Multiple perpetrator sexual assault: how does it differ from assault by a single perpetrator?

Research that attempts to identify characteristic features of multiple perpetrator sexual assault (MPSA) is limited. This study compared demographic and assault related characteristics of 135 cases of MPSA with 139 cases of single perpetrator sexual assault (SPSA) reported to the Haven sexual assault referral centre, Camberwell, London, over a 4-year period, and aimed to identify any unique features of MPSA victims, perpetrators and assault type. Victims of MPSA were younger, less likely to be White, more likely to report previous self-harm and more likely to sustain injuries than victims of SPSA. Multiple perpetrators were younger, less likely to be White and more likely to be strangers to the victim than single perpetrators. The nature of the assault was different in single and multiple perpetrator cases; in MPSA, there were more completed rapes and more multiple rapes, and perpetrators were more likely to meet the victim in an outside location before carrying out the assault in a place of residence that was not the victim's. These findings add to a scant but growing evidence base.     

Perpetrator programmes for partner violence: Are they based on ideology or evidence?

Purpose. The ideologically based view of intimate partner violence has traditionally influenced policy and practice in modern western nations and dominated cross‐national research and practice. This review considers the validity of the position statement of a British organization responsible for accrediting many male perpetrator programmes in the statutory, voluntary, and private sector as an example of this ideological influence. Method. The position statement, informed by the patriarchal view of partner violence, is evaluated using empirical evidence from various branches of the social sciences, including psychology, that have not been guided by the patriarchal view. Results. Overwhelming empirical evidence is presented, which refutes ideologically driven assumptions that have been put forward to guide current practice and evaluation of it. Conclusions. This review highlights the need to investigate intimate partner violence from a scientific and gender‐inclusive perspective. The implications for psychological practice are discussed.     

The liberal dilemmas of a people-centred approach to state-building

The article explores the dilemmas of providing security assistance to post-conflict states. It argues that when used as a strategy for intervention, SSR exposes the inherent contradictions of liberal peace-building. The article focuses on the Weberian state monopoly versus other—hybrid or non-state—forms of security and justice provision. It presents the background for the discussion and suggests that as a strategy for intervention, the choice is not simply between a top-down ‘imposition’ of a universal state model and a bottom-up ‘working with what is there’ approach. It is also a choice between direct and indirect forms of rule. This makes the dilemma real for liberal-minded practitioners and observers.     

Why Do Adolescents Overestimate Their Peers' Smoking Prevalence? Correlates of Prevalence Estimates Among California 8th-Grade Students

Adolescents' estimates of their peers' smoking prevalence can influence their own smoking behavior. However, it is not clear how these prevalence estimates are formed, or what factors influence their accuracy. This study used data from a statewide sample of 5870 8th-grade adolescents in California to examine the correlates of smoking prevalence estimates. Best friends' smoking accounted for the largest proportion of the variance in prevalence estimates. Other significant correlates included female gender, actual smoking prevalence in the student's school, perceptions of smoking on TV, perceived access to cigarettes, low academic performance, cigarette offers, and ethnicity. The variables in the model accounted for 23.8% of the variance in smoking prevalence estimates. Adolescents with smokers in their social networks and schools may be especially susceptible to smoking, because their peers' smoking may give them the impression that smoking is more normative and prevalent than it actually is.     

‘Drunken Tans’: Representations of Sex and Violence in the Anglo-Irish War (1919–21)

War is a highly gendered experience which is both informed by and informs constructions of masculinity and femininity. The dominant depiction of masculine heroes and feminine victims simplifies the complex intersections of militarism, nationalism and gendered roles and identities. Focusing on a case study of the Anglo-Irish War or War of Independence (1919–1921), this paper examines how violence against women, especially sexual violence, was written about and reported in ways which framed representations of Irish and British masculinity and Irish femininity.In addition, by analysing a range of varied sources including newspapers, autobiographical accounts and recorded testimonies, this paper attempts to assess the extent to which violence against women formed a key aspect of military practice in the war. In conclusion, I engage with some of the difficulties faced by researchers today in exploring evidence of gendered violence in specific historical, cultural and militarized contexts.     

A Future for Public Sector Appeal Systems Under New Managerialism?

This article examines the fate of public sector appeal systems under the managerialist reform agenda. Is new managerialism wedded to a particular shape of appeal system? Is it wedded to the dismantling of this traditionally distinctive feature of public sector employment in Australia? To explore these questions, this article examines the roles which public sector appeal systems play in human resource management and their implications for public sector reform. It then compares traditional appeal rights and processes with those currently operating in the state, Commonwealth and Northern Territory public services. The article also discusses the implications of the dramatic changes in some jurisdictions, including Victoria and Western Australia, for the effectiveness of appeal processes, and human resource management in the public sector.     

Two Models of Contemporary Public Service Wage Determination in Australia

There has been substantial change in industrial relations systems at federal and state level in Australia and this has had dramatic implications for public sector wage-fixing arrangements. This article outlines the main features of current systems for wage determination in the Australian public service and the public services of each state. While a complex and diverse set of regulations and wage-fixing mechanisms are in place in these seven jurisdictions, two models are emerging: one a collectivist two-tiered model and the other a de-collectivist model which includes provision for individual agreements. The authors discuss the implications of the current wage-fixing systems and the two emerging models.     

Accessibility of municipal services for ethnocultural populations in Toronto and Montreal

Abstract: The inmasing density and residential concentration of some ethnocultural groups in some Canadian cities raises challenges for the planning and delivery of municipal services. This study examines the accessibility and receptivity of municipal services for ethnocultural populations in Toronto and Montreal. The analysis centres principally on a comparison of the Toronto Multicultural Access Program (map) and the Bureau interculturel de Montréal (bim) and their relationships with selected municipal departments and political bodies. Results show that, as expected, Toronto, with a higher proportion of different ethnocultural populations, had greater accessibility and receptivity of municipal services than Montreal did: map was found to have a narrow mandate focused on improving accessibility of services, wheas bim was found to be responsible for a wider range of services affecting ethnocultural populations. Public relations work occupied a large proportion of bim resources. While map addressed the improvement of accessibility in a systematic and structured way that involved all departments in the administration, bim tended to intervene in a more varied manner based on the needs of particular groups, districts or departments. A discussion of the possible reasons for the different approaches and their implications for urban development and planning is presented along with suggestions for future study in this area. Sommaire: La densité missante et la concentration résidentielle de certains groupes ethnoculturels dam certaines villes canadiennes posent des défis à la planification et à la distribution des services municipaux. Cette étude se penche sur l'accessibilité et la réceptivité des services municipaux pour les populations ethnoculturelles de Toronto et de Montréal. L'analyse pork essentiellement sur une comparaison enhe le Programme d'accès multiculbrel (pam) de Toronto et le Bureau interculturel de Montréal (bim), ainsi que sur leurs rapports avec certains départements municipaux et organismes politiques. Tel que prévu, les résultats montrent que Toronto, ayant une proportion plus élevée de groupes ethnoculturels différents, a plus d'accessibilité et de réceptivité des services municipaux que Montréal. On a constaté que le pam avait un mandat restreint visant l'amélioration de l'accessibilité des services, tandis que le bim était chargé d'une plus vaste gamme de services concernant les populations ethnoculturelles. Une forte proportion des ressources du bim était consacrée au travail de relations publiques. Le pam procédait de manierr systematique et structurée à améliorer l'accessibilité, faisant participer tous les secteurs de 1'administration, tandis que le bim avait tendance à intervenir de façon plus variée, en fonction des besoins des groupes, districts ou services particuliers. L'article présente une discussion sur les raisons possibles qui justifient ces approches différentes ainsi que leurs répercussions sur le développement et la planification urbaine. Des suggestions d'études futures dans le domaine sont également proposées.