Screening for risk of inpatient violence

A screening checklist for assessing the risk of violence at the time of psychiatric hospitalization was developed. Checklist items and a cutoff point for low versus high risk of violence were selected based on a previous study of statistical prediction of violence. Application of the checklist to a new sample of 338 patients admitted to a university-based inpatient unit revealed promising results in identifying patients who later displayed aggressive behavior in the hospital, as indicated by its positive predictive value (59.0%), negative predictive value (70.6%), sensitivity (57.2%), specificity (70.0%), total predictive value (65.4%), and likelihood ratio (1.97). The results suggest the potential value of incorporating actuarial methods in the evaluation of violence risk.Funded in part by Biomedical Research Support Grant Program grant No. SO7-RR05775 from the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health. Portions of this paper were presented at the Biennial Conference of the American Psychology-Law Society/Division 41 of the American Psychological Association, San Diego, CA, March 12–14, 1992. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dale E. McNiel.     

The logical framework: An easy escape,a straitjacket,or a useful planning tool?

The 'logical framework' and 'logical framework approach' have become widespread planning tools, particularly in donor-assisted projects in developing countries. With its simple format and the clear relationship between variables, the logical framework is helpful for summarising main concerns relating to development schemes. At the same time, the author argues, current conventions limit the framework's usefulness; and he suggests modifications that should substantially enhance its applicability and information-carrying capacity. The logical framework approach seeks to address additional dimensions of planning. However, it is too circumscribed by standardised steps and procedures to be defended as the ubiquitous planning methodology it is commonly held out to be. The 'logical framework approach' is here juxtaposed with a broader and more flexible concept of 'development planning', with which it should not be confused.     

Book reviews

Jeff Haynes, Religion in Global Politics (Longman, London, 1998), 243 pp., ISBN 0–582–29312‐X (pb)

Haleh Afshar, Islam and Feminisms. An Iranian Case‐study (Macmillan, London, 1998), 235 pp., ISBN 0–333–73324‐X (hb)

Felix Moses Edoho, Globalization and the New World Order: Promises, Problems, and Prospects for Africa in the Twenty First Century (Praeger, Westport, 1997), 215 pp., ISBN 0–275–95517–6 (hb)

Cyrus Ernesto Zirakzadeh, Social Movements in Politics. A Comparative Study (Longman, London, 1997), 269 pp., ISBN 0–582–20946–3

Mick Ryan, Lobbying from Below: INQUEST in Defence of Civil Liberties (UCL Press, London, 1996), 208 pp., ISBN 1–85728–225–8 (hb), 1–85728–256–6 (pb)

Grant Jordan and William Maloney, The Protest Business? Mobilizing Campaign Groups (Manchester University Press, Manchester and New York, 1997), 213 pp., ISBN 0–7190–4371–9 (pb)     

Opium and Empire: McCoy on Heroin in Southeast Asia

Abstract

More and more, as scholars search to understand the history of U.S. intervention in Southeast Asia, they are forced to study the largely submerged operations of crime. The tripartite symbiosis which A. J. Liebling a generation ago described in Chicago—between local government, the Syndicate, and less visible economic interests—operates with the same brutal efficiency in the Far East as well. There too the tightly-knit, ruthless bagmen and enforcers from narcotics and other vice operations become the indigenous local cadres for venal and demoralized regimes, which in turn are fronts for more powerful imperial and economic forces. Al McCoy has written a fascinating and exhaustive analysis of the interpenetration between crime and local government in Southeast Asia. But, as we shall see, he has less to say about U.S. influence behind the scenes, and as to economic interests he is largely silent.     

Ecological determinants of volunteerism among Asian and Latinx immigrants in California,US

ABSTRACT

Volunteerism offers various health benefits and increases the level of cohesion among communities. Connectedness to communities may be particularly important for immigrants to promote their integration into the host society. However, research that systematically examines factors that contribute to volunteerism, particularly among immigrants, remains scarce. The purpose of this study is to investigate the associations between the ecological determinants and volunteerism among Asian and Latinx immigrants. The authors used the 2009 California Health Interview Survey Multicultural Discrimination Module, the most recent and state-representative data available, and found the similarities and differences of those associations between Asian and Latinx immigrants. The authors discuss the implications of results and recommend that strategies to promote volunteerism among immigrants should be accompanied by consideration of their race and ethnicity, family, neighbourhood, and life experience.