Descriptive Study of Precursors to Sex Offending among 813 Boys and Girls: Antecedent Life Experiences

In order to understand the precursors to sexual offending among youth and the associated gender differences, the records of 813 sexually abusive children (659 boys and 154 girls) referred for an evaluation of their sexually inappropriate and coercive behavior were reviewed and coded. These children ranged in age from 3 to 18 when they committed their first hands-on offenses. All were under the care of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services either prior to or as a result of their behavior. Principle findings included: (1) a high proportion of girls (19 percent) in a sample of children flagged as sexually abusive to other children, (2) an exceptionally high base rate of severe maltreatment and associated clinical and psychiatric sequelae, and (3) girls were significantly more likely to be sexually abused, and when sexually abused the abuse lasted longer, was more severe, and involved more perpetrators. In addition, the girls were significantly more likely to witness domestic violence and to witness sexual deviance within the home. For all other types of abuse, there were no group differences, and (4) all of the children were subjected to a very high level of caregiver instability.     

Gestion des ressources humaines et Nouveau Management Public: Opinions de gestionnaires federaux et québécois

Sommaire: Comme Ies gestionnaires jouent un rôle prépondérant dans I'application et la réhissitc dcs programmes gouvernementaux, nous en avons interrogé plusieurs wuvrant dans les fonctions publiques fédérale et québécoise ‐ tous situés au Québec ‐ pour connaître leurs opinions sur le Nouveau Management Public (nmp). À priori, nous pensions qu'ils seraient favorables à I'introduction de cette nouvelle façon de gerer. Toutefois, une partie d'entre eux ne considèrent pas les techniques de gestion du personnel déoulant du nmr aussi favorablement qu'escompté. Certains résukats surprennent: nous avons noté des divergences d'opinion significatives entre Ics réponscs des gestionnaires du palier fédéral et du palier provincial. Nous observons ainsi que les gestionnaires fédéraux sont généralement plus cnclins que leurs homo‐logues québécois à approuver et à utiliser des techniques managérielles découlant du nmp et nous avons tenté de déouvrir pourquoi. Nous avons développé une explication qui inclut un point de vue historico‐institutionnel pour comprendre Ies différences observées entre les visions des gestionnaires des deux paliers gouvernementaux. Tandis que les gestionnaires fédéraux ont une longue expérience dcs rbformes managériellcs, I'csprit égalitaire des réformes bureaucratiques des années 1960 et 1970 aurait pousséIes gestionnaires québécois à rejeter I'individualisme com‐petitif du nmp. Abstract: Since managers play a predominant role in the implementation and thus the success of government programs, the authors interviewed several in the Canadian and Quebec public services, all working in Quebec, to learn their opinions about the new public management (npm). It was expected that managers would be inclined to favour the introduction of this new form of state administration. However, a number of them did not view favourably some of the new techniques of personnel management stemming from the npm. Federal managers interviewed were generally more inclined to favour and to use such techniques. In an effort to explain the observtd differences, the authors have developed a historical‐institutional argument. While federal administrators have a long experience of managerial reforms, the egalitarian bureaucratic ethos of the sixties and seventies may have led Quebec managers to resist the individualist and competitive techniques of the npm.     

Heijin — Organized crime,business and politics in Taiwan

Trends in Organized Crime -     

CRITIQUE OF CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS BY THE LEGAL PROFESSION

This study explored the congruency between child custody evaluations and the needs of the legal profession. One hundred twenty-one judges and attorneys were surveyed. In general, both groups expressed similar attitudes and beliefs. Findings indicated that court-ordered evaluations were most useful, and objectivity was paramount. Judges and attorneys also expressed a need for improvements in child custody reports, particularly greater child focus, provision of custody and visitation recommendations, discussion of legal criteria, and timely completion of evaluations. It is hoped that the findings will inform professional practice and help evaluators better serve the needs of the family court.     

Family-planning methods among the tribal population in south Gujarat: a case study of access and usage

The article explores knowledge and practices of family planning among the tribal population of south Gujarat, India. The authors examine the reasons for discontinuation and non-use of various modern contraceptive methods by tribals and draw contrasts with practices in the urban population. They consider the roles of women, family members, local leaders, and effective communication, along with NGOs and the private sector, and make recommendations for increasing access to and usage of various family-planning methods by the tribals.     

Sex offender risk assessment: Consideration of human rights in community protection legislation

Objectives. Risk assessments provided to judicial decision makers as a part of the current generation of legislation for protecting the public from sexual offenders can have a profound impact on the rights of individual offenders. This article will identify some of the human rights issues inherent in using the current assessment procedures to formulate and communicate risk as a forensic expert in cases involving civil commitment, preventive detention, extended supervision, or special conditions of parole. Method. Based on the current professional literature and applied experience in legal proceedings under community protection laws in the United States and New Zealand, potential threats to the rights of offenders are identified. Central to these considerations are issues of the accuracy of current risk assessment measures, communicating the findings of risk assessment appropriately to the court, and the availability of competent forensic mental health professionals in carrying out these functions. The role of the forensic expert is discussed in light of the competing demands of protecting individual human rights and community protection. Conclusion. Actuarial risk assessment represents the best practice for informing judicial decision makers in cases involving sex offenders, yet these measures currently demonstrate substantial limitations in predictive accuracy when applied to individual offenders. These limitations must be clearly articulated when reporting risk assessment findings. Sufficient risk assessment expertise should be available to provide a balanced application of community protection laws.