A Cross-cultural Validation of the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (BCAP)

The aim of this study was to provide preliminary findings on the cross-cultural validation and reliability of the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory (BCAP) developed by Ondersma et al. (Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 2005). A community sample of 324 parents was recruited through schools from a range of socioeconomic areas in a large UK city. The BCAP appears to be a reliable instrument that is easy to use and shows promise as a brief screening tool for parental child abuse potential within the UK. Modifications are suggested to the validity scales and the conceptual structure based on this sample, however, detailed testing of the utility of this scale for clinical practice outside the US should be pursued.     

Sudden death due to dissecting pulmonary artery aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature

Pulmonary artery aneurysm and pulmonary artery dissection are rare antemortem diagnoses, most often associated with sudden death. These pathologic entities are strongly associated with chronic pulmonary hypertension due to structural cardiac defects, either congenital or acquired. We report the case of a 49-year-old woman who died suddenly due to dissection and rupture of a large pulmonary trunk aneurysm, with subsequent cardiac tamponade. Key historical and physical findings are described. Additionally, we present a discussion of the incidence, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and pathologic diagnostic features of pulmonary artery dissection.     

Medically mediated reproduction: posthumous conception and the best interests of the child

Advances in medical technology have provided the means for posthumous reproduction to become a foreseen and intended event. This "medically mediated", "non coital" form of reproduction raises a number of esoteric legal and ethical issues, and has much to teach us about broader issues of personal autonomy, parenthood, gender relations, family structure and the best interests of the child. In this article the author, drawing on recent Australian jurisprudence, argues that the best interests of the potential child should be the primary consideration in any case involving posthumous conception. Drawing heavily on the normative foundations provided by international law, the author attempts to identify and clarify the interests of the child relevant in the context of posthumous conception. The author concludes that a denial of access to treatment, on the basis that treatment is contrary to the best interests of the child, has no sound basis. The current treatment of the interests of the deceased and surviving partner and the interests of the child as conflicting dichotomies fails to recognise the inherent logic in converging these interests. It is only in stripping away this discriminatory fa?ade that one comes to recognise that the promotion of the rights of the deceased and surviving partner is likely, in many cases, to enhance the best interests of the child.     

Sins of the Flesh? Obscenity Law in the Era of Virtual Reality

In the near future, pornography will be interactive, and people will be able to act out their fantasies in virtual reality. What may be unsettling is that some of these fantasies will be quite deviant, including rape, pedophilia and bestiality. The question is how our culture will respond to new technologies used to fulfill these deviant fantasies. This article examines the coming changes in the sex industry and the possible legal challenges that will arise.     

Dealing with the Unthinkable: a Study of the Cognitive and Emotional Stress of Adult and Child Homicide Investigations on Police Investigators

Although the death of a child is without doubt one of the most distressing events imaginable, when it occurs in suspicious circumstances, such as at the hand of a parent or close family member, its effects are often more acute and incomprehensible. This paper presents an exploratory study comparing the cognitive and emotional stressors experienced by police when investigating child and adult homicides. The results of an online survey questionnaire with 99 experienced UK police investigators are presented, with key differences found in the cognitive and emotional stress experienced depending on whether the victim is a child or an adult, key differences and similarities identified in the ways investigators deal and cope with adult and child homicide cases, with a tentative discussion of the implications for the well-being and training of police investigators provided.     

Revisiting the Gender Gap in Political Knowledge

Gender-based differences in political knowledge are pervasive in the United States and abroad. Previous research on the source of these differences has focused on resource differentials or instrumentation, with scholars arguing either that the gender gap is real and intractable, or that it is an artifact of the way the concept is measured. Our study differs from past work by showing that (1) male–female differences in political knowledge persist even when knowledge is measured with recommended practices, but that (2) knowledge gaps can be ameliorated. Across laboratory, survey, and natural experiments, we document how exposure to information diminishes gender-based differences in political knowledge. The provision of facts reduces—and often eliminates—the gender gap in political knowledge on questions covering a range of topics.