DOES PRESCHOOL HELP PREVENT DELINQUENCY IN BOYS WITH A HISTORY OF PERINATAL COMPLICATIONS?*

We examined whether a preschool intervention program moderates the effects of perinatal complications with a sample of boys from the most disadvantaged areas of Montreal (Canada). Some boys experienced the preschool program and some did not, which allowed us to test whether the program had any effects on the boys' risk for early adolescent delinquency given their perinatal histories. We hypothesized that perinatal complications would place boys at significantly greater risk for antisocial behavior during early adolescence and that participation in a preventive preschool program might circumvent this risk. Independent of maternal sociodemographic characteristics, boys with a history of perinatal complications showed no greater risk of reporting delinquency during early adolescence than their same-sex peers without a history of perinatal complications. Surprisingly, the program showed a beneficial effect on boys with no history of serious perinatal complications. Such boys were less at risk for delinquency. In the presence of a serious medical condition after birth, the benefits of the program decreased significantly to the point that it placed the boys at risk.     

OBSERVATIONS ON CRIME REPORTING IN A DEVELOPING NATION*

The literature from developed countries hypothesizes that crime-reporting practices vary by levels of incident-specific, victim-specific, and environment-specific correlates. To date these correlates have not been used to investigate crime-reporting behavior in developing countries, nor have they been explored simultaneously. This research attempts to fill this void by analyzing data from a household victimization survey conducted in Belize, Central America. A crime-reporting model based on research findings from developed nations, especially the United States, is tested. Bivariate findings are presented and a multivariate logistic model is estimated, Contrary to prediction, the findings from the Belize sample are generally similar to those reported in developed nations. As in developed nations, incident-specific correlates play a significant role, individual-specific correlates pray a minor role, and environment-specific correlates play no role in inducing citizens to report a crime to the police. The findings indicate that factors that affect reporting in Belize seem not to be conditioned by the particularistic social structure of policing in that nation.     

Conservative Party Modernisation and David Cameron's Politics of the Family

A key feature of David Cameron's electoral appeal is his carefully cultivated image as a ‘family man’. Cameron has repeatedly stressed the importance of the family to his political views and stated his desire to see marriage rewarded through the tax system. At the same time, Cameron has presented himself as a modernising leader, keen to demonstrate that he and his party are in touch with contemporary society. Central to this effort to detoxify the Conservative brand has been an emphasis on social liberalism. The potential conflict between these two objectives reflects the division in the party between social liberals and traditionalists, which has become increasingly apparent over the past decade. This article examines Conservative party policy and rhetoric on social and moral issues since 1997, particularly gay rights and family policy. It notes that a significant divide remains in the Conservative party between social liberals and traditionalists, so in this respect Cameron's modernisation project remains far from complete.