Validating policy indicators

Although validity of an indicator, that is, whether it means what it purports to, is critical to its legitimate use in policy, there are few systematic approaches to validation. The reason lies largely in the traditions of positivist social science which require the separation of fact and theory and allow no place for meaning and valuation. The paper proposes approaches to test the validity of both indicators and the conceptual frameworks on which they are based. The most powerful forms of validation require the application of a priori concepts and models. Validation is partly judgmental and never simply mechanical. The validity of a measure is dependent on the context of its use. Social and political processes are an important part of validation, particularly in determining the appropriateness of the assumptions. If an indicator is to be valid, it should be chosen or designed iteratively with the policies it will help to shape.The author wishes to thank Sir Geoffrey Vickers, Professor Martin Krieger and Dr. Norman Shulman for their thoughtful comments on an earlier version of this paper.     

Sexual abuse in Canadian university and college dating relationships: The contribution of male peer support

Using data from a Canadian national representative sample survey of male university and college students, this study tested three hypotheses from a theoretical model which attempts to explain the relationship between male peer group dynamics and sexual assault in dating relationships. Consistent with previous research conducted in the United States, the findings reported here show that male peer support is a significant predictor of sexual abuse in post-secondary school courtship. This article concludes with several suggestions for further research.     

An unusual case of fatal accidental paraquat poisoning

Paraquat, a useful contact herbicide is now used in over 130 countries of the world, including Sri Lanka. The number of cases of accidental poisoning reported with paraquat is small, relative to instances of suicide. When a clear history is not available, accidental paraquat poisoning is sometimes difficult to diagnose. A 9-year-old boy was admitted to a peripheral hospital with a history of diarrhoea and vomiting. He later developed abdominal pain, subcutaneous emphysema and difficulty in breathing. Following transfer to a district hospital and then to a teaching hospital, poisoning with paraquat was suspected only on day 11 of the illness. On persistent questioning, on day 13 of the illness the child remembered that the day prior to the onset of illness, on his way from a shop, he felt thirsty and having found an empty bottle of Gramoxone (paraquat) on the wayside he used it to drink water from a water tank. The child died on day 17 and the histology of the lung showed typical changes of paraquat poisoning. This tragic episode emphasises the need for proper disposal of empty containers of all poisonous substances.     

论我国行政体制改革的价值导向

推进行政体制改革必须明确它的价值导向。效率与公平是人类活动所追求的两大基本价值目标,而效率与公平兼顾则是我国行政体制改革的基本价值导向。当前,我国的行政体制改革正面临一系列难题,需要坚持科学的价值导向把改革推向深入,以实现行政体制的创新。     

当前加强外来人口管理的探索与实践

在法制日益完善的新形势下,必须改变外来人口的传统管理模式。开辟租赁房屋市场化管理的新途径;用足法律,强化外来人口的“人头”管理;查询比对,掌握控制外来“高危人群”;各司其责,协调配合,落实对外来流浪乞讨人员的救助管理。