MDS use with crime scene data replicates poorly: response to Goodwill,Alison, and Humann (this issue) and Davis (this issue)

Abstract

Examinations of treatment attrition form an important – although sometimes neglected – component of evaluating a correctional programme's effectiveness in reducing recidivism. Previous research has identified offender characteristics that predict non-completion. This study investigated non-completion in 138 high-risk, violent male prisoners attending an intensive cognitive–behavioural programme. Almost one-third of men who commenced it did not complete the 7-month programme. Most asked to leave of their own accord, or were removed for ongoing offending. In contrast to previous research, no support was found for the hypothesis that those who terminated treatment prematurely were more in need of intervention than those who completed the programme; non-completers did not differ from completers on static estimates of criminal risk, PCL-R scores, demographic variables or self-report scales measuring dynamic risk factors. It was concluded that successful prediction using variables related to criminal risk and criminogenic need depends both on the characteristics of programme participants, and on contextual factors such as programme policies: when high-risk high needs offenders are a programme's target clientele, variables related to risk and need will have limited predictive utility. From a practice perspective, the programme was successful in retaining through to completion a relatively untreatable group: high-risk offenders with moderate to high PCL-R scores.     

A Systematic Approach to Domestic Abuse–Informed Child Custody Decision Making in Family Law Cases

This article introduces an approach to domestic violence–informed decision making developed under the auspices of the National Child Custody Differentiation Project, a cooperative undertaking among the Battered Women's Justice Project, the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts, the National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, Praxis International, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. This approach has four essential elements: (1) identifying domestic abuse; (2) understanding the nature and context of domestic abuse; (3) determining the implications of abuse; and (4) accounting for the nature, context, and implications of abuse in all custody‐related recommendations and decisions.

Key Points for the Family Court Community:
• Applying a systematic approach to domestic violence can help practitioners identify, understand, and account for abuse in family law cases.
• The approach recommended here is suitable for use by anyone who is involved in a contested child custody case at any stage of the proceeding.
• The specific application of the recommended approach will vary depending upon the practitioner's role and function in the case, relationship to the parties, and access to information, as well as the nature of the proceeding and the issues to be decided.

     

How Law Rules: Torture,Terror, and the Normative Judgments of Iraqi Judges

We present a factorial survey experiment conducted with Iraqi judges during the early military occupation of Iraq. Because U.S. soldiers are immune from prosecution in Iraqi courts, there is no opportunity for these judges to express their views regarding highly publicized torture cases. As legally informed representatives of an occupied nation, however, Iraqi judges arguably have a strong claim to a normative voice on this sensitive subject. We are able to give voice to these judges in this study by using a quasi‐experimental method. This method diminishes social desirability bias in judges' responses and allows us to consider a broad range and combination of factors influencing their normative judgments. We examine why and how the U.S. effort to introduce democracy with an indeterminate rule of law produced unintended and inconsistent results in the normative judgments of Iraqi judges. A critical legal perspective anticipates the influences of indeterminacy, power, and fear in our research. More specifically, we anticipated lenient treatment for guards convicted of torture, especially in trouble cases of Coalition soldiers torturing al Qaeda prisoners. However, the results—which include cross‐level, judge‐case interaction effects—were more varied than theoretically expected. The Iraqi judges responded in disparate and polarized ways. Some judges imposed more severe sentences on Coalition guards convicted of torturing al Qaeda suspects, while others imposed more lenient sentences on the same combination of guards and suspects. The cross‐level interactions indicate that the judges who severely sentenced Coalition guards likely feared the contribution of torture tactics to increasing violence in Iraq. The judges who were less fearful of violence were more lenient and accommodating of torture by Coalition forces. The implication is that the less fearful judges were freed by an indeterminate law to advance Coalition goals through lenient punishment of torture. Our analysis suggests that the introduction of democracy and the rule of law in Iraq is a negative case in the international diffusion of American institutions. The results indicate the need for further development of a nuanced critical legal perspective.     

The Performance-Verbal IQ discrepancy in differentiated subgroups of delinquent adolescent boys

Evidence for Wechsler's Performance-Verbal IQ sign of adolescent psychopathy in the test results of undifferentiated groups of delinquents has been variable. In view of the heterogeneity of delinquency as a clinical syndrome, the validity of Wechsler's sign was reexamined for psychopathic, neurotic, and subcultural delinquent boys defined according to Quay 's behavioral classification system. Only the psychopathic group scored significantly higher on the Performance Scale than on the Verbal Scale. However, the number of adolescents in each group obtaining higher Performance than Verbal IQs did not significantly differ. Additional group comparisons indicated that the psychopaths earned markedly lower scores on the Comprehension subtest that did the other groups. The findings were interpreted in light of characteristics common to most delinquents regardless of personality orientation.Received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Major interests are clinical child and developmental psychology.     

Course and Severity of Maternal Depression: Associations with Family Functioning and Child Adjustment

Number of lifetime episodes, duration of current episode, and severity of maternal depression were investigated in relation to family functioning and child adjustment. Participants were the 151 mother–child pairs in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) child multi-site study. Mothers were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder; children (80 males and 71 females) ranged in age from 7 to 17 years. Measures of child adjustment included psychiatric diagnoses, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and functional impairment. Measures of family functioning included family cohesion, expressiveness, conflict, organization, and household control; parenting measures assessed maternal acceptance and psychological control. Children of mothers with longer current depressive episodes were more likely to have internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with this association being moderated by child gender. Mothers with more lifetime depressive episodes were less likely to use appropriate control in their homes.

Exploring strengths-based approaches in the design of a family planning project in Kenya

This practical note explores the contribution that strengths-based approaches (SBA) can make to project design. The note outlines how SBA was understood and applied in the design of a family planning project by Marie Stopes in Kenya under the Australian Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES). Fieldwork findings demonstrate how SBA assists in bringing to the fore local initiatives and assets that can be built on by external resources. It further suggests that SBA can create a strong foundation for local partnership, honest appraisal, and learning.

Examen des approches basées sur les points forts dans la conception d'un projet de planning familial

Cette note pratique examine la contribution que les approches basées sur les points forts (ABPF) peuvent apporter à la conception des projets. La note décrit comment l'ABPF a été comprise et appliquée dans le cadre de la conception d'un projet de planning familial par Marie Stopes au Kenya, entrepris au titre du programme australien Africa Community Engagement Scheme (AACES). Les conclusions tirées lors d'une mission sur le terrain montrent la manière dont l'ABPF peut aider à mettre au premier plan des initiatives et atouts qui peuvent être développés par des ressources externes. Il est aussi suggéré que l'ABPF peut donner lieu à une fondation solide pour des partenariats locaux, à une estimation honnête et à l'apprentissage.

Explorando abordagens baseadas nos pontos fortes na criação de um projeto de planejamento familiar

Esta nota prática examina a contribuição que abordagens baseadas nos pontos fortes (SBA) pode dar na criação do projeto. A nota apresenta como o SBA foi compreendido e aplicado na criação de um projeto de planejamento familiar de Marie Stopes, no Quênia, sob o Esquema Australiano de Engajamento da Comunidade da África (AACES). Os resultados do trabalho de campo mostram como o SBA ajuda a colocar em evidência iniciativas locais e bens que podem ser construídos através de recursos externos. Ele sugere ainda que o SBA pode criar uma fundação sólida para parceria local, avaliação honesta e aprendizado.

Un análisis de métodos basados en las fortalezas para la elaboración de un proyecto de planificación familiar

Esta nota práctica analiza los aportes de los métodos basados en las fortalezas (MBF) para la elaboración de proyectos. Se revisa cómo Marie Stopes entendió y aplicó un MBF para elaborar un proyecto de planificación familiar en Kenia, en el marco del Plan para la Participación Comunitaria Australiano-Africana. Las conclusiones derivadas del trabajo de campo demuestran cómo el MBF puede ayudar a situar las iniciativas y los activos locales en primer plano, y a fortalecerlos con recursos externos. También revela que el MBF puede crear una sólida base para las asociaciones locales, las evaluaciones sinceras y el aprendizaje.     

Using multidimensional scaling for the analysis of sexual offence behaviour: A replication and some cautionary notes

Abstract

Crime scene profiling has received considerable attention, particularly in popular media. First, since low inter-rater reliability would affect the validity of profiling, we tested inter-rater agreement for 33 variables often used in manuals for the coding of crime-related behaviour. Thirty cases were chosen randomly from 146 cases of assault rape with unknown male offenders in Sweden during 1990–1994. Second, we used multidimensional scaling (MDS) with all 146 cases to replicate earlier work by Canter and Heritage (Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 1, 185–212, 1990) regarding motivational dimensions in unknown assault rapists. On average, inter-rater reliability was good; physical behaviours were more reliably coded than were verbal behaviours. However, a two-dimensional MDS solution with the motivational dimensions suggested by Canter and Heritage was not replicated. We argue for better empirical support for the inclusion of specific variables in coding formats for crime scene information. This is particularly important for analyses like the MDS, since the number, representativity, and intercorrelations of such variables could affect results considerably.