INTERPARENTAL CONFLICT AND CHILD ADJUSTMENT

This article evaluates the past decade's research on the relationship between interparental conflict and children's behavioral, emotional, and social adjustment. Meta-analysis confirmed an overall conflict-adjustment relationship that was particularly strong and consistent across studies of behavioral outcomes. The article calls for further refinement of the general conflictadjustment relationship, particularly specification of the various dimensions of conflict and qualifications to limit applications to the particular populations that have been included in research. Secondary analysis is needed to differentiate the effects of family violence from other forms of discord and to compare outcomes for boys and girls. New research must extend inquiry to the full range of sociodemographic groups and family structures in our society. In the next decade, it is crucial to move beyond simple documentation of the general association between conflict and adjustment to identification of the specific conditions that put children at risk and safeguard them from harm.     

Expanding a traditional criminal justice curriculum into an innovative social control curriculum

Most criminal justice curricula are limited to crime and the criminal justice system. Such programs could profit from evolution into a curriculum covering all means by which behavior is controlled in society. Subject areas of such a social control curriculum would include: sources and nature of behavior; selection of behaviors for social control; criminal justice systems; non-criminal justice, legal, social control systems; and nonlegal, social control systems. Crime and criminal justice would remain major topics, but would be complemented by and blended with the topics of noncriminal behavior and non-criminal justice system controls on behavior. However, the focus would remain on social control of behavior and would not be expanded to include all community interaction.     

World gone wrong: the financial crisis,labor market transitions and earnings in Serbia

While results are starting to emerge, not much is known yet about the dynamics of the labor markets of the former Eastern economies, especially in the context of the current financial crisis. Arguably, this is mainly due to paucity of (panel) data. By examining labor market transitions and earnings growth and their correlates using a recent panel data set for Serbia, this paper combines both of these issues. Estimation of gross transition probabilities reveals that females are disadvantaged in the Serbian labor market in terms of moving out of the two undesirable states, unemployment and economic inactivity, relative to males during the first year of the financial crisis—though males are harder hit than females in terms of the levels of unemployment. In terms of earnings growth, the picture is reversed, with females experiencing smaller earnings decreases than males (though, owing to the gender earnings gap, from a much lower base). Examining the determinants of employment, unemployment, and inactivity transitions and of earnings growth reveal substantial gender differences related to individual, job, and firm characteristics. The overall results therefore hint at both males and females being hit in terms of employment and earnings, though in different ways. Finally, the paper discusses policy implications and provides suggestions for further research.     

Rethinking the presumption of innocence

This article is concerned with what constitutes interference with the presumption of innocence and what justifications there might be for such interference. It provides a defence of a theory of the presumption of innocence that suggests that the right is interfered with if the offence warrants conviction of defendants who are not the intended target of the offence. This thesis is defended against two alternative theories. It then considers what might justify interference with the presumption of innocence. It explores the idea that interference is justified if it is necessary in a democratic society and considers the presumption in relation to the aims of the criminal trial. It is concluded that no good grounds have been provided for interference with the right, and that the right should be regarded as inviolable.