Criminals' explanations of their criminal behavior, Part II: A possible role for psychopathy.

The author reviewed the literature concerning the effect of criminals' current psychopathology on their explanations about their crimes. He then studied 100 incarcerated men, examining the associations between their explanations and various historically documented aspects of psychopathy. Previously and independently documented patterns of pathological lying, lack of remorse or guilt, callousness or lack of empathy, and failure to accept responsibility for their own behavior were significantly associated with the offenders not admitting responsibility for their crimes. Further, independently described histories of pathological lying were associated with criminals' blaming their convictions on a faculty criminal-justice system, while histories of failure to accept responsibility for their behavior were associated with blaming someone else for their index crimes.     

A deaf sex offender

Sex offenders are common among deaf criminals seen for psychiatric evaluation. This has previously been attributed to discretionary handling of deaf criminals within the criminal justice system. The author presents the case of a deaf sex offender which illustrates discretionary handling, but which also suggests altered psychosexual development. He then discusses several characteristics in the development and lives of deaf people that may contribute to an altered psychosexual development and an increase likelihood of committing sex offenses.     

Are there “women’s crops”? A new tool for gender and agriculture

A “Gender Control Tool” was developed to measure women’s control over decision-making for agricultural production, sales, and use of income. The tool was tested for groundnuts in Eastern Province, Zambia, where mechanisation has increased male participation in groundnut shelling, and for goats in Gwanda district, Zimbabwe, where the introduction of auctions has increased investment and sales. A mixed methods approach was used, that involved focus group discussions (FGDs) and a quantitative household survey. This article compares the results obtained from these two methods and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the tool in understanding how commercialisation affects women’s control.