Preventing juvenile sexual offending through parental monitoring: a comparison study of youth’s experiences of supervision

ABSTRACT

The parental monitoring literature has long observed a link between parental monitoring and juvenile antisocial behaviour. This study extends this line of research to juveniles who commit sexual abuse. The present study investigates whether juvenile reports of parental monitoring differ between juvenile sexual offenders (n?=?338), juvenile delinquents (n?=?346), and non-incarcerated juvenile controls (n?=?256). Results indicate that both incarcerated groups reported significantly less parental knowledge compared to juvenile controls. Further, both juvenile sexual offenders and juvenile controls reported significantly more parental control compared to juvenile delinquents. With regard to parental solicitation, the results were mixed for sexual offenders. They reported high levels of solicitation for some items (e.g. what the youth was doing, who they were with), and lower levels for other items (e.g. where the youth was, whether an adult would be present). When repeating these analyses with the exclusion of non-parent caregivers, a similar pattern of results emerged; however, item-level analyses revealed that parents of juvenile delinquents reported certain types of solicitation and control behaviours more frequently (e.g. asked where the youth was going, made sure the rules were followed) compared to findings from the main sample. Potential explanations for these findings as well as practical implications for prevention are discussed.     

Lustration in poland and the former czechoslovakia: a study in decommunization

This article examines the process of decommunization in Poland and the former Czechoslovakia as it impacted opportunity for public services employment in elected or civil service offices. In each setting we describe the motivations expressed for and against lustration in the public service, explain the patterns of decommunization in each country and consider these events from legal, ethical and political points of view.     

The International Community in Bosnia: Enduring Questions of Legitimacy

This analysis explores the legitimacy of the international communityin Bosnia and the outcome of international involvement in theprocess of democratization. The paper discusses normative definitionsof legitimacy and their relation to certain elements of theinternational community's involvement in Bosnia. The first partof the paper discusses the foundations of distrust of the internationalcommunity during the war, specifically the presence of the UN.The second part of the paper explores the legitimacy of theDayton Peace Agreement and the consequent Constitution. Thefinal part of this paper explains how the Office of the HighRepresentative presents an enormous challenge to legitimatedemocracy in Bosnia and concludes with questions relating tothe future of the Bosnian government.     

The Effect of Conjugal Visitation on Sexual Violence in Prison

Using yearly state-level data drawn from a variety of different sources and a pooled cross-sectional time-series research design, we examine whether conjugal visitation attenuates sexual violence in prison. The determination of whether sexual violence in prison is less apt to transpire in states that allow conjugal visitation is theoretically relevant. Feminist theory argues that conjugal visitation has little if any influence on the occurrence of rape and other sexual offenses in prison, notwithstanding the gender of the offender and victim, because such offenses are crimes of power that are employed by the offender as an instrument to dominate and humiliate the victim. On the other hand, sexual gratification theory postulates that conjugal visitation provides inmates with a means of sexual release. Therefore, conjugal visitation should reduce sexual offending in prison. Results support sexual gratification theory by showing that states permitting conjugal visitation have significantly fewer instances of reported rape and other sexual offenses in their prisons. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.     

Let the Sunshine In,or Else: An Examination of the “Teeth” of State and Federal Open Meetings and Open Records Laws

Public access laws are at the heart of transparent democracy, in place to ensure that government meetings and records are open to the public. However, compliance with these laws is often problematic, a fact that can be attributed, in part, to ineffective remedies available for violations of state and federal open government laws. This study examines the enforcement provisions of the public access laws in jurisdictions across the United States to explore the remedies available, including equitable relief such as injunctions and mandamus, actual and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and civil and criminal sanctions. Structural difficulties were revealed that can make these remedies toothless for people unlawfully denied access. The article concludes by suggesting improvements such as enhanced and uniform penalties, more consistent enforcement, and alternatives to litigation.     

Books notes

Economics

Governments and Growth, Francis Knox, Saxon House, 1976, pp. 138, £6.95.

Environment

Dictionary of Environmental Terms, Alan Gilpin, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976, pp. 174, £3.50.

Environmental Controls, Robert A. Leone, Lexington Books, 1976, pp. 123, £8.25.

Urban Growth Management Through Development Timing, Brower et al., Martin Robertson, 1976, pp. 116, £10.10.

Law

Sale of Goods and Consumer Credit, A. P. Dobson, 1975, Sweet & Maxwell, pp. 236, £2.85.

Political Geography

Modern Political Geography, Edward F. Bergman, Wm. C. Brown, 1975, pp. 393.

Political Behaviour

Political Behaviour, Howard Elcock, Methuen, 1976, pp. 309, £8.00.

Public Administration

Outlines of Public Administration, R. E. C. Jewell, 1976, Charles Knight, pp. 206, £4.50.     

Sicarii and the Rise of Terrorism

Abstract

The Jewish Sicarii, active during the Roman imperial period, are considered by many to be the world's first political terrorists. The Sicarii rejected not only Roman dominance over Judea, but all mortally imposed authority. They effectively used assassination and kidnapping to incite a Jewish uprising against Rome. Once war was inevitable, the Sicarii vied against other extremist factions for sole leadership of the rebellion. When they proved unsuccessful, they fled Jerusalem and sought refuge at Masada, where eventually they died at their own hands.     

International convention against the taking of hostages

Anthony H. Cordesman. After the Storm: The Changing Military Balance in the Middle East (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1993). 811 pp. $68.50.

Tore Bjoergo and Rob Witte, eds. Racist Violence in Europe (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993).

Hugh Smith and Anthony Bergin, eds. Naval Power in the Pacific: Toward the Year 2000 (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 1993), 186 + xiii pp. $35.00.

Max G. Manwaring, ed., Gray Area Phenomena: Confronting the New World Disorder (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1993). 198 pp. $19.95.

Samuel M. Makinda. Seeking Peace from Chaos: Humanitarian Intervention in Somalia (Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner, 1993).