The Evidentiary Significance of Automotive Paint from the Northeast: A Study of Red Paint

This population study was conducted to assess the frequency of physical, microscopical, and chemical properties of automotive paint chips. Population studies of trace evidence provide valuable analytical data for criminalists to assess evidentiary significance. Two‐hundred automotive paint chips were collected from auto body shops from the Northeastern United States. All samples were analyzed using stereomicroscopy, brightfield, and polarized light microscopy. Red paints were targeted for further analysis using a sequence of modern instrumental techniques commonly used by forensic paint examiners: Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR), Raman, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) microspectroscopy. The discrimination potential of each analytical method was evaluated by inter‐comparing the paint samples. Results demonstrated that macroscopic and microscopic properties were able to differentiate 99.995% of the population (one undifferentiated pair out of 19,900). When combined with either FT‐IR or UV–Vis microspectroscopy, all paints were differentiated. The results of this research lead to the conclusion that one would not expect to encounter two indistinguishable paint chips originating from different sources during the investigation of a single event.     

Stress-management intervention to prevent family violence

Stress and its management influence the nature of family interactions. Harmful family interactions, including violent interactions, are likely affected by mismanaged stress. This paper reviews scientific evidence on stress concepts, sources, and treatment strategies. Particular emphasis is given to the potential of stress-management preventive intervention for reducing the risk of family violence. Based on a study with teenage parents, the authors describe procedures and results from clinical stress-management preventive intervention. Study findings noted post-test and 3- month follow-up improvements in favor of preventive intervention subjects relative to test-only control subjects on measures of personal and social support, cognitive problem solving, self-reinforcement, parenting competence and care, and interpersonal performance. Consumer satisfaction from teenage parents who received intervention lent additional support to the value of stress-management preventive methods. The paper discusses the implications, limitations, and future directions of stress-management preventive intervention to lower risks of family violence.     

Published findings from the spouse assault replication program: A critical review

Published reports from seven jointly developed experiments have addressed whether or not arrest is an effective deterrent to misdemeanor spouse assault. Findings supporting a deterrent effect, no effect, and an escalation effect have been reported by the original authors and in interpretations of the published findings by other authors. This review found many methodologically defensible approaches used in these reports but not one of these approaches was used consistently in all published reports. Tables reporting the raw data on the prevalence and incidence of repeat incidents are presented to provide a more consistent comparison across all seven experiments. This review concludes that the available information is incomplete and inadequate for a definitive statement about the results of these experiments. Researchers and policy makers are urged to use caution in interpreting the findings available to date.     

Restorative justice and reconviction

Proponents of restorative justice have suggested that its practices have the potential to reduce reoffending by those responsible for a harm. This article examines these claims using the results of two separate studies of the reconviction of offenders dealt with by processes that had restorative characteristics. The first study examines reconviction rates over'a'period'of'six years for a sample of young people who took part in family group conferences. The second study examines outcomes for samples of 100 offenders involved in each of two different community panel pre-trial diversion schemes for adults. One scheme involved offenders and victims meeting together with community panel members to determine outcomes that would repair harm to the victim and contribute to preventing reoffending. The second scheme involved Maori offenders meeting with representatives of their tribe in a setting with spiritual meaning for Maori. Those participating in both the community panel schemes were less likely to reoffend than matched samples of others who had committed similar offenses. There were also economic savings to the criminal justice system when offenders were dealt with by the panels compared to those dealt with by traditional methods. Taken together, these projects indicate that restorative processes and practices can have a positive impact on helping people to avoid reoffending.