Crime in the streets — A moral panic: Understanding “get tough” policies in the criminal justice system

There is more to the crisis of violent crime in the streets than simply citizens being increasingly victimized, becoming alarmed and demanding that public officials do something about it. The. fear of crime, a central theme in diologue surrounding the movement toward “tough on crime” legislation, may exceed by far the actual threat which exists. preliminary eviddnce suggests that indeed a “moral panic” has developed around violent crime in the united States — a “panic” which cannot be explained by dramatic increases in the crime rate. A social structural explanation is required if this lack of fit between the fear of crime and the crime rate is to be understood.     

Direct and Indirect Effects of Childhood Adversity on Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults

While researchers have provided evidence that recent stressors in adulthood and single traumatic events in childhood predict psychological disorder, few have examined the cumulative impact of childhood adversity on later well-being. Using a sample of 649 college students from New England, this research examines whether cumulative trauma in childhood and adolescence is related to depressive symptoms in young adults, and explores the mediating factors that operate in this association. Results indicate clear differences in cumulative trauma by sociodemographic characteristics, with males, nonwhites, and those with less than college-educated parents, reporting significantly greater levels of adversity. We also find that higher trauma is associated with both early onset of depressive disorder and later depressive symptoms. Path analyses reveal that, while some of the association between childhood adversity and depression in young adults is direct, most is explained by the mediating effects of later stress, low self-esteem, and early onset of disorder.     

Mercosur: the road to economic integration in the southern cone

This review of the historical record of economic integration in southern South America demonstrates that while MERCOSUR is very much an outgrowth of historical attempts at Latin American political and economic integration, and closely follows on the bilateral Argentina-Brazil accords of the mid-1980s, it also represents an adaptation to the contemporary political climate. The political process through which MERCOSUR was pursued and the emphasis on regional cooperation is reminiscent of the traditional rhetoric and strategy associated with Latin American integration attempts. Yet, the form and timing of its growth has clearly been influenced by international events and conditioned by current trends toward free markets and neo-liberal economic policies. As such, MERCOSUR represents the current set of public policies which define the new competitive environment for business in the Southern Cone.     

The impact of sentencing options on recidivism among domestic violence offenders: A case study

Past domestic violence research has tended to focus on issues related to law enforcement responses. More recently, the focus has shifted to other components of the criminal justice system, such as prosecution and correctional responses, to determine the best way to reduce domestic violence. This project is a case study of 177 male convicted domestic violence offenders who were sentenced to one of five options: community corrections; jail; a suspended sentence; private counseling, a fine, or restitution; and advisement. The focus of this inquiry is on the likelihood of each sanction reducing future arrests and convictions for domestic violence. The results reveal that no one sanction is more effective than the other options. A draft of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Criminal Justice Association, Chattanooga, TN, 1999. The authors would like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. This work stems from a project started by Chesterfield County and Melissa Gross to complete her Master of Social Work degree requirements. The primary authors of this piece are Jill A. Gordon and Laura J. Moriarty. The ordering of names are alphabetical after Melissa Gross.