Some implications of non-reporting and self-reporting of crime on criminal justice research

Conclusions There are reasonable grounds for assuming that unreported crime is extensive. Inasmuch as questionnaires are the major source of data for self-reported crime and delinquency and Clark and Tifft have seriously challenged the validity of this data source, it seems these areas lack a valid and unequivocal basis for assessing theory. It seems rather pointless to pursue etiological studies until new, valid, and reliable sources of data are available for theory construction and testing. The contention that interdisciplinary research is needed in Criminology is strengthened by the Clark and Tifft study, which offers an instance of fruitful interdisciplinary collaboration. Other recognized examples of significant interdisciplinary effort include the works of Pasmanick,et.al.,²³ Srole,et. al.,²⁴ and Lindner,et. al. ²⁵ Students of crime and delinquency must break through the parochialism of unitary and doctrinaire commitment to their own disciplines. In particular, sociologists must learn increasingly to utilize and embrace, at least on the micro-level, the potentials offered by other sciences, especially the life sciences. An alternative to this proposal would be a largescale consecutive birth study; then, perhaps in a quarter of a century, we might have the data necessary to formulate tentative etiological conclusions.     

The development of the black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen).

The black blow fly, Phormia regina (Meigen) is a primary species commonly utilized to indicate a postmortem interval, or more appropriately a "time since colonization". Due to the importance of this species as a secondary myiasis producer in livestock operations, and more recently as a time since death indicator in the field of forensic entomology, a considerable amount of data on its growth and development has been generated. However, the developmental time as reported by these studies varies greatly, and current more detailed data is needed for use in medicocriminal entomology. Hourly developmental data is presented under constant temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 degrees C, and cyclic temperatures of 10-15, 15-25, 25-35 and 35-45 degrees C. This study is in agreement with the results reported by Kamal [Comparative study of thirteen species of sarcosaprophagous Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae (Diptera). I. Bionomics, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 51 (1958) 261] and Melvin [Incubation period of eggs of certain musciod flies at different constant temperatures, Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 27 (1934) 406] only at temperatures of 25 degrees C and below. Bishopp [Flies which cause myiasis in man and animals: some aspects of the problem, J. Econ. Entomol. 8 (1915) 317] reported a shorter developmental duration for larval stages than what was produced with our laboratory rearings.     

Investigations into factors affecting the cascade developer used in ESDA--a review

The Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA) is a technique most commonly used for the visualisation of indented impressions on questioned documents. This work investigates some of the variables which are known to affect the results of ESDA and some variables which have, as yet, not been addressed. The investigation of variables included: examining the effects of different levels of indentation on different qualities of paper, chronological aging of cascade developer and the effects of repeated use of cascade developer on both the quality of results and the glass beads themselves, the effects of storage of cascade developer in a humidified environment and finally the effects of variation on the image development time. Results indicate that chronological aging of cascade developer does not have a negative effect on the quality of results and a 200 g portion of cascade developer will give good quality results for up to 30 traces before the quality will begin to deteriorate. Humidification of the cascade developer appears to have no advantages over storage in a normal environment and, in fact, the toner is lost sooner with humidification. The surface of the glass beads are affected through repeated use of cascade developer and appear to become visually smoother which may lead to a loss of attraction between them and the toner particles.     

Administrative compensation of medical injuries: a hardy perennial blooms again

Periods in which the costs of personal injury litigation and liability insurance have risen dramatically have often provoked calls for reform of the tort system, and medical malpractice is no exception. One proposal for fundamental reform made during several of these volatile periods has been to relocate personal injury disputes from the tort system to an alternative, administrative forum. In the medical injury realm, a leading incarnation of such proposals in recent years has been the idea of establishing specialized administrative "health courts." Despite considerable stakeholder and policy-maker interest, administrative compensation proposals have tended to struggle for broad political acceptance. In this article, we consider the historical experience of administrative medical injury compensation proposals, particularly in light of comparative examples in the context of workplace injuries, automobile injuries, and vaccine injuries. We conclude by examining conditions that may facilitate or impede progress toward establishing demonstration projects of health courts.     

Moving Beyond Sovereignty? A brief consideration of recent changes in China's approach to international order and the emergence of the tianxia concept

This article examines recent trends in the evolution of elite Chinese foreign policy discussions about the normative organizing principles that should ground contemporary international politics. It finds that a pragmatic emphasis on sovereignty, albeit as a right which is flexible and far from sacrosanct, still maintains a core position within Chinese thinking in this regard. However, at the same time, a surprising reconstitution of an old world view has begun to take shape in China. More specifically, the tianxia (all-under-heaven) concept has emerged as a new reference point for some Chinese deliberations on the normative structure of international relations. While such a perspective is still of secondary importance within Chinese international relations circles, its emergence suggests that a potentially far-reaching, if still inchoate, reconsideration of international order is underway in China. Moreover, such a development may have broad ranging implications for the security dynamic that takes shape in Asia in the coming years.     

The shaman hunts and the postwar revival and reinvention of Okinawan shamanism

In the 1930s and 1940s shaman hunts (yutagari) were conducted by the Japanese Special Higher Police in Okinawa, Japan's most southern and remote prefecture. This was not the first time that attempts had been made to remove these women from Okinawan society. The fact that the yuta were hunted down and incarcerated, driven underground, and in some cases executed says much about how influential and threatening Japanese authorities perceived them to be. At the end of the Battle of Okinawa, more than one quarter of all Okinawan civilians were dead, and in many cases their remains were unrecoverable due to the extent of the destruction. The absence of appropriate mortuary rituals and religious specialists to perform these rituals, many of whom had been removed by authorities, led to severe spiritual dislocation for many Okinawans. In the chaotic postwar environment a path was opened for the revival of the previously hunted shamans to treat those who had suffered physical, family and spiritual loss, through providing help for these clients in dealing with settling the unsatisfied dead. It also led to the emergence of the ‘new’ yuta, those shamans who followed different routes to becoming religious advisors. This paper first outlines some of the circumstances that led to the shaman hunts, and then assesses the role of the Battle of Okinawa and its aftermath in rehabilitating shamanism in postwar society.     

Campus officers’ sanctioning of alcohol-involved crime: influences on discretionary decision-making

Universities are a hotbed of alcohol consumption, which is a major contributor to campus crime. In the US, campus police are responsible for handling crimes on campus. Like municipal police, campus officers are afforded the power to make discretionary sanctioning decisions. The question for this paper is what affects those decisions? To explore that topic, data collected during ride-alongs with campus officers are analyzed. Campus officers explained their sanctions as being affected by nine factors. The findings suggest that influences on campus and municipal officers’ sanctioning decisions are largely similar. The paper concludes by discussing implications for future research.     

WHO OWNS INDIA’S HISTORY? A CRITIQUE OF SHASHI THAROOR’S INGLORIOUS EMPIRE

The historiography of Britain's colonial past has always been problematic, shaped by conflicting mythologies about Britain's role as benefactor or exploiter. In the wake of Indian independence in 1947 it was in the interests of India's national identity to present what had gone before as a period of unmitigated oppression challenged by a united people. The consequence was widespread ignorance about the realities of British rule and of the Indian economy prior to and after British rule, exemplified by a current best-seller written by a well-known Indian political figure, Dr Shashi Tharoor, whose main arguments are examined; in particular, his central claim that India was a wealthy nation prior to Britain's colonial intervention reduced to poverty by Britain's ‘depredations’.