Mixed Methods Study of the Effectiveness of Intensive Family Finding Services with Youth in Congregate Care

Helping youth in congregate care form healthy relationships and achieve stability is an ongoing concern among child welfare stakeholders. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effectiveness of a family finding intervention with youth with a history of congregate care placement and to explore factors related to the achievement of relational and physical permanency. Results from a logistic regression indicated that for youth previously in congregate care, intensive family finding increased the odds of achieving relational permanency, but not physical permanency. Qualitative analyses identified several themes surrounding successes and challenges to achieving relational and physical permanency.     

The Bosman ruling and the presence of native football players in their home league: the Spanish case

This paper examines whether the Bosman ruling plays a role in the presence (participation and performance) of native football (soccer) players in their home league, focusing on the Spanish case. By abolishing transfer fees after the expiration of contracts, as well as liberalizing the migration of professional football players within the European Union, the Bosman ruling could negatively impact the participation of national players in their home league. To explore this issue, we use data from the First Division of the Spanish League for the seasons 1980/1981–2011/2012. The results suggest a decline in the number of native Spanish players as a consequence of the Bosman ruling, although the impact does not appear to be permanent. However, we find that the Bosman case has a negative and lasting impact on the performance of Spanish players in their home league. Our findings do not change when we use different subsamples or introduce controls for unobserved characteristics, or for observed characteristics that could drive the presence of Spanish players, such as participation in European competitions, the performance of the Spanish national team, and the success of teams’ youth academies, among others. This work also takes into account other changes in the nationality quota rules and the impact of other post-Bosman legislative changes, such as the Kolpak case and the Cotonou agreement.     

Correction to: Feminist Judgments Projects at the Intersection

Feminist Legal Studies - In the original publication of the article, errors in the production stages resulted in Vanessa Munro being listed as sole author.     

Difference, Disparity, and Race/Ethnic Bias in Federal Sentencing

Federal sentencing guidelines were enacted to reduce unwarranted disparities in sentencing. In this paper we examine the degree to which disparity in sentencing on the basis of race and ethnicity occurred in federal sentencing after the guidelines were implemented. We consider how much of the disparity is explained by offense-related factors as specified in the guidelines. We find that African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans receive relatively harsher sentences than whites and that these differentials are only partly explained by offense-related characteristics. We interpret our findings in light of attribution, uncertainty avoidance, and conflict theories.