Foster youth and crime: Employing general strain theory to promote understanding

Purpose

Despite the growing research evidence into vulnerability, disadvantage, and poor outcomes for young people leaving foster care, relatively little attention has been paid to our understanding of criminal engagement. The present study contributes to our understanding of this process by drawing on general strain theory (GST) to examine how specific forms of strain may lead to crime among foster youth.

Methods

Data from a national study of post-care foster youth in England are examined using robust logistic regression analysis, and a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews. Logistic regression was applied to conduct a simultaneous analysis of main and interaction effects of strains and conditioning variables on crime involvement among foster youth. Thematic analysis was utilised to explore themes for explaining the quantitative findings.

Results

Strains such as unemployment, school exclusion, length of time in care and instability of placement were significant predictors for involvement in criminal activity among foster youth. Conditioning factors, namely self-esteem and life skills acquired prior to leaving care, tend to mediate the relationship between these strains and criminal involvement. In-depth qualitative evidence further reinforced the effects of strains and conditional nature of the strains-crime relationship among foster youth.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate the utility of employing GST in studies of foster youth, and they suggest implications for youth services and other foster youth programmes.     

A simplified clustering method for novice narcotic chemists

Statistical classification remains the most useful statistical tool for forensic chemists to assess the relationships between samples. Many clustering techniques such as principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis have been employed to analyze chemical data for pattern recognition. Due to the feeble foundation of this statistics knowledge among novice drug chemists, a tetrahedron method was designed to simulate how advanced chemometrics operates. In this paper, the development of the graphical tetrahedron and computational matrices derived from the possible tetrahedrons are discussed. The tetrahedron method was applied to four selected parameters obtained from nine illicit heroin samples. Pattern analysis and mathematical computation of the differences in areas for assessing the dissimilarity between the nine tetrahedrons were found to be user-convenient and straightforward for novice cluster analysts.     

Gas chromatographic method validation for the analysis of major components in illicit heroin seized in Malaysia

Apart from routine analysis of total morphine content required by the criminal justice system, quantification of other major components in illicit heroin has not been considered by the Malaysian enforcement laboratory. In order to quantify various other cutting agents in addition to alkaloids, a gas chromatographic (GC) method was developed to facilitate simultaneous quantification of eight target analytes commonly found in illicit heroin seized in Malaysia within a 12 min run time. The validation results demonstrated high selectivity with the use of an HP Ultra 2 capillary column. Different solvents were studied and methanol:chloroform (1:9) proved best for sample dissolution. The method was repeatable and reproducible. The study ranges covering 50-150% of the preferred concentrations of the eight analytes obtained r(2)>0.9997. Limits of detection up to 6μg/mL were also obtained and the method achieved 99-102% recovery. The capability of the method in heroin profiling was verified using samples from ten case samples.     

Growth Disparity in China: Provincial causes

The strategic shift of central government policy from equitable economic growth to the open door policy with an emphasis on coastal development in 1978 has resulted in uneven regional growth in China. The most noticeable growth disparity is between the coastal and inland provinces. This article seeks to identify the uneven growth of regional economies and to investigate provincial causes of such interprovincial variations in growth in the post-Mao era. This study develops a local reform-driven perspective to account for an unequal growth pattern in Jiangxi and Fujian. It finds that discrepancies in leadership role and ability to establish growth policy and strategies are the key variables in explaining the dissimilar pace of development. Such growth policy and strategies account for differences in restructuring in the local economy from centrally-planned to market-conforming, variations in creating new comparative advantages of the acquired kind, and different levels of marketization and non-state sector growth.     

The Economics of Bail Setting and Social Welfare

In most jurisdictions, there is a statutory preference for releasing on bail an accused in custody that has not yet been convicted unless the accused is charged with very serious offence like homicide. Nonetheless, the courts are vested with the powers to decide on the quantum of bail or to even refuse bail outright. To induce the defendant to surrender for trial [Lim, B.-T., & Quah, E. (1998). Economics of bail setting. Bulletin of Economic Research, 257–264] demonstrate that the bail quantum should be based on the expected cost of punishment and the probability of re-arrest if the defendant jumps bail. However, there are costs to society if the defendant absconds, which include, inter alia, the cost of re-arresting the defendant. In this paper, we derive the optimal bail quantum on the assumption that the probability of re-arrest and the penalty for absconding are chosen by the courts whose objective function is to minimize the sum of the expected harm to society and the net costs to law enforcement if the defendant jumps bail. The cost and benefit of being released on bail are examined. A model is proposed which may be useful to the court officials in bail setting as an effective means to secure the defendant's attendance at trial as well as to achieve social equity.     

信息不对称视域中的军官晋升考核问题探析

军官晋升考核中存在的信息不对称,容易带来道德风险和逆向选择,造成人才的显性和隐形流失、组织公信力下降以及对正确选人导向的偏离.为此,必须加强军官晋升考核的制度设计,使考核的相关信息趋于对称.     

农村基础教育改革和发展浅议

社会主义新农村建设的关键在于发展农村教育,农村教育的改革,应该从拓宽投入渠道入手,完善农村基础教育经费的投入体制;发挥政府的调控职能,保障农村基础教育均衡发展;加强农村师资队伍建设,切实提高农村教师队伍素质。只有真正解决了农村教育的经费投入和师资队伍建设问题,农村教育才可能步入正常发展的轨道。     

我国“三农”问题的经济法对策

目前,我国"三农"问题已成为制约经济和社会发展的瓶颈。经济法是化解"三农"问题的关键性法律对策。本文从"三农"问题的现状和产生的原因出发,运用经济法的理念分析了"三农"问题存在的不合理性以及经济法与"三农"问题的消解存在的内在联系,提出了经济法应加强市场主体立法,加强宏观调控立法,逐步建构与完善农村社会保障制度的建议。     

行政与刑事诉讼中警察出庭作证制度比较研究

警察能否以其特殊的职业身份出庭作证一直都是存在争议的问题。从实践层面看,警察出庭作证对查清案件事实无疑具有积极的意义;但从理论层面看,警察出庭作证还存在许多障碍。因此,对行政诉讼法与刑事诉讼法中的警察作证制度进行比较,从而科学地建立和完善警察出庭作证制度,以最大限度地实现警察出庭作证的诉讼价值。     

高职院校实践教学体系问题探析

随着经济社会发展对人才需求的日趋多样化,特别是生产一线对高素质技能型人才的追切需要,我国高职院校实践教学体系问题研究已成为我国高等教育的重要组成部分。因此,研究并制定出适应高职学校办学要求的,符合国情和适应社会经济发展需求的,被用人单位所认可的,有利于工程专科教育技能型人才培养的实践教学体系,将会促进高职院校教学质量的提高,增强高职院校毕业生在就业过程中的就业竞争力。