girls with ethnically heterogeneous peer groups had significantly higher awareness and internalization scores than those without mixed friends. These findings highlight the importance of multiple ecological factors in assessing risk for disturbed body image and eating disorders. Ethnicity remains an important predictor of disturbed body image but should be treated as a dynamic, rather than a fixed risk factor.     

Qualitative Evaluation of a High School Mental Health Program

Expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs offer a comprehensive range of mental health services (evaluation, therapy, case management) to youth in special and regular education. Research is needed to document that these programs are in fact providing quality care to youth and leading to enhanced outcomes. In this exploratory study, focus groups were conducted with high school students receiving mental health services and students not receiving services, therapists, parents, administrators, and health care staff to gauge the quality and effectiveness of an ESMH program. It was difficult to schedule parents for group sessions; thus, interviews also were conducted with this group. Focus groups and interviews were effective methods for understanding strengths, areas for improvement, and outcomes for our ESMH program. Participants reported that therapy served as a protective factor, enhancing physical and mental health and reducing risk for teenagers. Ideas for improving clinical practice were developed from study results.     

GHB free acid: II. Isolation and spectroscopic characterization for forensic analysis

A reference standard for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) free acid is not commercially available, making its analysis in forensic exhibits more difficult. GHB free acid is typically encountered in aqueous solution and in the presence of the lactone, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), presenting difficulty in Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. The strong infrared (IR) absorptivity of the GBL carbonyl band, the shifting of the GBL carbonyl band in aqueous solutions, and the position of the O-H bend for water can mask the main carbonyl band for GHB free acid. Model solutions of beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) and GBL were studied in order to further understand the masking of the GHB free acid carbonyl band in FT-IR analysis. The use of second derivative FT-IR spectroscopy was shown to provide resolution of the free acid carbonyl band, and a presumptive test for GHB free acid was developed and applied. An extension of this work included preparing, for use as a standard reference material, small amounts (< or = 10 mg) of GHB free acid. Preparation was based on the instantaneous reaction of GHB's sodium salt with a stoichiometric amount of hydrochloric acid in aqueous solution, and subsequent isolation of the free acid in neat liquid form. Both FT-IR and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the neat reference material were obtained and used to verify its identity. The isolation of GHB free acid from actual forensic exhibits is also presented, with identity confirmation using FT-IR.     

Ex-offender employment programs and recidivism: A meta-analysis

One consequence of the tremendous growth in the number of persons under supervision of the criminal justice system, whether incarcerated, on parole, or on probation, is the effect of this criminal history on finding and keeping a job. Ex-offenders, especially those recently released from prison, face substantial barriers to many types of legal employment; nonetheless, stable employment is one of the best predictors of post-release success. Thus, policy-makers concerned about high recidivism rates face an obvious need to improve the employment prospects of ex-offenders. Over the last 25 years, many programs that were designed to increase employment (and, by so doing, reduce recidivism) among ex-offenders have been implemented and evaluated. [Wilson, D. B., Gallagher, C. A., Coggeshall, M. B. & MacKenzie, D. L. (1999). Corrections Management Quarterly 3(4), 8–18; Wilson, D. B., Gallagher, C. A. & MacKenzie, D. L. (2000). Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 37(4), 347–368] conducted a quantitative synthesis and meta-analysis of 33 evaluations of educational, vocational, and work programs for persons in correctional facilities. To date, however, the evaluation literature on employment programs for those with a criminal record who are not in custody has not been systematically reviewed. This paper presents the results of a quantitative meta-analysis of eight random assignment studies of such programs, using the Campbell Collaboration methodology. The results indicate that this group of community employment programs for ex-offenders did not reduce recidivism; however, the experimental design research on this question is small and does not include some of the promising community employment programs that have emerged in the last decade.     

Common mitochondrial DNA deletion associated with sudden natural death in adults

One of the most frequent causes of death in developed countries is sudden natural death (SND), which is the most common indication for medico-legal autopsies. Cardiac diseases are frequently detected among SND. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is easily damaged by reactive oxygen species, and it may cause dysfunction in tissues, leading to early events in cardiovascular disease. A specific mtDNA deletion of 4977 bp is associated to aging, myocardial dysfunction, and bioenergetic deficit. The potential link between mtDNA damage and SND has not been investigated before. Our aim was to evaluate the accumulation of the common mtDNA4977-deletion in cardiac muscle samples from autopsies of SND in adults (n = 14) in comparison to control samples from unnatural deaths (n = 12). Serial dilution-polymerase chain reaction method was performed to estimate the proportion of the total mtDNA harboring the mtDNA4977-deletion. Coefficient variation intra-assay was 8%, and inter-assay was 12%. MtDNA4977-deletion percentage was higher in samples obtained from victims of SND than in those from subjects who died of unnatural causes (p < 0.05). No differences in mtDNA4977-deletion were found between SND victims 39-51 years old, and no correlation was found between these samples and age, r = 0.30, p = 0.29 while it was significant among control samples, r = 0.68, p < 0.05. The association between mtDNA4977 deletion with SND victims might offer a tool to provide additional information to clarify complex SND investigations.     

Is domestic violence relevant?: An exploratory analysis of couples referred for mediation in family court

Mediation is an essential component of custody evaluation and reconciliation services in domestic courts. Data from 306 couples with and without a reported history of domestic violence (DV) who were ordered to attend an assessment for mediation were analyzed to determine differences in the mediation process. More than one third reported a history of DV. Chi-square analysis showed that differences in the mediation process exist between couples reporting DV and couples reporting no DV. A greater proportion of couples with reported DV (a) actually attended the court-mandated assessment session, (b) were deemed unsuitable to participate in the mediation process, (c) were in default of child-support payments, and (d) reported drug and alcohol abuse. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the measured mediation outcomes. Implications for the use of mediation with couples who reported DV and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Milton's Case for a Free Commonwealth

This article will examine the development of John Milton's arguments for democracy as against monarchy and other sorts of autocratic rule. These arguments are interesting both in their own right and insofar as they shed light on historiographical debates concerning the classical republican tradition. Milton is shown to hold a negative conception of liberty, as opposed to a positive or participatory conception, which lends support to the neo-roman interpretation of that tradition, associated with Quentin Skinner and Philip Pettit. However, it is further shown that Sinner and Pettit misunderstand the classical republicans' case for democracy, attributing to them a conceptual argument in place of an empirical one. A better understanding of Milton's political theory contributes to a better understanding of this dilemma, and perhaps suggests a solution.     

A program analysis of Esuba: helping turn abuse around for inmates

This investigation is an empirical evaluation of Esuba, an abuse awareness program implemented in the Florida correctional system. Research has indicated a link between violent and abusive behavior and criminal activity. This study specifically addressed whether the Esuba program had an impact on offenders' self-esteem, stability of self, faith in people, and sensitivity to criticism as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results from the application of the Esuba program to an incarcerated offender population are encouraging. The results suggest that the Esuba program does appear to significantly increase offenders' emotional self-preservation.