A New Method of Assessing Judicial Workload in Juvenile Dependency Cases

This article describes a new method for calculating judicial workload in dependency or child abuse and neglect cases. In contrast to traditional judicial workload methods, the method described herein produces estimates of judicial workload that take into account the complex role of the juvenile dependency court judge—a role that includes both on‐ and off‐the‐bench activities. The method provides workload estimates that give guidance to courts not only about the minimally sufficient judicial resources needed to accommodate current caseload needs, but also what level of judicial resources would be required to hold substantive dependency court hearings that comport with nationally recognized practice recommendations. The article reviews commonly used judicial workload methods, outlines the new method, and uses a pilot of the method as an example of how the method works in practice. Broader implications of this workload method are also discussed.     

Book reviews

Christian Democracy in Western Germany. By Geoffrey Pridham. London: Croom Helm, 1977. Pp. 371. £9.95.

The Power of the Purse: The Role of European Parliaments in Budgetary Decisions. By David Coombes et al. PEP, Allen &; Unwin, 1976. Pp. 393. £12.00.

Reaching Judgment at Nuremberg. By Bradley F. Smith. London: Andre Deutsch, 1977. Pp. xviii+349. Illus., Index, Biblio. £6.50.

Nemesis at Potsdam: The Anglo‐Americans and the Expulsion of the Germans. Background, Execution, Consequences. By Alfred de Zayas. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1977. Pp. xxvii+268. £5.95.

Innen‐ und Aussenpolitik unter nationalsozialistischer Bedrohung: Deter‐minanten internationaler Beziehungen in historischen Fallstudien. Edited by Erhard Forndran, Frank Golczewski and Dieter Riesenberger. Opladen: West Deutscher Verlag, 1977. Pp. 361, DM 49.

The Illusion of Peace: International Relations in Europe, 1918–1933. By Sally Marks. London: Macmillan, 1976. Pp. 184; £5.95, £2.95 paper.

French Society 1789–1970. By Georges Dupeux. London: Methuen &; Co, 1976. Pp. ix+294. £7.50, Paperback £3.90.

Strategic de la grève. By Bertrand Badie. Paris: Presses de la Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, 1977. Pp. xi+263. Fr. 78.

A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954–1962. By Alistair Horne. Mac‐millan 1977. Pp. 604. £8.95.

Les Politiques Extérieures Européenes dans la Crise. Edited by Alfred Grosser. Paris: Presses de la Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, 1976. Pp. 198. Fr. 85.

L'Avenir est Notre Affaire. By Denis de Rougemont. Paris: Editions Stock, 1977. Pp. 375.

Les Sommets de l'Etat: Essai sur l'élite du pouvoir en France. By Pierre Birnbaum. Paris: Editions due Seuil, 1977. Pp. 188.

Planning and Politics: The British Experience 1970–76. By Michael Shanks. PEP, George Allen and Unwin, 1977. Pp. 142. £6.50 hardback, £2.95 paperback.

Politische Planungssyteme. Edited by Frieder Naschold and Werner Vath. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1973. Pp. 478. DM. 19,80.

Einführung in das politische System der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. By Frank Pilz. Munich: Beck'sche Elementarbücher, Verlag C.H. Beck, 1977. Pp. 366. DM. 28,—.

Soziologie und Sozialpolitik. Edited by Christian von Ferber and Franz Xaver Kaufmann. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1977. Pp. 649. DM. 64,—

The British Cabinet. By John P. Mackintosh. Stevens, 1977 (Third Edition). Pp. xv+656. £5.75.

The History of Political Thought: A Short Introduction. By R. N. Berki. London: J. M. Dent and Son, 1977. Bibliography and Index. Pp. vi+216. £2.95.

France Today: Introductory Studies. Edited by J. E. Flower. London: Methuen, 1977 (Third edition rev.). Pp. vi+190. £2.75 paperback.

Det utrolige dognet (The incredible day). By Bjorn Bjornsen. Oslo: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, 1977. Pp. 304.     

A weak pillar for American national security: The CIA's dismal performance against WMD threats

American preemptive or preventive military action against WMD-armed adversaries in the future will simply not be feasible without high-quality and timely intelligence. But is American intelligence up to this load-bearing task for the post-11 September national security? This article surveys the Central Intelligence Agency's record of gauging potential WMD threats for more than a decade and assesses its overall performance as dismal. The CIA's recent intelligence debacle against Iraq was one of the greatest in a long series of failures that has publicly exposed the Agency's profound weaknesses. These intelligence failures were due in large measure to the CIA's poor human intelligence collection and shoddy analysis, areas that cannot be remedied alone by the creation of the new Director of National Intelligence post. This article recommends steps needed to increase the quality of intelligence produced by CIA, or elsewhere in the new intelligence community, to move American intelligence in lockstep with military transformation to give the Commander-in-Chief realistic options for countering hostile nation-states or terrorist groups seeking or acquiring WMD.     

American diplomatic realism: A tradition practised and preached by George F. Kennan

George F. Kennan's work remains pertinent to the contemporary debate over American foreign policy in which voices calling for a realistic conduct of American diplomacy have been faint. Kennan's thought contains a framework that can be used to examine critically the drift in American diplomacy from the realist assumptions held by the American Founding Fathers towards the liberal or Wilsonian school of international relations. Wilsonianism has seized the world view of contemporary American diplomats and statesmen, particularly during the Clinton administration. Kennan's analysis provides a salutary word in the debate over the course of post‐Cold War American foreign policy that takes Wilsonian assumptions for granted.     

Does Training and Documentation Improve Emergency Department Assessments of Domestic Violence Victims?

This study aimed to determine whether training and documentation led to improved assessment of female victims of assault due to domestic violence presenting to an emergency department. Eighty clinical records were audited using a valid and reliable audit tool over four time periods for variables including history, risk assessment, and examination. Documentation differed across the four groups (p?=?0.011). Between group analysis found there was a difference (p?=?0.055) between Groups 1 (before training) and 2 (after training), and Group 3 (with a specialist form in place), and there was a difference (p?=?0.009) between Groups 1 and 4 (8 years later). Training alone did not lead to change. Introducing specialist documentation with training was associated with an improvement in the standard of clinical assessment of female victims of assault due to domestic violence and this change increased over time.     

Stressful Life Experiences and Peer Externalizing Behaviors Mediate the Relation Between Reduced Family Support and Externalizing Symptoms in Low-Income Urban Youth

Family support, urban stressors, and peer behavior were examined in relation to externalizing symptoms in 605 predominantly low-income urban sixth through eighth grade adolescents. Mother and father support were each associated with lower levels of externalizing symptoms in both males and females. For males, father absence was associated with increased peer externalizing behavior and heightened rates of youth externalizing symptoms. Stress (in the form of major life events, daily hassles, and exposure to violence) and peer externalizing behavior were examined as mediators of the relation between parent support and youth externalizing symptoms. Increased stress exposure mediated the relation between weak mother and father support and youth externalizing symptoms. Additionally, for females, peer externalizing behavior mediated the relation between weak mother support and youth externalizing symptoms.     

Does Ambivalent Sexism Influence Verdicts for Heterosexual and Homosexual Defendants in a Self-Defense Case?

The current research examined the role of defendant and participant sex, presence or absence of expert testimony of the “battered person syndrome”, and sexual orientation of the defendant on perceptions of guilt in a self-defense case. The role of sexism in judgments of culpability was also examined. A sample of 442 participants read a self-defense case scenario and responded to questions pertaining to verdict, defendant culpability, legal element ratings, and sexist attitudes. Results revealed a four-way interaction, showing female participants prescribed the lowest guilt ratings to heterosexual female and homosexual male defendants who received expert testimony of the battered person syndrome. When heterosexual male defendants received expert testimony, ratings of guilt significantly increased. A multiple regression was conducted to determine whether legal and extra-legal factors predicted defendant culpability. Sexist attitudes (benevolent sexism towards men and women) and certain legal elements were predictive of defendant culpability. Limitations and implications are discussed. Study findings were presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society (APLS), Jacksonville, Florida (March, 2008).